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From Rabbi Pete Tobias of the Liberal Synagogue, Elstree:

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Well Chris as you have probably come to expect, here鈥檚 another Pause for Thought that talks about Jews and food. We鈥檝e just finished the festival of Passover, and Jewish people all over the world are gleefully returning to a normal diet; specifically one that permits the inclusion of wheat products forbidden in the past week.

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The prohibition against eating any leavened products during Passover is based on the biblical story of the Israelites escaping from slavery. They left in haste, and they had to bake their bread before it had risen, So instead of being soft and fresh, it was hard and crisp. This one incident in the Bible has given rise to a complex series of regulations that have governed the eating habits of Jews for the last week and more and have also, incidentally, encouraged a thorough spring cleaning of our homes.

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So the Jews can now return to their normal dietary habits, perhaps with a sigh of relief, as unleavened bread presents significant challenges to the digestive system. Perhaps it鈥檚 a similar to the relief felt by Christians who reached the end of Lent last week or indeed the experience of any religiously observant person at the conclusion of a period of abstinence demanded by their particular tradition.

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But before we return joyfully to our former eating habits, I think it鈥檚 important to remember the underlying purpose of such religious customs. Jewish teaching makes it quite clear that the dietary instructions for Passover are to remind us that we were slaves, and that no one should be denied their liberty or persecuted as the ancient Israelites were 3000 years ago. And clearly, there are still many in our world who are enslaved or oppressed in many ways.

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So although the festival is over, its message still needs to be heard. We cannot ignore the plight of so many until the festival of freedom comes around again next year. The world does not behave as our religious principles might demand or wish. I believe we can play a part 听in mending our world at all times; not just when our faith happens to remind us.