Passover – Calling All Citizens!

Those who converted to Judaism at the time of the Exodus did not suffer the slavery of Egypt. Nevertheless, Torah includes them in the Mitzvah of Passover.

The fact is, these converts may have even had it good in Egypt – like some Jews today who go around saying, “We have it good in exile!” When we cry out, “How much longer?! Why hasn’t Moshiach come?” – He replies, “What do you want from me? We live in a kind, free, and prosperous country. Never in history has it been so good for the Jews! So why are you making such a fuss?”

Passover is ‘The Festival of Our Freedom.’ The Festival itself calls out: “Listen, Jews – we must be free!” The verse states: “There shall be one law for the Passover sacrifice – for you, the convert and the native-born.” Allegorically speaking, ‘native-born’ refers to the ‘true citizen’ of a country – one who thinks that his country is the greatest. A Jew must recognize, however, that he is “Jerusalem-born” – no matter where in the world he is.