I’ve Moved!
November 20, 2008
So I’m sure that most people have noticed that the site has been offline for a few days. There’s a reason for that, which I will get to shortly. But first, let me just say this:
In fact, I am blogging at a new site I have just finished setting up: kennethhynek.net. A full explanation for the reasons behind the move can be found here
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That said, this is not the end of Time Immortal. My wife Grace has expressed interest in taking over blogging at this domain, and I am working to make sure that she gets set up here as soon as possible.
Also, my profound apologies for the modification to the site face; the move was not as seamless as I would have hoped, and many of the image files for this theme, and in the gallery, were corrupted during the course of their evacuation from my previous web host’s servers. Until such time as I have repaired them, I’ve put a clean-looking template in place of the previous one.
Update: for the purposes of further traffic shaping, new posts from kennethhynek.net will be excerpted below. Full articles can be read at the new blog.
Why is this night different from all other nights?
April 3, 2007
Why on all other nights do we eat either leavened or unleavened bread, but on this night only Matzoh?
Why on all other nights do we eat all kinds of greens, but on this night only bitter herbs?
Why on all other nights do we not dip even once, but on this night we dip twice?
Why on all other nights do we eat either sitting or reclining, but on this night we all recline?
This night is different from all other nights: because we were slaves to Pharoh in Egypt. Because we were brought forth from there by God with a mighty hand and outstretched arm. Because we are thankful and because it is our duty to keep the commitment to freedom ever present in our memories and in our lives. So that we will always remember and never forget.
We eat Matzoh only on this night to remember that in our haste to escape from Egypt, we could not wait for the bread to rise and so removed it from the ovens while it was still flat.
We eat Maror on this night so that the bitter taste of these herbs will remind us of the bitterness of slavery.
We dip, twice, on this night - greens in salt water and Maror in Charoses - the first to replace tears with joy and gratitude, the second to sweeten the bitterness of suffering and loss.
We recline on this night because, at the time of the exodus, slaves consumed their meals standing, or, at best, sitting upright: the right to recline at mealtimes was the privilege and a symbol of a free man
Had we not escaped the tyranny of the despot Pharoh, we and our children might still be enslaved, deprived of freedom and dignity. Through these special foods and rituals and by the recounting of the exodus story, we hope to refresh our understanding and teach the significance of the freedom we so dearly cherish.
To all my Jewish readers: a blessed Passover is my wish for you. Shalom.
