Addiction is an epidemic. Can solutions be found in Passover?

Rabbi Areyah Kaltmann is the co-director of Lori Schottenstein Chabad Center of Columbus and co-director of Stop to Live

These days, everyone seems to be addicted to something, especially our technology and our smartphones.

It has gotten to the point where many psychologists are calling it an epidemic. We spend inordinate amounts of time scrolling mindlessly, and when we aren’t using our phones, we reach for them to get a hit, almost like an addiction.

What if the secret to overcoming everyday addiction were contained in a 3,000-year old Jewish holiday.

What does addiction and Passover have in common?

Passover, celebrated this year between April 22 and April 30, is probably the most recognizable and celebrated Jewish holiday. Most Americans have heard of the Seders, and Matzah — the unleavened Passover bread — is an iconic product that you can find on grocery store shelves year-round.

This holiday is known in our sacred texts as the “Festival of Freedom,” and is celebrated with families gathering at the Passover Seders.

The Seders are festive, ritual-heavy meals where Jews commemorate the exodus from Egypt through song, feasting, and retelling of the Passover story.

But Passover’s message is much deeper than celebrating freedom from slavery.

In Judaism, every concept has a spiritual dimension to it.

In Hebrew, the word for Egypt isMitzrayim. Our sages taught that in addition to celebrating our people’s freedom from slavery in ancient Egypt, Passover is also a time of introspection where we celebrate our freedom from internal constraints and limitations, because the Hebrew word for Egypt shares the same root as the word “meitzarim” which means “limitations.”

Every person, no matter where they stand, is reminded to do the inner work to release themselves from the limitations they place on themselves.

As Americans living in 2024 we believe we have unlimited freedom.

We are free to do as we please in the pursuit of our own happiness. But if you take a moment to look at society around you, you’ll find that we are not actually free; far from it.

We each have our own shackles; tied down to our urges and limited views of ourselves. Afraid to dream or believe, we pacify ourselves with momentary pleasures and novel distractions. The most extreme example of this is addiction—a field I have been involved in combating for years.

Addiction is the opposite of freedom

An addict is someone who is desperately attempting to fill some void in their soul and turns to substances as a way to quiet the pain. The addict uses until they are completely reliant on the substance and are bound to it.

We all have personal limitations that we need to break free from. For some, it's as extreme as a debilitating addiction, for others, it can be negative tendencies or self-limiting beliefs preventing us from realizing our potential. Passover provides the time to investigate these parts of ourselves, and provides a roadmap to overcoming them.

For over twenty years, I’ve directed LifeTown Columbus, an organization dedicated to helping children and teens with special-needs learn crucial life skills. Recently we developed the Stop to Live Program to educate our children the tools and mindset to refrain from using harmful substances that promote addiction. Through a carefully structured curriculum, we try to impart the essential message that lies at the heart of substance-abuse prevention as well as Passover.

Namely, the opposite of addiction is not sobriety - it’s community.

Each one of us has our own battles, our own internal constraints. To overcome these internal limitations, be them self-limiting beliefs, low self-esteem, or even addiction – we need the support of others. While will power and the desire to be free are important, without help from friends, family and the community, it will be a long and arduous journey.

What is being done in Ohio

Recently, Gov. Mike DeWine took a major step in helping those in Ohio suffering from addiction. He distributed over 1 million fentanyl testing strips to the citizens of Ohio to help curb the opioid epidemic that has taken the lives of thousands in our state this year alone.

I commend our state for taking a leadership role in helping those facing addiction get the help they need, as it takes more than just will power to beat this very powerful addiction.

Whether one is addicted to harmful substances, negative self-limiting beliefs, or the allure of our smartphones, we all need the support and care from others to help us be free. That is the true message of Passover, and why families and communities come together around the Seder table. If you or someone you know doesn’t have Seder to go to, Chabad of Columbus is hosting communal family-friendly Seders where all are welcome.

This passover, let’s count our blessings, help others who need it, and do the work we can to overcome our limitations, making our world a freer and happier place.

Rabbi Areyah Kaltmann is the co-director of Lori Schottenstein Chabad Center of Columbus and co-director of Stop to Live.