Every year as Passover approaches, Rav Shlomo Aviner publishes his Guide to Passover Cleaning in One Day. The motto of the guide is that dirt is not chametz and children are not the Pesach sacrifice.
In a similar vein, last week, the Jewish Women’s Project for Ahavas Yisrael, which organizes learning groups for women, sent out an interesting dvar torah along with some tips for Passover cleaning without losing shalom bayit.
Don’t you wonder why so many of us feel compelled (and often drive ourselves and our family crazy in the process) to make our homes sparkle and shine in places no chometz could possibly hide? While knowing what is halachically necessary to clean and focusing on that is of primary importance to keep us emotionally balanced, Rav Yitzchok Berkovits says this urge for extra cleaning actually has a positive source and he shares the secret with us:
On Pesach, when we wear our best new clothing, set the table with our finest china and serving ware, lean on cushions as we sip good wine from sparkling crystal, we are not only celebrating our freedom, but that Hashem raised us from the status of lowly slaves to a people of nobility.
The Jewish People are aristocracy, mamleches kohanim v’goy kodesh. To fulfill the mitzvah of celebrating our freedom, we have to actually feel our aristocracy.
When we are inexplicably driven to make our home into a sparkling palace in time for Pesach, it is because we want this royal atmosphere to permeate our homes the Seder night. That is why it’s hard for some of us to sit still until our windows and our silver and our floors all gleam.
Nobles live in a palace. We are the inhabitants of the palace, let’s act with Malchus.
How does a Melech act? With patience, compassion, a sense of calm and warmth. Let the crown we wear Seder night be won with weeks of smiles, soft speech, easy forgiveness and accessible love. This is the essence of Ahavas Yisrael, and the true fulfillment of Jewish aristocracy.
4 Tips to help you prepare for Pesach with Ahavas Yisrael:
- Pesach begins and ends with untold grocery store runs. Check with a neighbor before you go, she also might be in need of another 3 dozen eggs.
- Make cleaning breaks with your family a time to enjoy one another’s company.
- Laugh when the jellyroll falls apart, and forgive when someone takes your parking space.
- Be generous with praise, liberal with smiles, openhanded with help.
May Hashem bring you to the Seder table crowned in serenity.
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A good reminder! But the cleaning can be fun for the family, as well as the breaks. Also, still better to write a careful shopping list and avoid those extra grocery runs. Once you’ve made Pesach a few times it gets easier.