Jewish World Review April 6, 2001/ 13 Nissan 5761
Passover is a family holiday; a time when nostalgia pervades as we
dig deep into our rich past and uncover memories -- both joyful and
painful.
http://www.jewishworldreview.com --
A DEAR FRIEND, tearfully shared with me how difficult it is for her to face
yet another Passover without her beloved husband. Shortly thereafter,
a young man from Israel contacted me. He was preparing for and
anticipating the upcoming holiday. He wanted to know why the year of
mourning for his mother had not mended the void he felt in his heart
over her untimely passing.
As for myself, I move through my kitchen, stopping in my tracks as I
find myself uttering the very comments my mother, of blessed
memory, used to make at this time of the year. Without question I am
thinking her thoughts and doing what she did. As I juggle four frying
pans, flipping blintzes in the air, I turn the pages back in my mind some
45 years and see my grandmother doing the same. My married
daughters, whether they live in the United States or abroad, call almost
daily in advance of the holiday to check if their memory serves them
well as they recreate the Passover customs and delicacies with which
they grew up.
The rhythms of past, present, and future
converge to become one on this holiday. It is
indeed a seamless fabric transcending time
and space.
"Each and every person should see oneself as
though he or she personally was redeemed,
leaving the bondage of Egypt," the Haggadah
enjoins. It is as though we are being told if we go back far enough in
our collective memories, beyond the immediate conscious recall of
wives, husbands, mothers, fathers, and grandparents, we might
access and touch -- deep within the recesses of our soul -- the original
Exodus experience.
OUT OF BONDAGE
The great Chassidic master, Rebbe Elimelech of Liszensk, informed his disciples that all of us have
etched into our memory the milestone events in our history, such as
the giving of the Torah at Mount Sinai. He goes so far as to assert that,
by putting forth the requisite effort to access that event, he was able to
remember who stood next to him during that experience.
Perhaps this level of connection is beyond our
scope, but consider the following anecdote
witnessed by my brother-in-law at the Kossel, the
Western Wall, in Jerusalem. An older man was
standing at the Wall passionately pouring out
his heart and gesturing with his hands. My
brother-in-law moved closer, curious to learn
more about the nature of this old man's
communications with the Almighty. The man
cried, "Dear G-d in heaven, you know my son's
problem ... his health ... his heart ... he went to
the cardiologist ... he sent him on to..." The old man paused,
interjecting, "Oh, I am so sorry dear G-d in Heaven, I already told you
that yesterday. Forgive me for repeating myself." We can ascertain
this old man's connection to G-d is authentic. G-d is right there for
him, interested in and caring about every detail of his life.
This year, as we sit at our respective Seder tables, surrounded by
family and friends, there will invariably be a moment of longing within
each one of us. This moment may present itself as personal or
collective. It may not be clearly identifiable, when we first sense it, that
we are really yearning for what once was. Let us understand and take
it as an invitation, an opportunity, and propitious moment to reach, with
this longing, for the Being who connected us to Himself at the very
moment in history we commemorate and celebrate on this night.
Only the Almighty can assuage our longing and wipe away our tears of
loss, pain, and suffering. Only He can bring the ultimate redemption.
He is the ultimate loving Parent there for us at our Seder or anytime we
choose. And, it is through Him that all of us, living in the past, present
or future, are forever
Connecting: Passover reflections
By Rebbetzin Faige Twerski
We should literally see ourselves being lifted out of bondage into the
loving embrace of our Heavenly parent, redeeming us out of His love
for us; choosing us to be His very own people. These pronounced
seasonal longings and recollections and the desire for connection are
an internal expression of the deep need to connect at the very source
of all connection.
Rebbetzin Feige Twerski, a columnist for Aish.com,
has devoted her life to Jewish education and Outreach, giving lectures
worldwide on a myriad of Judaic subjects. She is a mother of 11
children, and many grandchildren whose number she refuses to
divulge. She serves as the Rebbetzin along side her husband,
Rabbi Michel Twerski, of Congregation Beth Jehudah of
Milwaukee. Comment by clicking here.
