What am I still searching for?!
The last thing I want to do is find one more crumb?
And then, how does the holiday start? With a major search! I’m searched out! If you haven’t been able to wipe it away, vacuum it away, burn it away, or cart it away, then I think it should have every right to stay!
The brilliance of this holiday is it’s got ingenious, secret elements built right in to it.
Every kid enjoys the afikomen search. Right?! Little do they realize it’s a training program for when they have to look in every nook and cranny to clean for Passover. They don’t even realize they are becoming experts in turning over the house, so that it will become second nature later on for them.
Four cups of wine- now what’s that all about? The adults get to drink and drink and drink and drink till they totally forget the trauma of the last few weeks of sterilizing their house and completely redesigning their kitchens. They’re even provided with pillows right there at the table to start the relaxing process.
There is an idea taught on Passover, that we must remember the fact that we were freed by Gd, and keep it with us throughout the year. This is in order to continually appreciate that Gd is personally involved in our lives and livelihood. And how well it works! Especially since that trusty matzah, consumed in lethal doses all during Passover continues to stay within our GI track throughout the year. And in fact, is probably just finished exiting our systems as the new Passover begins.
Why do we work to exhaustion cleaning the house? We are told that it is to get rid of all the chometz. But, I think that what may be going on here is that we need to identify with the back breaking work our forefathers did as slaves in Egypt. How else could we authentically celebrate the freedom?!
Then as we sit down to complain we are immediately prevented from doing so by being directed to recite all the plagues the Egyptians experienced. How can we possibly feel sorry for ourselves after what they went through.
At the Seder, did you ever realize we wash once and then we wash again? We are actually experiencing our own dividing of the waters. We are subtly reliving the splitting of the seas, so to speak. On this night we are meant to envision that we ourselves were there in Egypt. This certainly gives some subliminal fortitude to the concept.
There is a mitzvah that says the more you talk about the experience the more you are praised. I think, pure and simple, the real reason this is encouraged is that if you stop talking, well you know how it is, you would just fall asleep. But that’s the brilliance here! We are praised for talking about it. Isn’t that smarter than saying – beware-you are so wiped out, you may fall asleep!
Even the name of the holiday, Passover, has its subtle underlying message. People claim it came from the fact that it reminds us Gd passed over the houses of the Jews, saved them, and killed only the Egyptians. Sure, that may be a part of it. But again, I’m going to share the ingenious hidden element contained within it. It’s really a blend of the two feelings we have as we arrive at the Seder night – We are ready to “pass out” and ” fall over” and thus the resultant contraction – Pass-over!
What it all “boils” down to, and this is the “bloody” truth, even when our kids seem to be running around like “wild animals” looking for the afikomen, there is more there. Therefore, we should “Hale” the brilliance of our creator because hidden in the “darkness” of not knowing is a “lice”-ence to look for more.
So, make sure to summon up some residual energy this holiday and search for the hidden elements within it. See if you can get much “more-or” at least some more out if it and have an awesome -pass out, fall over, …PASSOVER!
Rivki Rosenwald is a certified relationship counselor, and career and life coach. She can be contacted at 917-705-2004 or rivki@rosenwalds.com<mailto:rivki@rosenwalds.com