Tuesday, April 3, 2012

Haggadat Pesach - Reflecting on the Positive and the Negative

The Haggadah says we begin the Pesach story with the genut (negative part), and end with the shevach (praiseworthy part).  But what is the "genut" and the "shevach" of the story?  Some Rabbis said the bad part was slavery and the good part was freedom; others said it was starting off as idol worshippers, and then finally worshipping God.  What do you think is the real genut and shevach of the Israelites' story?

* Beyond the Passover story, we might also have our own "genut" and "shevach" about Judaism itself.  In other words, your "shevach" would be something you like or makes you proud, or is very meaningful to you about Judaism, and your "genut" would be something you don't like or that make you uncomfortable. What in Jewish tradition, history or practice is the genut for you, and what is the shevach?

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20 comments:

  1. Kitah ZayinApril 3, 2012 at 8:45 AM

    I think that the real genut was that we worshipped idols. Because didn't it say in the torah that because we lost faith in god, we were punsihed by a horrible 200 years of slavery in Egypt. I think the real shevach was coming to worship god again. It showed us that the only reason we were enslaved was because we had lost faith in god. When we started to worship him again, God let us free of slavery. In Jewish tradition, the genut for me is also like one of the rabbis said, how we lost faith in god. The shevach though, is how anti semitism had died down, and how we have started to be accepted amoung the nations of the world.

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    1. MelanieApril 3, 2012 at 8:56 AM

      I agree with what you said about anti semitism. It is definately a shevach that it is ending and that we are being accepted in some countries!

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    2. AnonymousApril 4, 2012 at 8:26 AM

      Thanks Melanie!

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    3. AnonymousApril 4, 2012 at 8:56 AM

      omg this is so good! great job shira!!

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  2. Gabbi MeltzApril 3, 2012 at 8:47 AM

    Well... every genut has turned into SOMETHING positive. Like it was a genut that we were enslaved for a while but if we weren't (I'm not saying we should have been) then we have never been able to take the journey to Israel and get the Torah. The shevach was exactly that- Judaism was given more to it after escaping slavery.

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    1. olivia deutschApril 3, 2012 at 8:56 AM

      nice job:) it great!!!!!!

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    2. carlyMay 25, 2012 at 5:58 AM

      i like your thought its really nice !!!!! bgreat job!!!!!!!!!!!

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  3. MelanieApril 3, 2012 at 8:50 AM

    I think that they are both the genut. It is sad that we worshipped idols, and it is also sad that we were slaves. But I think it is sadder that we worshipped idols. We did not choose to be slaves in Egypt. We were forced to go there to get food. But worshipping idols was our choice. We were not forced to be idol worshippers.

    I think that the genut is fasting on Yom Kippur and not being allowed to eat hametz on Passover. The shevach is celebrating holidays like Purim and Hannukkah.

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  4. AnonymousApril 3, 2012 at 8:52 AM

    I think worshipping idols is worse. Coming to worship G-d is the shevach. praying is the genut for me; I don't like it. But celebrating purim is shevach.

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    1. MelanieApril 4, 2012 at 8:36 AM

      How is praying the genut for you?!?!?!? I love praying! It is a shevach for me. We give shevach to G-d when we pray. I agree with what you said about Purim, though. Celebrating Purim is a shevach!!!

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  5. olivia deutschApril 3, 2012 at 8:56 AM

    Although they are both terrible, I feel that the Jews being enslaved worse. they were mistreated and neglected. Sometimes people are led to believe that they should not believe in God because he is treating them poorly. For example some jews in the Holocaust stopped praying to god when they lost hope and began to believe that god in a way gave up on them and did no longer care about them. Then maybe that's how they felt when they were being enslaved and thought that they should no longer believe in a god who was not helping them. plus they were terribly hurt by being enslaved and probably felt worthless.

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    1. AnonymousMay 29, 2012 at 9:28 AM

      that is true we were miss-treated terribly. Good answer about people giving up.

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  6. Aliza Bromberg Gaber 7th gradeApril 4, 2012 at 8:56 AM

    I think that the genut is that we were enslaved. It was a punishment to jews for all the sins we did. G-d knew we would be freed. G-d taught us a lesson. G-d always gives a punishment to the person who did somthing bad and a reward for the people who do good things. When we were enslaved we had not listened to G-d. So he gave us the punishment being slaves. When the people built the tower of Babbel the people were punished by not being able to speak to people. G-d sent a flood to punish the bad people. He gave a reward to Noah because he was not doing bad things. G-d gave the Torah to us because we belived in one G-d. We start with the bad parts because we were bad. We end with good because we were good.

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    1. Jacob SingerMay 15, 2012 at 7:32 AM

      I think that we were punished because of all the sins we did. the punishment was we were enslaved. like when the people wanted to build a tower to get closer to G-d they were punished.

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    2. Jacob SingerMarch 29, 2013 at 12:20 PM

      Shevach is a good thing. The shevach in my life is going to Camp Harlem which is a Jewish camp in the Poconos. At camp we learn Jewish stuff in a fun way which is better than just praying. I connect with God while connecting with friends. That is my shevach - going to camp and connecting with God and Judaism.
      A genut is something that is hard or bad. My genut is going to synagogue, which is hard when there are other important things to do at that time. Most of the time I decide to go to the other activity, but on the other hand it's important to go to synagogue sometimes.

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  7. ben resnickMay 15, 2012 at 7:29 AM

    I think that the genut is when we prayed to idols because Jews are supposed to believe in one god not multiple gods.

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  8. Andrew AbateMay 15, 2012 at 7:33 AM

    The genut would be that you were a slave so it kind of stinks to be a slave but the shevach would be that you got free so you can pray to god again.

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  9. JaredMay 15, 2012 at 7:36 AM

    We shouldn't worship idols, worshipping god is the shevach. Freedom for the Jews is being able to pray to god with no one telling them they can't.

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  10. CarlyNovember 14, 2012 at 6:30 AM

    When the Jews were enslaved it was terrible. We were tortured and forced into doing things. G-d was not the one treating them badly. The egyptians were. G-d had them stay in Egypt for a reaSON, WHY - WE MIGHT NOT KNOW THE REASON. There is a reason for everything.!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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  11. Yahli CarmiMarch 16, 2013 at 7:43 PM

    שבח:
    עוזרים זה לזה
    יום שבת יום מנוחה
    ה׳ מקיים תפילות ובקשות
    העם הנבחר
    מדינה עצמאית ליהודים
    ה׳ שומר על עם ישראל
    האוכל הכשר הוא בריא
    הרבה חגים וחופשות
    גנות:
    שואה
    הרבה מלחמות
    הרבה תפילות
    לא נוסעים בשבת
    צריך ללכת לבית כנסת
    צריך להניח תפילין כל יום . 6

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