Passover Cleaning
This week marks the start of the Jewish month called Nissan, the month containing the holiday of Passover. So it is only natural that we now begin the many (and, at times semi-overwhelming) preparations for this bread-free Passover festival.
Yet the preparations should not be limited to the physical acts of cleaning our homes of leavened bread (and cooking Passover delicacies). True Passover preparation involves mental and emotional work as well. And that work entails cleaning and purifying our minds and hearts of negativity; of any thought or feeling that might not be in sync with the Divine will; and of depression, and our egos.
We have two weeks left until Passover. Let us endeavor to remain focused on this goal by doing just a bit more internal cleanup each day.
Chassidim used to relate the following anecdote: A tightrope walker once revealed the secret to his stunt: “I fix my eye on where I'm going; on the pole at the end and never think about falling. And do you know what was the hardest part of the act is? Turning around! When you turn around you lose sight of the goal for a second. It takes a long time to learn to turn around!'"
So let’s keep focused on the goal – Passover!
Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Raleigh Resnick
