Thursday, April 17, 2008

NIRZAH-ACCEPTANCE-FIFTEENTH AND FINAL STEP

We have come to the end of our Seder, the end of our journey.There is nothing left to do.
We have prayed, praised, sung and talked, eaten and drunk, laughed and cried, questioned and commented , connected with the past and the present-what remains?
Is it over? Does the journey ever in fact end? Is not every ending also a beginning?
What remains to be done? Do we start over? Yes, but first we fulfill the stage of Nirzah-acceptance. We have concluded the active part of the Seder.
One act remains. Now all we can do is "stand before God with our hands raised." All we can do is to be.We surrender, we let go, of effort, of strain, of activity, of planning and devising, of struggle, and simply experience the fullness of the All, grateful for the overflowing of God's gifts and blessings.
" We have long anticipated this night, we have extensively prepared for it. We have done our human best. Yehi razon: May You, God, accept the longing of our hearts."(Breslov Haggadah)
"Leshana habah beyerushalayim habenuya"-Next year in a Jerusalem that is joyous, that reflects the wisdom of the heart, Habenuya-built upon the "binah" of God's wisdom of the human soul. Amen V'Amen.

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