To be Free is to be Discontent
The Pesach Seder is arguably the most widely practiced Jewish ceremony regardless of level of adherence to tradition. Its message of freedom resonates today more than ever, despite the thousands of years that separate us from Biblical times.
In the Haggadah there is much reference to the Korban Pesach (paschal lamb or meat offering). The sacrifice is central not only to the Seder and commemoration of the exodus, but actually played a major role within the exodus itself.
Yet for the most part, it is an element of Pesach that is little remarked on. What is its significance?
For close to 100 years the Jews in Egypt were brutally oppressed. At last, after ten plagues that devastated the Egyptian Empire, the night of liberation arrived. In anticipation of that epochal night, Moshe gave detailed instructions to the Jewish people in G-d’s name, commanding the Jews to bring a lamb as a sacrifice.
There is one detail of the sacrifice that stands out: “Do not eat of it roasted in a pot, or cooked, or boiled in water; only roasted on the fire its head with its legs and with its innards.”
This puzzling. While the Torah outlines the complex laws of kashrus, these deal with forbidden foods or food combinations. But for the Torah to dictate to us the method of food preparation is almost unheard of. As far as the Torah is concerned, it can be in a microwave, a pot or on the grill. As long as food is kosher, feel free to prepare it as you wish. The only exception to this is the law concerning the Korban Pesach. The Torah text is explicit in its instructions that Jews should only eat this meat once it is properly roasted. Why?
The Lubavitcher Rebbe offers a unique kabbalistic answer to this age-old question, and his explanation hinges upon the essential difference between cooking in liquid or by fire alone.
The difference between fire and water is that fire is always rising upward. The flickering flame is never ‘content’ in its space; it is always seeking to depart from its container and soar to the ‘heavens’. However water descends and it can be contained in one space.
In the language of Jewish mysticism, fire represents upward striving, yearning, thirst, passion, tension and restlessness.
Water, however, symbolises satiation, containment, tranquillity, fulfilment, calmness and resolution.
Thus, on the human level, fire represents the part in us which seeks change and challenges the status quo, while water represents our ability to make peace with life as it is.
Both are necessary. If we only develop our fire dimension, the result can be harmful. People who are never satisfied have a tendency to make themselves and the people around them miserable. On the other hand, if we are only watery creatures, we can become paralysed and immobile, exemplified by our lack of ambition and narrow outlook. A healthy and productive life is the one that learns how to balance the fire and water elements within the human personality.
But what has all this to do with the roasting of the paschal lamb and the Seder’s message of freedom? Because on Pesach we are taught to make a choice regarding the quality within us that represents liberation - and on this night it is fire alone.
The real definition of freedom is to be restless, moved by the call of the infinite, by endless mystery, by boundless vision. A human being always senses that there is much more to life, to reality, to truth and yearns for it.
To live a free life, able to express your full humanity, means never to be complacent and satisfied with your personal growth and your moral achievements, not to allow even a drop of water to slake your thirst and thwart your quest for the Divine.
When we search for the true meaning of freedom on the night of Pesach, there is no place for the calm tranquillity of water. That will come later. Now we must experience the liberty provided by the soaring fire.
