Hallel: First Day(s) Pesach: Walking with a Flute I
“The Song will be yours like the night of the festival’s consecration, and heartfelt gladness like one who walks with a flute, to come to the mountain of God, the Rock of Israel (Isaiah 30:29).” “The Song will be yours like the night of the festival’s consecration,” refers to the Hallel they sang as they offered the first Pesach. “And heartfelt gladness like one who walks with a flute,” refers to Hallel of the first day of Pesach, when they began to walk; their journey out of Egypt. “To come to the mountain of God, the Rock of Israel,” refers to the journey to Sinai, which they began to sing on the second day of Pesach.
Walking With A Flute I:
We can easily imagine that the joy of the song as the people gathered to begin their journey out of Egypt was exponentially greater than the song they sang as they offered the Pesach; it was an indication that their first Hallel actually changed them, and prepared them to rise even higher:
“Hallelukah!
Praise, you who serve God!
Their willingness to begin the journey, entering the desert without any sense other than God’s protection was their expression of having become Servants of God. The same is true of us who, empowered by the Seder, look forward to the future thrilled with the possibilities of living as Servants of God!
Praise the Name of God.
Let the Name of God be blessed from now and forever.
They were being rushed out by the Egyptians, without time for their bread to rise; they were pushed as if there was no time, and yet; they sang of God as Eternal. They did not focus on the rush of time, but on the Infinite possibilities of living beyond time as Servants of God.
From sunrise to sundown, the Name of God is praised.
God is above all the nations. His Glory is beyond the sky.
We sing this verse as did they who experienced: “God went before them by day in a pillar of cloud to lead them on the way, and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, so they could travel day and night. He did not remove the pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night from before the people (13:21-22).” They felt God’s constant protection and guidance. We sing this morning, following the Seder with the same sense of living with the Pillar of Cloud and the Pillar of Fire.
Who is like God, our Lord, Who lives up high, but drops down to see what happens (to us) in the (lower) heaven and earth?
They woke up to an Egypt in which there was death in every Egyptian home, and none in theirs. God “dropped down” to protect each home and family. We sing with this same sense of God having been present at our Seder, protecting us; “Leil Shimurim,” A Night of Guarding.” Each of us sings this verse over our sense of God’s direct and Personal involvement in our lives.
Who lifts up the lowly from the dust, raises the destitute from the garbage dumps to be seated with leaders, the leaders of their people.
“It was on that very day that all the legions of God left the land of Egypt (12:41).” They left as “Legions of God,” with grace and dignity; with a sense of mission and purpose. We sing this paragraph of Hallel with the same sense of glory as we travel into the future.
Who makes a home for the childless woman and joy for the mother of children.
They sang as people who could finally function as parents. We move on from the Seder with the same sense that we have something to share with the future.
Hallelukah!”