PATH---OVER

As the Passover holiday approaches, I have been thinking quite a bit about the story of Passover and how we tell that story every year.

This year I was asked to lead a small family seder back east. I was wondering how could I help make this year's seder more meaningful for everyone. What concepts or exercises could I introduce that would enhance the seder experience and transform us from slavery to freedom?

Then, a vision came to me. I imagined myself asking everyone, at the very start of the seder, to please pass in their Maxwell House Hagadah's (still a tradition in our family). I bravely announced to everyone, "This year, we are going to tell a different story!" I then passed out booklets to everyone. The booklets were the story of Sidhartha, the Buddha. The vision becomes a bit blurry at that point and I vaguely imagine drawing parallels between the life of Sidhartha and the Israelites. At this point, I received a call informing me that, in fact, this year's seder was going to be at my uncle's home, Rabbi Harold Spivack, who would be conducting the seder.
Whew! Now that I was off the hook, my ego stopped inventing ways in which I would look good in front of everyone, and I realized that my PATH---OVER journey had begun.

The truth is, as jews, we do need to tell ourselves and our offspring a different side of the story. We need to shift our focus and attention from where we came from, slaves in Egypt, victims of the Holocaust, to where we want to go, communion with The Presence in the promised land. We are so caught up in our identity of victimhood that by thinking and talking about it so much we are perpetuating its existence and validity, and it continues to infect us as a people, as the Hagadah says, "...oppressors and tyrants rise against us in every generation..."

I choose to focus on my freedom. Freedom from being controlled by my Pharaoh (ego) in my everyday life and inter-reactions with people, and beginning a new journey of awakening and realizing the true nature of my being, in a peaceful and still place like the desert (or the forest, anywhere that is away from the invasive thoughtforms of gossip, TV, radio, etc.). This is the matzah, the essence, of the PATH---OVER story. To leave our small selves in mitzrayim, that are enslaved by thoughts of worry, doubt, fear, lack, and limitation, and surrender to our Higher Self through thoughts and feelings of love, beauty, joy, abundance, and prosperity.

Practically, in my everyday life, this is how it looks.

1. Each day I spend time alone. This is essential for understanding who we are and what we are doing here on earth at this time. Moses spent a lot of time alone, with The Presence. Since The Presence is everywhere, we have the same opportunity!
2. Each day I consciously choose to focus on the good in every situation. This takes practice and patience, but once mastered we experience the world differently. Where there is limitation, we can see expansion, where there is lack, we see abundance. Which world do you want to live in? The choice is ours. We can focus on freedom and expansion, and experience these qualities, or we can focus on enslavement and limitation and suffering will be our experience.
3. Each day I am constantly reminding myself to Be Present and Wake-Up! I know how easy it is for me to get lost in my own thoughts, making up stuff in my head that is just my ego's way of trying to maintain control. It takes courage and diligence to examine my thoughts and refocus them towards assisting and being subordinate to my Higher Self. We must Wake-Up! Now! The evolution of consciousness depends upon it!

Lastly, I think we owe it to our ancestors, for whom we are deeply grateful, to continue to evolve towards becoming Tzaddiks, enlightened ones. Our ancestors suffered, some greatly, so that we would not have to. It does not honor them to suffer as they did. In fact, it is dishonoring of them. Every generation stands on the shoulders of the next and continues to evolve. As we stand on their shoulders, let us become like Moses, who knew God face-to-face and who communed with The Presence. Let us make this year the year of our awakening. It is happening all over the planet at this time with all peoples. We must embrace our past and then LET IT GO and focus on our expansion. We can no longer wait for the Messiah to come save us and bring us peace. We are the Moshiach energy and we must become the Shalom, peace and wholeness, that we seek.