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LET ALL WHO ARE HUNGRY ENTER

AND EAT – A PESACH RESPONSE

LET ONE WHO IS HUNGRY ENTER AND EAT

When our ancestors read the words “Let all who are hungry enter and eat,” the words carried a different meaning than they do now. 

In the close-knit shtetls of Europe, the men and women who spoke these words were able to open their hearts and their doors to neighbors whose names and faces they knew.  Today, we are sealed off from our neighbors, the more so from the hungry and the homeless.  So, when we read the ancient words, there is no one waiting to accept our invitation.  Our words remain just words, unless we find a way to give them meaning, to give them life.

In response to the scandal of hunger in the world… in this country… even in our own community, we have symbolically invited one more guest to our seder table tonight.  It is only a symbol.  Yet, this plate will serve to inform all of us of the pain of hunger that is felt by millions of men, women, and children – some only a few hundred feet from where we feast.

Let this symbol awaken us to the need to relieve the pain of hunger, even if it is only the one who we serve this evening.