“RABBI’S MUSINGS (& AMUSINGS)”
Erev Shabbos Kodesh Parshas Vayikra
6 Nissan 5785/ April 4, 2025
Dedicated in loving memory of my Sabbah, Mrs. Abe Staum, Avrohom Yosef ben Naftali Hertz haLevi a”h, whose yahrtzeit was on 4 Nissan.
INNER CHOMETZ
Erev Pesach is an intensely busy time. It’s also a very hungry time. By late morning we can no longer eat chometz, but we are also not permitted to eat any matzah. The Seder doesn’t begin until after dark, and we don’t eat the seudah (Shulchan Oreich) until some time after that. It’s not easy finding something to eat on Pesach afternoon that will hold you over for a few hours.
My wife, following the practice of her grandmother a”h, makes a roast, “stringy meat” as we call it, with potatoes specifically for Erev Pesach. In the early afternoon, we sit down to enjoy our lunch together.
A few years ago, as everyone was cutting themselves pieces of meat, to my horror, I noticed a chometz fork stuck into the hot meat. The enemy itself had penetrated our ranks, and Pesach had not even actually begun!
I am not proud of my reaction. In my religious zeal, I railed about who and how someone could pull open the taped drawer and use a chometz fork. The embarrassed young culprit ran out of the room crying. Not a great way to start the holiday of family tradition and faith.
The Radvaz (III: 977) notes that the prohibition of chometz on Pesach is more stringent than any other prohibition in all of Judaism. Not only is it forbidden to eat or even benefit from chometz, but one must also actively search and destroy it. In addition, there is a specific prohibition against finding or owning one’s own chometz on Pesach.
The Radvaz struggles to find a reason for the extreme stringencies regarding chometz, that are even more extreme than the laws prohibiting idolatry. In the end he rejects all his attempted explanations and concludes: “I rely on the Midrashim which state that chometz on Pesach is analogous to the yetzer hara (Evil Inclination), which is the yeast in the dough (i.e., it makes the dough rise, but in reality, is nothing but vapid air, like arrogance and hubris). Therefore, one must banish it from his home, and contemplate his actions and thoughts, for even a trace of it does not become nullified.”
In other words, behind the letter of the law of banishing chometz is the symbolic spirit of the law to improve our character and be more patient, kind and tolerant. However, this is not merely a nice explanation. Radvaz insists that this is the true meaning behind it.
It’s been said that in the tense preparations for Pesach, we must remember that our children are not the Korban Pesach, and we should not “slaughter them” in our exhaustion, frustration and over-tiredness. Often, that’s easier said than done!
However, our objective must be to not only fulfill the letter of the law, but the spirit of the law as well.
Reb Levi Yitzchak of Berditchev was once informed that the owner of a matzah bakery in a neighboring city mistreated workers, particularly the women who kneaded the dough for matzah, forcing them to work unreasonable hours for meager wages.
Reb Levi Yitzchak called out, “My brothers, our enemies accuse us of using gentile blood when we bake our matzos. It’s a terrible, ironic libel! In actuality, we are the ones who bake matzos with blood – the blood of our own mothers and sisters who are forced to work impossibly long hours!”
In his later years, Rav Yisroel Salanter asked his students to bake matzah for him. When the students asked him what stringencies he was particular about, Rav Yisroel replied, “I am very careful not to yell at the woman who cleans up between every batch of matzah baking. She is a widow. Please speak kindly with her.”
The late Tolna Rebbe, Rabbi Yochanan Twersky (1906-1988) was renown for his piety that was matched by his compassion and incredible humility.
The Rebbe always had many guests at his Seder. The atmosphere was regal and holy. When the meal was finally served, everyone was given a bowl of soup. In Tolna they do not eat gebrokts and everyone present exercised caution to ensure that a crumb of matzah didn’t fall in the soup.
One of the guests was a disheveled, elderly Russian immigrant. Without thinking much about it, he took a whole matzah and, to the shock of everyone, crumbled it into his soup.
Everyone glared at him, some even motioning angrily. The Rebbe noticed and immediately announced that the guest’s soup looked very appetizing. Would he mind sharing it?
The chassidim watched in dumbfounded silence as the beaming guest lifted his bowl of soup and shuffled to the head of the table.
The Rebbe dipped his soup spoon into the bowl, doled out a lump of soggy matzah crumbs, and ate it. The Rebbe then thanked the guest for allowing him to enjoy the delicious addition to the soup.
Like many, the Rebbe held the traditions and customs of his ancestors to be holy. Yet, the Rebbe violated the practice of his ancestors to preserve, and even enhance, as the dignity of a guest.
In his Haggadah, Rabbi Moshe Weinberger notes: “On Pesach, we can receive the gift of true freedom – to be simple and uncomplicated. We can sit at the Seder filled with faith, happy and free of all stress. At the Seder, Hashem wants us to be free of the desperate need to know how everything will work out. We let Hashem take the wheel and experience the greatness of true liberation.
“Rav Kluger explains that we must allow Hashem to free us of our servitude. Even at the Seder, many people conduct themselves as slaves by imposing too many of their own notions on themselves and their guests. Much of our stress is self-inflicted. Some of us are overly concerned with the amount of matzah and wine one must use for the mitzvos. Others insist on voluminous divrei Torah, which their families and guests find insufferable. The Chasam Sofer, zt’l, simply translated the Haggadah during the Seder. He authored many novel Torah insights, but he didn’t deliver them at the Seder. He kept the Seder simple, in the manner of freedom.
“Even at the Seder, we can be free if we do it G-d’s way rather than our own. We can be free from needing things to be exactly the way we want. Our children might make a mess at our beautiful Seder table; we might be so exhausted from all the preparations that we can’t stay awake or concentrate on the Haggadah. But we can free ourselves from all artificial expectations.
“We can feel servitude even in spiritual matters, if we cling to preconceived images of exactly how we want our mitzvos to look. We feel we must daven or learn a certain way, or we are worthless. Our children must be “perfect.” Our spouses must live up to our exact expectations. That is Pharaoh’s way of thinking. It’s the Egyptian mindset, which causes us to suffer disappointment whenever things don’t go exactly as we want or demand.
“Matzah frees us from this. Matzah says, “However you knead, mix, and make holes with me is fine; I am satisfied.” Chametz has plans for what form it wants to take. Matzah is happy with how it is right now. Our job is to do our best to serve Hashem with joy and not worry so much about our expectations.”
As hard as it is to clean for Pesach, it is even harder to do the real internal work. But if that is our goal and we strive to accomplish it, we can pray that Hashem guides us towards spiritual redemption. After all, this is the season of redemption, miraculous redemption.
Shabbat Shalom & Good Shabbos,
R’ Dani and Chani Staum
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