The name of this blog is andyoushalllove. It’s an ode to my favorite hebrew prayer, V’ahavta. It was the first “long” prayer I learned in Hebrew School and it was SO hard for me to learn. I struggled with my hebrew literacy. I was not a good reader, so when I mastered this beautiful prayer, sung in the original trope, I was proud and awe-struck.
I’ll give you the rough English translation here:
And you shall love the LORD your God with all your mind, all your strength, and all of your being. Set these words which I command you this day, upon your heart. Teach them faithfully to your children; speak of them in your home and on your way, when you lie down and when you rise up.
Bind them as a sign upon your hand; let them be a symbol before your eyes; inscribe them on the doorpost of your house and on your gates.
Be mindful of all my Mitzvot, and do them: so shall you consecrate yourself to your God. I, the LORD, am your God, who led you out of Egypt to be your God; I the LORD am your God.
To me, this prayer has encapsulated Judaism. This is what it means to be a Jew. We hold our love of God in our hearts, and hold it in front of our eyes through our ritual and symbolism. We cannot complete our Jewishness without holding and performing the Mitzvot, the sacred acts that God has set before us. It is such an incredible religion. One that is focused on walking-the-walk.
We walk the sacred walk by clinging to our faith, using it as a means to fulfill the ultimate task God has set before us, rebuilding the world.
Times have changed. The Torah’s suggestions on sacred living are often antiquated. They reflect a different time, but Passover is the one holiday that is still so awe-inspiringly relevant.
Remember you were once strangers in the land of Egypt
During Pesach, we are meant to remember that we have not always been a free people. We have been (and sometimes still are) a persecuted people. Whether for our physical differences (someone the other day told me how lucky I am that I don’t “look” Jewish), our success (in media, finance, education, whatever), or as I’ve previously mentioned our holy practices (see: Christian Privilege).
Moreover, instead of simply recognizing our own vulnerabilities, we have to look at those oppressed in the world arounds us. The poor, the minority, the illiterate, the narrow-minded, the fearful, the ignorant, the unloved.
Consecrate yourself to the LORD your God; remember that our primary goal in this life is to rebuild the world. That rebuilding comes from acts of love. Treat every person you meet with dignity, they are a spark in the flame of holiness. We can never know what enslavements people walk around bearing. Perhaps we can lighten their load, even a little bit.
And You Shall Love 