they regularly endured inequality , expulsions , and violence .
Imagine Jews suffering blood libels during Passover ( a popular season for them ), yet still gathering , lifting the bread of affliction , and singing Ha Lachma Anya : “ Now we are here . Next year in the land of Israel . This year , slaves . Next year , free .”
How did they hold onto hope for a better year , next year – over decades , centuries , and most of the last two millennia ?
One important answer is that hope itself has been a key ingredient in Jewish survival .
When Moses first approached the Israelites to announce that God would free them from slavery , they could not hear him , because of “ shortened spirts and hard labor ” ( Ex . 6:8 ). Oppression takes its toll .
Initially , it was outside support that extended our ancestors ’ spirits and expanded their sense of possibility . Hope stemmed from the midwives ’ intervention , Moses ’ unwavering advocacy , the miracles of the plagues , and God ’ s protection against the suffering that ensued . Then , God and Moses demanded that the Israelites take action to shape their own future : sacrifice a lamb , Pharaoh ’ s consort animal ; share the food ; mark their doors with lamb ’ s blood , thus branding themselves as rebels ; pack and dress for travel ;
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