Bittersweet.
What does it mean anyhow? I mean either something is bitter or it’s sweet, no?
Next week we sit down to the Passover Seder. The story of the Jewish journey. We recount our historic highs and lows. We eat bitter herbs and imbibe four cups of wine. We meticulously eat Matzah that both represents bread of affliction and bread of freedom. We hide the Afikomen, a small portion of Matzah all the while that we load large amounts of brisket on our plates. All so confusing to the untrained eye.
Yet the Jewish nation are masters at combining contrasting emotions and events. At every Jewish wedding, at the height of joy we break a glass — not so fast — the destruction of the Temple etched into our consciousness. So happy yet so sad with the list of additional examples too many to fill one small column or even a long column for the matter.
So which is it? Bitter or sweet? Happy or sad? Highs or lows?
The Seder is undoubtedly the story of Freedom and Redemption. It’s the story of the Jewish nation both in the past, with fuel to propel us forward to eternity. It’s the recounting of the very miraculous existence of our nation despite all adversity and it’s the festival that helps us reinforce and nurture our essential identity and mission to make this world more goodly and G-dly.
This year we have another chapter to add to the story. It’s been a tough year for the Jewish nation yet the story remains the same. The story of Passover makes that clear. We will endure. We will prosper. We will be there one for another. We will double down on ensuring the continuity and thrival of the Jewish nation. We will continue to share the values and gift of Judaism with our children and families. We will continue, period!
Yes, parts of our history are bitter. Yet at the core of it, is sweetness. Maybe that is the true definition of bittersweet. We ask only that G-d stretch out his hand once again and reveal the deepest hidden secrets of transcendence so that the bitterness falls to the wayside and all the we are left with is reveal and experiential sweetness. Amen!