Ah, if only there was a way to Pass-over the Iran chokehold over the Strait of Hormuz! Pun-aside, and beyond the geopolitics and economics behind this current events story leading up to Passover 2026 – there’s a rich Chassidic Passover connection and message here.
If you haven’t been following, the Strait of Hormuz is the narrow ocean waterway (20-some miles wide at its narrowest) that flows from the Persian Gulf to the Indian Ocean, passing through oil-rich countries like Saudi Arabia, Oman, UAE, and Iran. A very significant percentage of the world’s oil and liquified gas travels through the Strait by tanker ship. There are eight islands at its narrowest point, seven of which are controlled by Iran. In this current war, Iran has effectively controlled the strait, creating a chokepoint, threatening the world’s supply, raising gas prices and deeply affecting major economies.
There are enough big players affected by this that you and I do not have to address this. But since there’s so much buzz about it in these days leading up to Passover 5786/2026, here’s a Passover connection:
The Alter Rebbe has a famous teaching that makes the Exodus story all the more relevant, in every generation, and for each and all of us. It also explains why the Exodus from Egypt gets so much play in Jewish life, even in areas seemingly unrelated to the Exodus, such as Shabbos Kiddush, or the Shema.
The crux of the teaching is that Egypt, or Mitzrayim in Hebrew, is more than just the land on the Nile where our people were enslaved 3000+ years ago. The Hebrew word Mitzrayim or Meitzar means a limitation, a boundary, or a narrow strait.
In addition to the historical Exodus at our dawn as a people, Exodus from Mitzrayim to the Alter Rebbe means an Exodus from our confines, our constraints, our limitations. To go out of our comfort zone, beyond our natural horizons.
Exodus is what allows us finite creatures to access the infinite, what allows beyond-the-world inside within-the-world. It is the story of every mitzvah, Shabbat especially, as Shabbat is an Exodus from weekday and workday physicality to allow for a spiritual dimension and connection.
So when the Strait of Hormuz acts as a chokehold and limiter to the flow of energy that the world seeks and needs, it is a vivid illustration of this Chassidic teaching.
What will the world do? As of this writing it remains to be seen. Some solutions may be more immediate, others perhaps longer term. There’s talk of digging an ambitious channel to bypass the Strait of Hormuz, additional pipelines to divert oil away from the problematic region, or military action to remove Iranian control of the chokehold islands.
Some of the solution is about broadening the channels, increasing access points, or literally blowing the limiters out of the water. Much the same in our own lives, both spiritually and physically. To ensure we’re not choked off by our own Straits and Narrows, we also need to broaden our channels, widen our bandwidth, create more connection points. And try to get rid of that which inhibits or blocks us from getting more done and more energy through. More opportunities to Pass-over!