Passover is the holiday that commemorates the Israelites' escape from slavery in Egypt. By extension, it celebrates the continued existence of the Jewish people in the face of threats of extermination, and it celebrates freedom for all people, everywhere.

The tradition of re-explaining each part of the Seder service is built into the service itself. And no part of it needs more explaining than the passage where Moses has just about convinced the Pharoah to let the Israelites go, but according to the Haggadah, "God hardened Pharoah's heart" and Pharoah said No, they have to stay. Think of it: the issue was about to be settled without bloodshed, and God stepped in and hardened Pharoah's heart. The resulting devastation was enormous. Why would he do that?

There's an interesting theological/historical explanation for God's action I may expound on tomorrow when I'm less beside myself, but for now, all I can think of is this: God must be hardening hearts again all over the Middle East. What do any of these people hope to gain? More blood, more death, more martyrs, more cities in ruin -- who really thinks they'll come out ahead here? When? How? Is it possible they thought up this idiocy by themselves? Really, the insanity on both sides seems so enormous that it almost makes me believe they're not doing their own thinking, that a completely inexplicable God is causing them to act in ways no one would if they were capable of seeing consequences, and allowed to act on what they saw.