A highlight of the Seder is always the children asking, “Why is this night different?”
In South Dakota, we are blessed that children in Gan have spent several weeks preparing for Passover, and amidst a packed community Seder with over 100 souls, there will be seventeen children proudly singing the Mah Nishtanah this evening.
Education is crucial, especially at a time like this. That's why Chabad places such a strong emphasis on education. We should never be afraid to learn, to ask, and to explore. In the words of the Sages, “A bashful person cannot learn, neither can a short-tempered teach.”
Last year at the Seder, after we sang Vehi Sheamda and recalled how “in each generation they rise to destroy us, but You save us,” someone asked me why it was still necessary to include that passage in the Seder service. In years gone by, this made sense, but now in the 2020s, when the world was more humane and enlightened, it seemed outdated and irrelevant.
Unfortunately, this year we will be reciting this passage with greater understanding, but so too will the final words and crescendo of the Haggadah, “Next year in Jerusalem,” be said with greater fervor and more relevance than ever.
Passover recalls how G-d took us out of Egypt and began the journey leading us to the Holy Land of Israel. It is G-d who created the universe and decided to gift the land to us. Nothing can ever change that. That's why this has been on the lips and in the hearts of all Jewish people ever since. As our sages tell us, in each generation, we are obligated to consider ourselves as if we personally left Egypt.
We can never forget our beginning and how grateful we are to Hashem for making us a free people; to be His people. That is what the Seder service is about. Not grievances at those who wronged us. That won’t get us anywhere. But recognizing the great blessings and privileges we as Jews have received, and continue to receive, despite hardships we encounter along the way.
This is a timely and reassuring message, especially when we look around and see what is going on in the world around us. We must remember that just as it was during the Exodus of Egypt that G-d Himself redeemed us from subjugation to freedom – '”I and not an angel, I and not a messenger, I, and none other than I” – so too, we will merit in our times, that G-d will be with us to take us out of our personal exiles, and ultimately redeem us all from exile into redemption with the coming of Moshiach.
May you be blessed with a joyful Pesach, and merit the true meaning and celebration of “a time of freedom” – free from all worries, concerns and personal limitations, and with good health, happiness and prosperity. 
Next year in Jerusalem!

Today marks the 122nd birthday of the Rebbe. This day is commemorated with intensified Torah study, and increased charitable acts. It is recognized annually as Education & Sharing Day by the President of the United States.
The Rebbe lived through the horrors of Stalinism, communism, and Nazism, witnessing the worst humanity has to offer. Yet he never lost hope in a brighter future. 

In a letter penned on his 53rd birthday, to Israel’s 2nd president Yitzhak Ben-Zvi, the Rebbe wrote: “From the day I went to cheder (Jewish elementary school), and even before that, the vision of the future redemption began to take shape in my imagination—the redemption of the Jewish people from their final exile. A redemption of such magnitude through which the purpose of their suffering, the harsh decrees and persecution of exile will be understood.”
It is this sense of hope, and the possibility of realizing a world where, in the words of the prophet Isaiah, “swords will be turned into plowshares,” that the Rebbe not only lived himself, but urged us all, and demonstrated how, we can experience. If only we opened our eyes.

Today, as we celebrate the Rebbe’s birthday, our brethren in Israel face renewed threats of annihilation and increasing international isolation. Just last week the world watched in horror as the Islamic Republic of Iran, led by its evil Ayatollah and cheered on by Jew-haters around the world, attempted to unleash fire and brimstone upon Israel, launching some 300 ballistic missiles and drones laden with explosives. 

Yet, what unfolded was nothing short of miraculous. No lives were lost, and the damage was minimal.

It reminded me of when another evil tyrant, Saddam Hussein, threatened the Holy Land with chemical warfare. In 1990, as the world trembled with apprehension, one lone voice offered confidence and hope. 

From Chabad Headquarters in New York, the Rebbe cited the Biblical verse “the Land of Israel upon which G-d’s Eyes are watching from the beginning of the year to the end of the year” and “the guardian of Israel neither sleeps nor slumbers.” He confidently reassured the world that since that’s what G-d promised, that’s what will be.

He also quoted an ancient Jewish passage that predicted a time when “the nations of the world will threaten each other... The king of Persia will provoke the king of Arabia, and the nations will be thrown into turmoil. Israel, too, will be in turmoil and terror, and will cry: `Where shall we go? What shall we do?'  And G‑d will say to them: `My children, do not fear! All that I have done, I have done for your sake. Do not fear, for the time of your redemption has come...’”

Remarkable footage captured individuals seeking the Rebbe's counsel during those uncertain times. Parents whose children were studying abroad in Israel asked if they should bring them back home, couples who had planned trips to Israel asked if they should cancel them, and a mother whose daughter was in Israel was terrified for her well-being and sought reassurance. To each one, the Rebbe confidently reassured them that Israel was safe and they should not fear to proceed with their plans. “Don’t even tell anyone you thought about not going,” the Rebbe said to one woman.

This also hits close to home very personally. During the height of Saddam’s threats, in January 1991, Mussie as an infant, traveled with her mother to Israel, with the Rebbe’s blessing. 

Just like it was then, when tremendous miracles occurred, the same happened this week. Truly miracles in our times.
There is much to admire about the Rebbe. But perhaps more than anything, the Rebbe’s broad shoulders and the personal responsibility he took for the well-being of others, is the most remarkable and inspiring aspect we can appreciate. He addressed the issues of the day in the most relevant and timely manner and provided guidance to a generation so perplexed. With his deep commitment to Torah and unwavering trust in the eternal word of G-d, he infused faith in a people, comforted the broken, and projected a realistic sense of calm and tranquility.  
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The Rebbe showed us how we can free ourselves of our self-imposed restraints and society-imposed constraints, and vigorously urged us all to open our eyes to see G-d's miracles and experience the future redemption. Today on his birthday, let’s live just one step higher. It is time we open our eyes.​