Reb Elimelech of Lizensk (d.1787) would teach that the holiness of the week to come is contained in the Shabbat that precedes it. Often I think about this teaching in the manner that I was taught of Winnicott's interpretation of parental containment. The parent contains the child in a way that then gives a child the freedom to seek and search, to be independent and free. In the same way, the Shabbat before a holiday 'holds' the holiday within it, it holds all the aspirations and intentions that one carries in regard to the upcoming holiday. It is as if all the 'secrets' of the day are hidden within that Shabbat. I always find that Pessach is a holiday that so much of it is defined by all the intentions, preparations, desires that we put upon it for weeks before it appears. It is for this reason that I'm sharing Pessach thoughts right now.
In the past I have offered two of my standing traditions at the opening of the seder. The one is an adaptation of the tradition of the Tzanzer Rebbe (d. 1876) who would put all his gold and silver on his seder table, as a sign of freedom. In lieu of this tradition I ask all those at the table to share what 'riches' they bring to the table this year - they could be physical, emotional, spiritual, intellectual in nature. Then I share a teaching of Reb Shlomo Carlebach (d.1995) in which he would say that it is forbidden to sit to the pessach seder without poor people at the table, "kol dich'fin... kol ditzrich..." - 'all those in need come eat, participate in our Pessach offering...". And since, truth be told, many of us don't go out and invite in the homeless of our cities, I ask those at the table to share their poverty of the year. For a moment, each one of us takes the space of the poor, and again, poverty which is physical, emotional, spiritual or intellectual in nature.
But this year, inspired by teachings of the Piasetzna Rebbe (died on the 4th of Ram-Cheshvan, 1943) that I've been learning with my students over lunch on these past Mondays (www.zieglerpodcasts.com), I would like to include a couple of new thoughts, and possibly, traditions.
It is not new to look at the haggadah that we will read next Monday (everyone) and Tuesday night (those in the Diaspora) and claim that really what we are reading is not a narrative, but rather a documentation of questions and answers. The "Four Questions" for example. The way the "Four Children" are posed is by virtue of the questions that they ask, or the lack of ability to ask as represented by the fourth child. When 'pessach', 'matza' and 'maror' are presented, key elements to the 'maggid' section, they are presented in the form of questions, 'al shoom mah?' / 'why, on behalf of what?'This has led me to think about the nature of questions and their relationship to this holiday. And what is our responsibility to the fourth of the four children that knows not how to ask.
I would like to suggest that being able to ask questions is one sign of freedom and independence. Being able to ask questions manifests trust - in yourself as the one that is asking, and in the other that they will be able to help you find an answer. It is a sign of need and growth - an indication that what you have in front of you is not sufficient and you are able to articulate what it is that you are indeed in need of. A question can be a statement of faith - faith that you or your surroundings can be different than who you were until now. It can be an affirmation of not being alone, or a deep yearning to not be alone. At times it functions as a vehicle to express vulnerability and humility. It seems to me that all of these readings into the nature of the ability to question (and I'm sure that you could add to this list of possibilities as well) are products of courage, honesty, strength. These are elements that, in my eyes, are also manifestations of liberty and redemption. Elements of Freedom and true independence.
It is for this reason that regarding the fourth child we are demanded to take action: "at p'tach lo" / 'you must open for him' - we must find a way to help this child find their way to ask!
The Piasetzna Rebbe reads this word "lo" in two ways, based on the two ways it can be written (or read). When read as 
(with the letters lamed and alef) the it means "no" and when read as (with the letters lamed and vav) it means "to him." There are a few verses in the scriptures that the word is written with the letter alef, writing "no", but tradition teaches us to read it with the letter vav, reading "to him". This is the form known as 'Kri and K'tiv' - distinguishing between the written and oral form of a word. The Piasetzna quotes T'hillim/Psalms 100: "He created us and lo anachnu" - He created us and we didn't / He created us and we are His." Almost complete opposites!
For the Piasetzna Rebbe our responsibility is to open the possibility of questioning - whether questioning ourselves and /or God. To open this opportunity to those in our midst that think that our tradition is one of "no's" and therefore, what is the point of even asking. For those that don't know how to ask because they have been shut down one time too many we are asked to open a "for Him" relationship with God. Not a God that says "no", but rather a God that seeks intimacy and relationship. Being in a personal and intimate relationship with God, believing that God seeks that kind of relationship with us, is for me, a form of freedom and liberation. It is a manifestation of exiting an emotional, spiritual and even intellectual "Mitzrayim"/Egypt.
So this year, as the seder begins, I would like to add a new tradition. I would like to ask those gathered to share their questions that they have been afraid to ask, the questions that they thought were prohibited. I would like us to share the questions that have been holding us back in our lives - holding us back from an intimate and honest relationship with ourselves, with others, with our Creator.
I pray that we all find ourselves sitting seder night, as God's beloved children, at a table that we are free to ask our way to freedom and liberation.
May this Shabbat hold us and grant us the courage to sit ourselves at that table.
Shabbat shalom v'chag sameach.