Does Your Life Enslave You? Learn How to Free Yourself!

Today, I will look at the last seder plate symbol: maror. These are the bitter herbs that represent slavery. Of course, during Passover the issue of slavery comes up big time. We discuss how the Israelites were enslaved in Egypt and how Moses asked the Pharaoh to let free them. When Pharaoh said, “No,” God sent the plagues. Eventually, Pharaoh agreed and the Israelites left. We all know what happened then…they Egyptians pursued them to the shore of the Red Sea, the sea parted, the Israelites crossed, and the Egyptians drowned. That’s how the Israelites became a free people.

The whole Passover story revolves around slavery and freedom. We are supposed to relive the story as we were there. Yet, many of us feel enslaved already in many ways. It’s not hard for us to feel as if we are slaves.

That’s why I ask myself the final questions:

• Where am I enslaved in my life?
• What or who enslaves me?
• How will I release myself?
• How will I ensure that I am liberated?
• What can I do to find liberation?

Beyond identifying what enslaves me, I want to find ways to free myself. I do not wait for God to free me like he freed the Israelites. That’s an important divergence from the Passover story.

I do, however, pray to God for freedom or for help figuring out how to free myself. I pray for help achieving my freedom as I take steps to achieve it. I do not expect plagues; I do not want them. I do not desire the death of the first-born son… I do want a Divine hand at work to help create synchronicity and to lead me along the path to see how I can free myself. I look for inspired action steps to take. But I do not wait for God to release me from what enslaves me. I expect to have to come up with a plan and to enforce that plan if need be. I have faith that if I put my mind to it, if I pray and meditate upon it, that I will receive answers and be inspired about what path to take to achieve my liberation.

In other words, finding freedom from the places in my life where I feel enslaved requires that I, first, identify those places, second, come up with a plan to liberate myself, and, third, that I follow through with that plan. I do all of that while, much like Moses, consulting with God and looking for signs of God’s hand in my life guiding me.

Today, find your way to freedom.