The Egyptians ruthlessly imposed upon the Israelites the various labors that they made them perform. Ruthlessly they made life bitter for them with harsh labor at mortar and bricks and with all sorts of tasks in the field (Exodus, 1:13-14).

As a free person, one of the great joys in my life is the ability to create. Whenever I knit or write or make wire kippot, I partake of my freedom to craft things for reasons of my own. Although even free people must sometimes labor for the goals of others, my creative drive is not sapped utterly by molding brick after brick for any Pharaoh, ancient or modern.

I think I’ll set aside some time this afternoon to work on my Rainbow Dash-worthy afghan before Shabbat. When I have completed all one hundred squares with my own hands, I’ll enjoy the fruit of my freedom to make something for no reason other than the fact that it makes me smile.

The colors are crazy-bright, but they delight my inner six-year-old.

#BlogExodus, the brainchild of Rabbi Phyllis Sommer, invites participants to chronicle the weeks leading up to Passover through blog posts, photos, and other social media expressions.