L'Shana Haba'ah, Next Year - לשנה הבאה

Traditionally, the Seder is wrapped up with “Next Year in Jerusalem,” whether Jerusalem as the physical location, or a spiritual manifestation. Regardless if we relate to that or not, this is also a place to express different wishes for the next year.

Over the past two years, as the Covid pandemic raged, many of us were saying “Next Year In Person,” to indicate a hope for a post pandemic world, where it’s safe to be together. While the pandemic isn’t over, we have the ability to come together safely. Given that, this “L'Shana Haba'ah”, hoping and wishing to be able to keep coming together in joy, seems fitting. 

לְשָׁנָה הַבָּאָה יַחַד בְּרִינָּה

Next Year, Together in Joy

The traditional Dayenu song proclaims what would have been enough, recognizing the many blessings given to us at every step of our struggles. Tonight, let us commit ourselves to the work ahead by telling ourselves,

Lo Dayenu!

 

 

It is not enough!

 

 

If we were proud of ourselves,

But were still afraid to come out at home to family and friends, 

And at school and at work,

Then it would not be enough for us. 

• Lo Dayenu, it would not suffice!

 

If we were not afraid to come out, 

But did not have many diverse spiritual homes that embraced us, 

And fully reflected our communities, in both leadership and group roles,

Then it would not be enough for us.

• Lo Dayenu, it would not suffice!

 

If we had diverse spiritual homes, 

But did not have full recognition and protections for our relationships

And families - in whatever way that family is - across all state and international borders,

Then it would not be enough for us.

• Lo Dayenu, it would not suffice!

 

If we had full recognition of our families, 

But many LGBTQ people still feared persecution, hate, or violence;

And other people suspected of being queer still feard the same.

Then it would not be enough for us.

• Lo Dayenu, it would not suffice!

 

If queer people everywhere had full rights, 

But we failed to recognize how class, race, and ethnicity intersects,

And how different people’s queer identities make it harder to thrive,

Then it would not be enough for us.

• Lo Dayenu, it would not suffice!

לֹא דַיֵּינוּ!

It Would Not Suffice!

 

 

Yachatz

We break the middle Matzah. 

And why the middle one specifically?

For we are not escaping from the past (the bottom matzah)

And we are not afraid from the future (the top matzah)

We, our hearts and spirits are living the present. 

A present that combines the contemporary moments of grace

With the experience of the past, and the building of the future.

:קָרֵב יוֹם אֲשֶׁר הוּא לֹא יוֹם וְלֹא לַיְלָה

Bring [us] close [to] the day which is not day and not night.

As the sun sinks and the colors of the day turn, we offer a blessing for the twilight, for
twilight is neither day nor night, but in-between.

We are all twilight people. We can never be fully labeled or defined. We are many identities
and loves, many genders and none.

We are in between roles, at the intersection of histories, or between place and place.

We are neither day nor night. We are both, neither, and all.

May the in-between of this evening suspend our certainties, soften our judgments,
and widen our vision.

May this in-between light illuminate our way to a path transcends all categories and
definitions.

We cannot always define; we can always say a blessing. Blessed are You, Blessed are those, who dwell on, and celebrate Twilight!

- (Based on) Rabbi Reuben Zellman, TransTorah.org

בְּאוֹתָהּ שָׁעָה

בִּקְשׁוּ מַלְאֲכֵי הַשָּׁרֵת

לוֹמַר שִׁירָה לִפְנֵי הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא

אָמַר לָהֶם

מַעֲשֵׂה יָדַי טוֹבְעִים בַּיָּם

וְאַתֶּם אוֹמְרִים שִׁירָה לְפָנַי

The Rabbis teach us (Babylonian Megillah 10b):

At the very hour that the Egyptians were drowning, 

The angels wanted to sing before the Divine.

She said to them:

“My children are drowning in the sea - 

Yet you want to sing in My presence?!”

 

As the hairs of slaves redeemed from Egypt’s violence,

We rejoice at the sight of oppression overcome. 

Yet, our triumph is diminished by the slaughter of the foe.

Therefore we take ten drops from the wine in within our cups:

One for each plague -

Whether modern or ancient, whether the plagued “deserved it” 

Or not. 

For while we wish and aim for liberty and justice for all, 

We did not wish pain on any.