If you take God out of the equation , these texts suggest that particular failings of Jacob , Joseph , and his brothers set in motion a chain of events that ended in disaster for their descendants . Without absolving Pharaoh of his genocidal cruelty , they warn us that our own actions may have unintended consequences that contribute to our reversals of fortune . That lesson is never easy to accept . But it points the way to facing the present with a stronger sense of agency and the future with a deeper capacity to choose hope over despair .
Questions for discussion :
1 ) In what ways does this Passover feel different than other Passovers ?
2 ) Does the point of view reflected in the texts cited above add to your understanding of the Passover story ? If so , how ?
3 ) Given legitimate concerns about blaming the victim , what are the strengths and weaknesses of this approach ?
4 ) Texts like these ask us to look inward and to assume a measure of responsibility for the situations in which we find ourselves as individuals and as a people . In our post- October 7 th world what would that entail ?
David Arnow , PhD is the author of Creating Lively Passover Seders and co-editor of My People ’ s Passover Haggadah . His most recent book is Choosing Hope : The Heritage of Judaism .
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