When we sit down for our Seder, like all Jews, we will read aloud from our Passover Haggadah, the book we use at the Seder to tell the story of the Exodus from Egypt". Doing so reminds us of "why this night is different from all other nights?" It is interesting to note, that despite the number of different haggadahs in print (there are literally hundreds) they all end with the same line: "Next Year in Jerusalem".
Yesterday, a local college student, who was interviewing me for a World Religion class, asked me why those words are said at the end of the Seder. To be honest, I really didn't have a good answer for her, other than "tradition". So, I did a little research to learn the answer myself.
Passover Haggadahs first began being printed in the middle ages in Spain - during the late 1400s. This coincided with expulsion of the Jews from Spain in 1492. This was a time in Jewish history, where the majority of Jews were living in the "Diaspora", which means they were living anywhere but Israel. At that time, others were ruling Israel and Jews were not welcome there. Thus, when the first haggadahs were printed, the longing and desire to return to the Jewish homeland was very very strong. Since Jerusalem is the central city in Israel, where the first and second temple once stood, that city is the central and most holy place to all Jews.
Yet here we are - over 500 years later - with the Modern country of Israel. The Jewish people now has their homeland back and anyone is free to go Jerusalem anytime they want. So the big question is, why do we still hold to the age-old tradition of closing our Seder with the words "Next Year in Jerusalem"?
Modern day rabbis feel that the phrase has taken on a new meaning. That instead of it reflecting a desire to physically go to Jerusalem the following year, it is more about the desire of seeing Jerusalem being restored to the golden city it once was. In essence, reciting this words at the end of our Seder is putting forth an intention that we wish for Jerusalem to once again be a "city of peace", which would in turn, bring peace to the whole world. So we say the words now, to wish for a time when all people can be free, happy, and live in peace.
Of course for me, the words have both a spiritual and physical meaning. When I say them at our table tonight, I hope that they will bring in better times for all of us and I hope the intention will help manifest my own journey to Jerusalem one day.
