Ha Lachma Anya
הָא לַחְמָא עַנְיָא דִי אֲכָלוּ אַבְהָתָנָא בְּאַרְעָא דְמִצְרָיִם. כָּל דִכְפִין יֵיתֵי וְיֵיכֹל, כָּל דִצְרִיךְ יֵיתֵי וְיִפְסַח. הָשַׁתָּא הָכָא, לְשָׁנָה הַבָּאָה בְּאַרְעָא דְיִשְׂרָאֵל. הָשַׁתָּא עַבְדֵי, לְשָׁנָה הַבָּאָה בְּנֵי חוֹרִין.
This is the bread of affliction that our fathers ate in the land of Egypt. Whoever is hungry, let him come and eat; whoever is in need, let him come and conduct the Seder of Passover. This year [we are] here; next year in the land of Israel. This year [we are] slaves; next year [we will be] free people.
Este es el pan de la pobreza que comieron nuestros padres en la tierra de Egipto. Todo el que tenga hambre que venga y coma. Todo el que lo necesite que venga y haga el pesaj. Este año estamos aquí, el próximo año en la tierra de Israel. Este año somos esclavos, el proximo año seremos libres.
Ha Lachma
Questions to answer:
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How are we slaves now? What can we do to become more free? Will we EVER be completely free?
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How far will you go to welcome a stranger in need?
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When you say “next Year in Israel,” would you ever consider moving to Israel? Why or why not?
Even though we were taken out of Egypt hundreds of years ago, I believe that we are still slaves today- but to technology. Our lives are based around social media and phones, and as teenagers, we often miss out on critical social and education opportunities because we have an unchosen, but unbreakable commitment to the technological world. -Ilana G.
The land of Israel is a main reason why God freed us from slavery in Egypt. However, there is a more important reason that God freed us. This other reason is that as slaves we had no freedoms, and therefore none of the responsibility that come with freedom. The only way for the Jewish people to develop was for them to experience freedom, and therefore have to live for themselves, taking on an extra level of responsibility. -Max
The key component to identifying a hungry person is to define hungry. When I think of hungry I think of ambition. A hungry person is also person with the impetus to work for a better life for all. A person who ironically may alleviate other peoples’ physical hunger and that has the motivation to succeed in all facets of life. -Sammy
...perhaps the idea that we are enslaved to objects like our facebook pages and iPhones belittles the inconceivable maltreatment and backbreaking labor to which the Israelites were subjected. Though not as extreme an instance as slavery, perhaps we also cannot relate to poverty and hunger for the same reason. -Anonymous