Today is Earth Day. And Passover. It is the third day. Today I want to talk about the theme of water that runs through the Passover story. In fact, throughout the celebration of Passover itself.

Saturday night we held a Community Seder at Congregation Kneseth Israel. I have become uncomfortable with the celebration of the plagues. It worked for me for a while. Masks, finger puppets, hopping frogs, cute songs. No question, these can entertain the kids. BUT, the real plagues were scary. Really, really scary. People suffered. All the Egyptians. We can’t just make light of them. In fact, we pour out a drop of wine for each plague to diminish our joy. I would need something else to make this seder special.

If Passover is about getting our children to ask why so that we can explain what G-d did for us when we went forth from Egypt, from Mitsrayim, out of the narrow places.

Not only did the Angel of Death pass over the Israelite houses, we passed through the water and emerged on the other side, free. Let’s celebrate that.

So that’s what we did. Everyone who entered the synagogue walked through the sea. We lined both sides of the entranceway with blue tablecloths of varying shades of blue and streamers that moved like waves. And those waves parted. Thanks to my daughter, it was beautiful.

But many missed the miracle.

So did some of the people who walked through the parting of the Sea of Reeds. This gave me the opportunity to tell two stories. The story of Nachson ben Aminidav who was the first to put his toe into the water. He waded in up to his belly button and then up to his nostrils. Only then did the sea part. Because Nachson ben Aminidav had courage, only then did the sea part. (Mechilta, Beshalach 5; Pirkei d’Rabbi Eliezer 42; Exodus Rabbah 13; and others.)

Still others walked through without seeing. Rabbi Larry Kushner tells the story in his Book of Miracles. Reuven and Shimon only see the muck. Today we might be too busy looking at our cell phones or taking selfies.

Then we created a beach on the floor of the synagogue. A yellow tablecloth, a bunch of beach stones, a pomegranate tree, books about Passover, bubbles for the kids. And fun inner tube pool floats as afikomen prizes. The kids loved hanging out on the beach.

We washed our hands in order to be ritually ready. Not once, but twice. We dipped parsley, karpas, in salty water to remind us of the tears the Israelites shed as slaves and how some people are still enslaved.

We talked about Miriam and Batya rescuing the baby Moses. He could have been drowned in the Nile but instead he was plucked out by Batya, Pharaoh’s daughter. Defying his orders to drown all the Israelite boys. So we are going to collect baby items for the Community Crisis Center to help rescue other babies who are in danger, filling a “Moses’ basket”.

We talked about Miriam and her timbrel, and knowing enough to take a musical instrument so that the women could celebrate. And how even though her name means bitter waters she was able to find living waters. We poured spring water, fresh clear, mayyim hayyim, living waters into a Kos Miriyam, Miriam’s Cup. And we wondered about drinking water in places like Flint and even in Chicago Public Schools and right here in Elgin.

And we talked about our community garden. Our centerpieces were lovely tulips and some little gardens. Lettuce and herbs. That will go into our community garden. That will feed people that otherwise would not have access to fresh veggies. That garden does many things. Not only does it provide vegetables but it provides hope. It gives us the opportunity to live out our covenant, to leave the corners of our field (Lev. 19). It requires the perfect balance between sun and rain. Our garden will have a rain barrel this year.

On Passover, there is one more connection to water. On the first day of Passover we add the prayer for “Tal”, dew. We pray for dew to fall in Israel, in its season. This season. “For lo, the rains are over and gone. The flowers appear on the earth.” (Song of Songs, sung on Passover). The prayer for Tal, recognizing G-d blessing, end this way:

“You are Adonai our God
who causes the wind to blow and the dew to fall.
For a blessing, not for a curse, Amen.
For life, not for death, Amen.
For abundance, not for famine, Amen.”

And we pray for rain, beginning in the fall.

Our tradition teaches us that we are to be caretakers of the earth. Partners with God in this ongoing, beautiful Creation. The midrash teaches that G-d said to Adam and Ever: “See my handiwork, how beautiful they are. Be careful not to ruin and destroy my world, for if you do, there is no one to repair it after you.” The rainbow is the sign of G-d’s promise and G-d’s covenant: “and I will remember My covenant, which is between Me and you and every living creature of all flesh; and never again shall the water become a flood to destroy all flesh. “When the bow is in the cloud, then I will look upon it, to remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is on the earth.” (Genesis 9:15-16)

How appropriate then that Earth Day and Passover, with all of its water connections come together this year.

Isaiah taught us:

Thus says God the LORD, who created the heavens, and stretched them forth, who spread forth the earth and that which comes out of it, who gives breath to the people upon it, and spirit to them that walk there:

I, the LORD have called you in righteousness, and have taken hold of your hand, and kept you, and set you for a covenant of the people, for a light of the nations;

When you pass through the waters, I will be with you, and through the rivers, they shall not overflow you; when you walk through the fire, you shalt not be burned, neither shall the flame kindle upon you. (Isaiah 42-43)

On this Passover that is Earth Day, let’s remember our end of the covenant and take good care of this earth, especially the water so that we have enough for every generation to come. L’dor v’dor, from generation to generation.