When Shabbat occurs on Chol
HaMoed of Passover, Exodus 33:12–34:26 is read. Included in these verses
are the 13 attributed of God (which we read repeatedly on Yom Kippur as well),
as well as the story of Moses bringing down from the mountain the second set of
tablets after the episode of the golden calf.
As is noted in Etz Hayim, the second set of tablets were different from the
first set, because while the first was written by the very hand of God, the
second was written by a man, Moses, as God dictated them to him. This was a
collaborative effort.
A lesson of the just completed seders was
the importance of involving all of those at the table in a way in which they
could best assist us in the rituals and stories by their contributions to the
discussion. This year was a particularly difficult one, with most of us
isolated from our usual gatherings due to the pandemic we are experiencing.
Some decided to add Covid-19 as an “11th plague.” Others (like us) tried to
Zoom their seders with loved ones, or joined in communal live streaming, with
differing results. This certainly was a Passover unlike any other Passover.
I suggest that this special experience and the need to collaborate in novel
ways at the seder table join to remind us that we all need to work together for
the common good and to overcome the dangers of plagues, whether they be
virus-driven or the plagues inherent in human weakness.
