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From: gth@erc3ba.UUCP (A.Y.Feldblum)
Newsgroups: net.religion.jewish
Subject: Re: % of "Non-Religious" Jews and Brass Tacks
Message-ID: <153@erc3ba.UUCP>
Date: Thu, 29-Aug-85 08:44:59 EDT
Article-I.D.: erc3ba.153
Posted: Thu Aug 29 08:44:59 1985
Date-Received: Sat, 31-Aug-85 05:23:06 EDT
References: <549@bu-cs.UUCP> <3434@garfield.UUCP> <7@unc.unc.UUCP>
Organization: AT&T Engineering Research Center   Princeton, NJ
Lines: 31

> In article <3434@garfield.UUCP> lionel@garfield.UUCP (Lionel H. Moser) writes:
> >
> >For example, Passover is a traditional occasion for the extended family
> >to get together. It is also the one religious service I can enjoy for
> >its own sake. I wouldn't get off on thanking the lord for killing
> >the first-born children of Egyptians, but celebrating Freedom is not
> >such a bad idea.
> 
> Permit me to correct just one misconception.  Nowhere in the Passover Seder
> do we thank the Lord for killing first-born Egyptions.  We thank him for
> having spared our own first born sons, but not for taking the Egyptions'.
> We thank Him for delivering us from the Pharoahs soldiers, but not for
> drowning them in the Red Sea.  In fact, the text of the Seder reminds us
> of G*d's sadness over the deaths of the Egyption soldiers, and reminds us
> not to celebrate their deaths, since the Egyptians are G*d's children,
> just as we are.
> 
> 	Frank Silbermann

In addition, we do not recite the full Hallel - the Psalms of Praise,
that are said on the other holidays, on Pesach except for the first day.
The reason I remember is that we do not say a full praise over an event
(the splitting of the Reed Sea) that included the killing of many of
G*d's children. The punishment of the Egyptians may have been just, but
nowhere within Judaism do I see celebration over the destruction of
people.

Avi Feldblum
AT&T Tech - ERC
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