Happy Passover — April 2009
It’s a few days before Pesach this year and I’m reading the novel A THOUSAND SPLENDID SUNS by Khaled Hosseini, the author of THE KITE RUNNER, which I’d previously read. The novel takes place over several years in Afghanistan against the background of the political turmoil of fighting the Soviets and the coming of the iron grip of the Taliban.
So it is natural that I am thinking about preparing for our Jewish holiday celebrating our freedom from slavery as I contemplate the fate that is soon to befall the novel’s characters as well as real people in Afghanistan and the U.S.
As a counterbalance to these thoughts of our military servicemen and servicewomen deployed in Afghanistan and Iraq, I wanted to offer this Pesach poem sent to me by 85-year-old Canadian Rose Paull. (My husband and I on our honeymoon in Israel in 1969 met Rose and her husband Harold, visiting Israel on the occasion of their 25th wedding anniversary.)
Rose’s Passover poem beautifully captures the best sentiments for our holiday as well as for the people of the whole world.
May the bells of freedom ring out for you and your family
Freedom from stress
Freedom to give zdaka
Freedom from illness
Freedom to study
Freedom from debt
FREEDOM to laugh
Freedom to love
Freedom to forgive
Freedom from loshenhor
Freedom to cry (only for a short while)
Freedom from darkness
Freedom to read
Freedom to have pleasant thoughts
Freedom to enjoy nature
Freedom to appreciate good music
Freedom to hug a child
Freedom to write
Freedom to respond to this greeting
Freedom to have a wonderful joyous Passover
Freedom to visit family and friends
Freedom to kiss someone you love
… and I love you all who read this little greeting
Rose Paull (MOM BUBBY and friend)
If you’d like to email Rose, send an email to me at pzmiller@gmail.com and I’ll forward it to her.