Thief. Stranger. Gentile. — Kendell Pinkney

Passover (Pesach) is one of my favorite times of year. More specifically, I love the Seder. All of the complex and compelling stories, songs, choreography, anecdotes, meaning-making moments are a feast for the senses. Yet within all of these wonderful ritual moments, there are certain elements that when we slow down to consider the full measure of their meaning, we find ourselves challenged in profound ways. One such phrase is  כָּל דִכְפִין יֵיתֵי וְיֵיכֹל, כָּל דִצְרִיךְ יֵיתֵי וְיִפְסַח - “Anyone who is hungry should come and eat, anyone who is in need should come and partake the Pesach meal”. This is a sentiment that almost any of us would agree with; it is a noble impulse that affirms our deeply cherished, community values. But when I stop to consider how to actualize this line, I must admit, I often fall short in achieving such a full measure of charity. As we head into this Shabbat and Passover, I invite you to listen to this lovely narrative read by Ammud’s own Rabbi Mira Rivera, with music by Jerome Korman, and consider “how might we open ourselves up to seeing the deep holiness in places where we might not expect?” And with that, I wish you all a sweet Shabbat and a liberatory Pesach.

Pesach Story

Rabbi Mira Rivera and Jerome Korman

Kendell Pinkney is the Rabbinic Fellow at Ammud: The Jews of Color Torah Academy.

Rabbi Mira Rivera is the Rabbinic Mentor at Ammud: The Jews of Color Torah Academy.

Source - "The Besht Shows His Disciples Elijah" from Yitzhak Buxbaum's The Light and Fire of the Baal Shem Tov. Bloomsbury Academic, New York.