A Passover Message from Rabbi Hillel Norry

It is commonplace in American culture to wish someone a “safe trip.” I don’t wish people a safe trip. There is no such thing. Every journey, whether short or long, local or global, physical or spiritual involves, by definition, risk and insecurity. When we leave where we are and go to a new destination, we accept a measure of uncertainty and danger.

Every journey is dangerous. That is what makes it a journey. If it were safe, it would not take you anywhere.

Passover celebrates a precarious and dangerous journey from slavery and servitude to freedom and service. In Egypt, the Israelites were slaves, but they were ‘safe’, guarded by Pharaoh who, though cruel, saw them as commodities to be protected. Leaving Egypt meant going into the desert, a land of danger, responsibility, and war. For 400 years, the indentured Israelites never fought a battle. In the desert they faced many dangers and enemies.

Journeys – the very essence of freedom – are dangerous, not safe.

So, I do not wish you a “safe journey.” Instead, I wish you a successful journey. And I do not say, “be safe,” for it is not possible to both journey AND be safe. Instead, I say: “Be careful.” This acknowledges the danger inherent in the journey, and reminds the traveler to keep their eyes open, and be prepared for what might lie ahead on the road.

Rabbi Hillel Norry is the interim rabbi for Beth Shalom Synagogue in Columbia, S.C.