The holiday of Passover is approaching. It is a time of remembrance and reflection, a time to celebrate freedom from slavery and the right to practice religion. One of the customs during this eight-day holiday is to eat Marror, a bitter herb that serves as a reminder of the tears and hardships of slavery. But why would we want to relive such a painful memory? Consider this: Imagine a young boy who is bullied and harassed by his classmates every day. He never did anything to deserve this treatment, but it continues to escalate until he falls into a slight depression. His parents eventually take him out of school and provide him with therapy, and he is able to transition to a new school where he becomes popular and successful. The parents are thrilled with their son’s progress and decide to throw a big party to celebrate. However, in the middle of the party, the doorbell rings, and it is the bullies from his old school. They come in and start sharing embarrassing stories about the boy, causing everyone to feel uncomfortable. The parents eventually escort the bullies out of the house, and the party continues. Now, imagine if the parents had actually invited the bullies to the party. That would have been incredibly rude and insensitive, as it would have disrupted their child’s celebration with bad memories from the past. At first glance, this is similar to what happens during the Passover celebration when we eat the bitter herb. We are taking a break from celebrating our freedom to remember the trauma of being slaves. But why do we need to remember this painful memory? The answer lies in how we approach it. We aren’t revisiting slavery as victims or survivors but rather as heroes. We can look back at all challenges in our lives in two ways. Either as an obstacle or as an opportunity that helped us grow. The best way to deal with a challenge is to approach it as an opportunity to deepen our faith and our commitment to G-D. True, it may be a painful experience, but even painful experiences can help us grow. This is why we eat the bitter herb during Passover. It allows us to revisit slavery from a new perspective, a perspective of growth. Slavery didn’t destroy the Jewish people. It was a painful, yet necessary step, that led them to growth and eventually freedom. As we approach Passover this year, I encourage you to ponder the following questions: What challenges have I overcome in my life? How did those challenges help me grow into a stronger and better person? How can I help others who may have a similar challenge? By thinking about these questions, we can rediscover how past challenges are really springboards for growth. Wishing you a Happy Passover! Rabbi David & Dina Weiss Rabbi Mendy & Chana Piekarski The Passover Seder with Chabad Of Topanga takes place Wednesday, April 5, 7:00 p.m., and Thursday, April 6, 8:00 p.m. RSVP required. For more information and to RSVP to the Passover Seder: Chabadoftopanga.com, (310) 455-1597.