Shabbat Blast

From Rabbi Dahlia Bernstein

Dear Fellow CBOniks,

It’s not easy to be Jewish. Shver tsu zayn a yid (In Yiddush). We feel it most on Passover. Yom Kippur also gives us a run for our money. On the Holiday of unleavened bread we have MANY requirements and probitions. We must eat Matzah and we are forbidden from eating chametz (forbidden food). On the surface, these laws make us feel inordinantly restricted. A little detective work delivers a different message.

Passover tells us that life is not black and white. It is about moderation. All we have to do is look at the recipe for Matzah. Ironically,  the same ingredients that go into chametz also go into Matzah. Passover requires us to use the ingredients we eat all year long, like oats and wheat, but limit them. We can eat flour, but only baked for under 18 minutes. It sends the message, “don’t practice denial, practice self control. Don’t cut out the object completely, but rather be aware and monitor it.”
Many diets tell us to eliminate carbs, sugar, dairy… completely, but sometimes our minds rebel and we respond by going overboard on those same items. Passsover sings a different tune. It tells us that we can control, what often controls us. For me it’s food, and maybe a little too much Amazon. Passover not only asks us to monitor our leaven. It asks us to hold a mirror up to our lives and ask ourselves, “what has gotten out of control?” and “what can I do to meet my goals?”

Our practices certainly take energy and focus. While we prepare our homes we are called to also reflect on what has gotten out of control and away from us in our practices, our relationships, and our self care. We don’t have to wait until Yom Kippur to realize that our lives don’t quite resemble what we want them to be. Pesach is a time to do a check in and realize that we have what it takes to get our lives in order. If we can do it with chametz, we can do it with anything.

Chag Sameach!
Rabbi Bernstein

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Community Passover 2nd Seder
at Congregation Ohav Sholom

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