In Every Generation…..

In every generation one must view himself as he himself left Mitzrayim.

Mitzrayim is the place where the Jews went when they needed refuge. At first that’s all it was. Slowly but surely the Jews began to be afflicted. The Jews went from the top of society’s finest to a machine used to make bricks and pyramids. We were there for hundreds of years. When we left there was no time to even make bread. We ate Matza, the bread of affliction.

My family lived in Germany for hundreds of years. My great grandparents worked in textiles and agriculture. They were soldiers in the German army and  district Rabbis. Like Egypt, Germany was haven and refuge.

My great grandparents and their generation were greatest of society. They served their creator even in their lasts moments. They followed the laws of Shechita and Kashrut. They established places of worship and delved into the laws of Judaism. Slowly but surely however everything came crashing down. Germany was a haven no longer. The synagogues were burned and Jewish culture became the enemy of the state. The Jews, like in Egypt became nothing more than a tools as part of a great machine.

In Egypt there were ten plagues. In Germany there were not.

In Egypt there was no time for bread, but at least they had matza. In Germany there was no time for neither bread nor matza. There was no food at all.

In Egypt the Jews left with gold and riches. In Germany it all stayed behind. Ledgers were burned as everything else was destroyed or stolen.

In Egypt we received the Torah. In Germany the Torah scrolls were taken from us and returned to us in the form of shoe soles.

We left in a state unimaginable, far worse that any situation faced by man.

Yet here we are.

Here we are in the hills of Judea and Passover is upon us.

We are here with or own army, learning more Torah than ever before.

Here we are. We are here. In spite of everything and against all odds.

In every generation they come and go – yet we are still here.

“Blessed are you who has granted us life, sustained us and enabled us to reach this occasion”

בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם, שֶׁהֶחֱיָנוּ וְקִיְּמָנוּ וְהִגִּיעָנוּ לַזְּמַן הַזֶּה.