pursuing tzedek

as my upcoming trip gutting houses with acorn in new orleans will coincide with the end of Passover, i'm thinking a lot about how the two are related.

i want to focus on themes of freedom, and equating rebuilding new orleans to helping empower those who have been oppressed. obviously, new orleanians in general, and residents of certain predominately african-american neighborhoods in specific, recieved a major raw deal from all parties involved. i could definitely go in that direction and further, ala kanye west, with more anti-slavery metaphors.

instead though, this year i feel sorry for the egyptians....

they too, were given a major raw deal. just think of the poor, uneducated egyptian soldier, probably just 18 years old, who was drafted in the pharoah's mighty chariot corps. he didn't have a lot of opportunities growing up, and so with the generous egyptian g.i. bill, military service was a good option. he didn't know much about those strange israelites they were sent after, but being a patriotic egyptian, loyal to pharoah -- he was just doing his duty.

but then after the army traveled for a while on what seemed like dry, well-protected land, the levees broke, and water came at them from all sides. they never had a chance.

as we spill a drop of wine during our passover seders this week for each of the 10 plagues, may we continue to hope and work together for a time when our freedom doesn't come at the expense of the oppression of others.