Ha-Lakhma: This is the Bread for Your Afflicted Parts

“This is the bread of affliction that our ancestors ate in the land of Egypt. Anyone who is famished should come and eat, anyone who needs should come and partake of the Pesakh sacrifice.”

and you, too, little bird –

what inside of you has been dormant, distressed, disturbed

forgotten

shunned

tonight we lay out our crisp linens, bring wine to our lips for

the guest of honor – that part within you that is most feral,

most hungry for connection and community and continuity

the part of you that will always be afraid of the dark and the locusts, of loud voices, of the crack of leather

the part of you that perpetually wanders mitzrayim, too afraid to leave

those cells within you that have been banished – those cruel voices which you have internalized who have told you

that there is no food on heaven and earth which can feed every part of you

that you are destined to be hungry, lost, afraid, unworthy, broken left in egypt

our story tonight is about a people who must remind themselves that

they are worthy to live in expansiveness, to feed themselves

and one another after eons of abuse and you must do this, too

so call yourself home,

bring this bread to your lips,

and know that when you leave egypt, as you do every morning,

every part of you must leave the narrow straits to make the journey to wholeness so, come and sit, and eat – anoint yourself with crumbs, let your wise, wise body transform these cells to energy

we may have long days ahead

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