The Tyranny of The Chairs: A Passover Reflection on Furniture
Bondage... and Liberation? 

Do you need the table and the chairs? The table yes; I’ll let you know
about the chairs after I know who’s coming. Later...so what about the
chairs? Oh, you may not even need the table? Later still...sure, we
can do the table a bunch of chairs whenever you want... Even later
still: chairs/schmairs...sure you can come get them anytime before
Pesach, just let me know when... Finally, OK, OK. Tomorrow is fine,
just let me know what time... But are you sure? They’re heavy, I can’t
really help, and you’re still recovering from an injury... And beyond
all that, the background noise of the momentarily unspeakable (perhaps
a 5th question): and then we have to take them back? And so it goes. 

 The wise child asks: can you envision for a moment a world of
abundance where everything is possible, a promised land where there
are every number of tables and chairs to meet the requirements of any
gathering with ease. With aging bodies resting rather than being
taxed? And stress replaced with the possibility of enjoyment?

 The wicked, mischievous child says: you can’t do that. What makes
you think it possible to not stay in your slave mentality forever?
Isn’t it part of who you are...this bringing of tables and chairs back
and forth, there and back, again and again? How dare you? But go ahead
and try. Amuse me.

 The simple child asks: don’t we just need one chair for each person?
That should be easy. I can bring my own chair as an example.

 As for the child who asks no questions, seemingly unable to
understand and meaningfully contribute to such deliberations -- or
perhaps wise enough to avoid jumping into the fray... To that child
you can say, we have a chair for you should you wish to join us at the
table, but as always you are welcome to sit in peace on the floor,
which we know brings you much happiness. (Are we jealous?) 

The tyranny of the chairs. One of dozens of tyrannies we subject
ourselves to in planning for a gathering celebrating liberation. (How
ironic.) One of hundreds of tyrannies, even thousands, that we may
subject ourselves to daily, knowingly or not. 

May we listen to the voices of our inner children, and let go of
burdens -- big and small -- that do not serve us and that we need not
carry. 

To expand upon the words of the author Paulo Coelho, may we be mindful
that in every moment we can step into fantasy, the abyss, or somewhere
in between. And in choosing where to step, may we be grateful that, as
taught by zen master Charlotte Joko Beck, we cannot avoid paradise, we
can only avoid seeing it. 

May we embrace the Passover teaching of being grateful for hard earned
“freedom from” and engaging fully in what that opens for us, “freedom
to.” 

As we open to and embody this newly discovered or rediscovered
“freedom to” -- freedom to visualize and create our own reality, our
own paradise -- may we find ourselves moving in grace away from fear
and gravitating increasingly towards love as our touchstone and guide 

And may this season’s blessings of liberation, transformation and
renewal ease our process of being in that knowing, connected and
joyful promised place, as often and a much as we can stand to be free.