Rabbi Alisa Zilbershtein: The unending exodus

By Rabbi Alisa Zilbershtein

(AJNews) – The first signs of spring appear in Alberta. Snow begins to recede, revealing patches of earth long dormant. Birds return, their songs breaking winter’s silence. In Jewish homes across the province, a different awakening stirs as families prepare for Pesach – clearing chametz, bringing out special dishes, and planning seders.

This season marks liberation. Yet, as we ready ourselves to retell the ancient story of our people’s journey from slavery to freedom, many of us carry heavy hearts. Israel endures a devastating war while antisemitism has erupted globally with frightening intensity. Economic uncertainty grips communities, making the promised liberation of spring feel distant – its brightness complicated by shadows that loom large across our world.

Rabbi Yehudah Aryeh Leib Alter, the Gerer Rebbe known as the Sefat Emet, offers an insight that speaks directly to our current moment: “The Exodus from Egypt never ends. In the act of telling about the Exodus, the miracle itself is fulfilled and enhanced.”

What does it mean that the miracle is “fulfilled and enhanced” through our telling? This teaching deepens our appreciation of Pesach’s timeless wisdom. The miracle of the Exodus transcends history – continuing to unfold through our engagement with it. The seder table becomes a site where ancient liberation actively extends into the present. Through our retellings, the miracle grows and finds new expression. It reflects the Jewish historical consciousness – our foundational stories exist simultaneously in past and present.

The miracle that began with our ancestors continues to unfold through our lived experiences today. When we taste the bitter herbs, the ancient suffering becomes immediate, and when we recline as free people, ancient liberation becomes real.

When we tell the story of the Exodus at our seders this year, we participate in this ongoing miracle. The Jewish people continue to move from constriction toward expansiveness, and the miracle unfolds in our collective journey. Our ancestors left physical Egypt; we continue to leave the various “Egypts” of our time. Their telling became our inheritance; our telling becomes the foundation for generations yet to come.

The Sefat Emet’s understanding of Pesach as an ongoing miracle offers a consolation in our present moment. When facing difficulties, we might feel isolated in history – as if our community alone bears these burdens. This teaching reminds us that we stand within a continuing story of liberation that spans centuries. Our struggles connect us to our ancestors who also faced hardships yet continued to move toward freedom.

Spring in Alberta arrives gradually, often interrupted by late snowfalls and cold snaps. Yet despite these setbacks, the season’s progression remains inevitable. When we gather at our seder tables this year – amid war, amid hatred, amid uncertainty – we participate in something far greater than remembrance. Through our words, questions and discussions, we fulfill and enhance the very miracle we describe. The miracle that carried our ancestors across the sea carries us still through waters both calm and turbulent. Their liberation and ours form a single, unending story.

Rabbi Alisa Zilbershtein is the Rabbi at Beth Shalom Congregation in Edmonton.