A little snippet for the Seder table

As this coming week will draw to an end, most families in Israel will sit around the table and read from the Haggadah, the book read on Passover at the seder, the festive meal. The word Haggadah comes from the Verb "לְהַגִּיד" to tell , inform or say. It belongs to the verb category of "הִפְעִיל" which is used for active words which generally effect another person such as "לְהַזְמִין" to invite (another person is invited) and "לְהַגְדִּיל" to make bigger (something or someone is made bigger).

 So how does this influence our telling of the Passover story and if we are supposed to tell a story, why is the Haggadah a story book of quotes?

We begin the Passover seder by reading about why we must tell the story followed by who must tell the story and how (with relation to the four types of children) and finally when we must tell the story. By the time we actually get to the story we in fact read the retelling of the story in Deutoronomy rather than the original story found in the book of Exodos. In essence the Haggadah teaches us "אֵיךְ לְהַגִּיד", How to tell. The real, active work, is down to us. The Passover seder teaches us to be an active part in telling our history and in part reflects one of the essences of Judaism, to actively shape the world we live in and not be passive observers.

On Friday night when families in Israel and abroad will sit down to tell the Passover story, each household will tell a slightly different story; Stories of past Sederim, emphases on freedom or on modern slavery and with reenactments and songs. Everyone tells their story slightly differently.

We wish all our students a happy Passover, Easter and Spring season!

To learn more about learning Hebrew in Israel and online see our website: www.ulpanaviv.com

Chametz חמץ

For English scroll all the way down...

לְרֶגֶל חַג הַפֶּסַח הַמִּתְקָרֵב וּבָא חָשַׁבְתִּי לְפַתֵּחַ מִסְפָּר רַעֲיוֹנוֹת הַקְּשׁוּרִים לְהַגָדָת הַפֶּסַח, רַעֲיוֹנוֹת הַנּוֹגְעִים לְעִנְיָנִים אָקְטוּאָלִיִים אַךְ מִתְקַשְּׁרִים לָעֲבָר וּלְטֶקְסְטִים בְּהַגָּדָה אוֹ לַמִּנְהָגִים הַמוֹדֶרְנִיִים.

אֲבָל לִפְנֵי הַכֹּל- אֵיךְ אֶפְשָׁר שֶׁלֹּא לְהִזְדַּהוֹת עִם כָּל הַמְּנַקִּים וְהַמְּנַקּוֹת לִכְבוֹד הַחַג? אֲנַחְנוּ צְרִיכִים לַעֲבֹר חֹדֶשׁ שָׁלֵם שֶׁל עֲבוֹדוֹת נִקָּיוֹן עַל מְנַת לְהַגִּיעַ סוֹף סוֹף לַחַג הַמְּיֹחָל וְלָשֶׁבֶת בּוֹ כִּבְנִי חוֹרִין.

אָז נָכוֹן, הָרַב אֲבִינֵר מְדַבֵּר כָּל שָׁנָה בָּרַדְיוֹ בַּתְּקוּפָה שֶׁלִּפְנֵי פֶּסַח וְחוֹזֵר וּמַדְגִּישׁ כִּי אָבָק אֵינֶנּוּ חָמֵץ וְכִי הַמִּצְוָה אֵינֶנָּהּ לִהְיוֹת עֶבֶד ע"מ לַחֲגֹג אַחַר כָּךְ אֵת חַג הַפֶּסַח בְּהִידוּר אֶלָּא לְנַקּוֹת אֵת הַבַּיִת מֵחָמֵץ וְתוּ לֹא. כְּבוֹדוֹ שֶׁל הָרַב אֲבִינֵר בִּמְקוֹמוֹ מוּנָח, אֲבָל רוּבֵּנוּ מְקַבְּלִים אֵת נִקְּיוֹנוֹת פֶּסַח כְּתֵרוּץ לְנַקּוֹת אֵת הַבַּיִת כְּמוֹ שֶׁלֹּא נִקִּינוּ כָּל הַשָּׁנָה וְטוֹב שֶׁיֵּשׁ מַשֶּׁהוּ שֶׁמַּכְרִיחַ אוֹתָנוּ (וְאוֹתִי בִּמְיֻחָד) לַעֲשׂוֹת אֵת זֶה סוֹף סוֹף.

אָז מַהוּ חָמֵץ וְלָמָּה חָשׁוּב כָּל כָּךְ לְנַקּוֹת אוֹתוֹ?

הַשְּׁאֵלָה נִרְאֵית מְיּוֹּתֶרֶת מֵאַחָר וְזֶהוּ הַצִּוּוּי הַמִקְרָאִי: "שִׁבְעַת יָמִים שְׁאָר לֹא יִמְצָא בְּבָתֵּיכֶם (שֵׁמוֹת יב, יֵט) ו "לֹא יִרְאֶה לְךָ חָמֵץ..." (שֵׁמוֹת יג, ז). וּבְכָל זֹאת קָמוּ חֲכָמִים וְנָתְנוּ לוֹ פָרְשָׁנוּיוֹת שׁוֹנוֹת.

חָמֵץ הִנּוֹ תַּעֲרֹבֶת שֶׁל קֶמַח מֵחֲמֵשֶׁת מִינֵי דָּגָן שֶׁתָּפְחָה עֵקֶב מַגָּע עִם מַיִם. הַשֵּׁם חָמֵץ בָּא לוֹ מִשּׁוּם תַּפְקִידוֹ שֶׁל הַחַמְצָן בְּתַהֲלִיךְ הַתְּפִיחָה.

אִם כֵּן- הַחַמְצָן גּוֹרֵם לַבָּצֵק לִתְפֹחַ וְלִגְדֹּל, אַךְ הַגֹּדֶל לֹא בָּא מִשּׁוּם שֶׁכַּמּוּת הַחֹמֶר גָּדְלָה. כָּךְ הִיא הַגַּאֲוָה, אוֹתָהּ עָלֵינוּ לְבַעֵר מִקִּרְבֵּנוּ- הִיא אֵינֶנָּהּ מוֹעִילָה וְאֵינֶנָּהּ מַצְבִּיעָה עַל גֹדְלוֹ הָאֲמִתִּי שֶׁל הָאָדָם. אַחַת לְשָׁנָה עָלֵינוּ לַעֲשׂוֹת בְּדַק בַּיִת, חֶשְׁבּוֹן נֶפֶשׁ, לְחַפֵּשׂ וְּלְבַעֵר אֵת הֶחָמֵץ, אֵת הַגַּאֲוָה שֶׁפָּשְׁתָה בָּנוּ. סִפּוּר נִפְלָא כְּתָב עַל זֶה שַׁ"י עגנון, "לְבֵית אַבָּא", הַמְּדַבֵּר עַל תַּהֲלִיךְ חֲזָרָה בִּתְשׁוּבָה, אַךְ קוֹרֶה בִּתְקוּפַת חַג הַפֶּסַח וּמַעֲלֶה מַקְבִּילוֹת רַבּוֹת בֵּין חֶשְׁבּוֹן הַנֶּפֶשׁ וְנִקָּיוֹן הַבַּיִת, עַל הַקֹּשִׁי לְהִתְנַעֵר מִן הַגַּאֲוָה וְהַיְּהִירוּת שֶׁל תְּנוּעַת הַהַשְׂכָּלָה אֵל מוּל הַיַּהֲדוּת הַפְּשׁוּטָה וְהָאֲמִתִּית.

For the purpose of the upcoming festival of Pesach I thought about developing a number of ideas relating to the Pesach Haggadah (book used on Passover to tell the story of the Exodos), ideas that touch on current affairs but with connections to the Haggadah texts or modern traditions.

But before all this- How can we not sympathise with all the cleaners (male and female) for this holiday? We need to work a full month cleaning in order to finally reach the long awaited festival and to sit as "free men".

But it is true, Rav Aviner talks every year, on the radio, in the period before Pesach and he reiterates that dust is not Chametz (forbidden leavened food stuffs) and that the commandment is not to be a slave in order to celebrate the Passover holiday rather to clean the house of Chametz and no more. The respect of Rav Aviner is rightfully due but most people take on Pesach cleaning as an excuse to clean the house like we haven't cleaned all year and its good that we have something to force us (and especially me) to do this finally.

So what is Chametz and why is it so important to clean it?

The question seems superfluous as the original commandment is: "seven days there shall be no leaven found in your houses" (Exodos 12: 19) and "thou shalt not see leavened bread…" (Exodos 13:7). And despite all this the scholars arose and gave different explanations.

Chametz is a blend of 5 types of grain which swell because of contact with water. The name חָמֵץ"" Chametz, was given because of the role of oxygen ((חַמְצָן in the swelling process.

If this is true- that oxygen causes the dough to swell and grow, the increase in size does not come about because the amount of ingredients increases. It is like pride which needs to be purged from our midst- it is not beneficial and doesn't indicate one's true size. Once a year we take it upon ourselves to check the house, soul search, to find and destroy Chametz, pride, that has spread amongst us. A wonderful story which was written by Shay Agnon "to father's house", speaks about the process of repentance which occurs during the period of Passover and moreover he draws on many similarities between soul searching and cleaning ones house, on the difficulties of shaking off pride and on the enlightenment movement in the face of simple and genuine Judaism.

Osnat


www.ulpanaviv.com