Preparations for Pesach could begin as early as Tu b’Shvat. Some people have practiced growing their own parsley for their Seders beginning by planting seeds at the “birthday of the trees.” The timing is about right, but parsley can be a bit fussy to start from seed. In fact, parsley is a biannual. The plant from the seeds you sowed last year still produces leaves after the winter. Perhaps this is why it is chosen for dipping: Parsley is available in early spring with little effort. Tu b’Shvat is the very first blush of spring in the Land of Israel, though it may be hard for people based in the Northeast to imagine the end of winter at that date. There may be other plants that you could sow in your garden (depending on where you live) that might grow in time to serve at your Seder.
Purim precedes Pesach by one month and follows Tu b’Shvat by one month—and our Jewish masquerade holiday is often a time for over-indulgence of alcohol and sweets. Preparing for Pesach can mean a simple cleaning of one’s pantry to be rid of chametz defined narrowly or defined broadly as the extraneous “stuff” that you’ve kept around. Besides doing a spring cleanse of one’s cupboards, it can also be an opportunity to reflect on bad habits or patterns. Following 7 weeks later (7x7) at Shavuot, as we, traditionally understood, end our period of rebellion and wandering, enter the world where we take on the responsibilities of mitzvot and Torah. We are only able to take on such responsibility and obligations as free agents.
If one of five grains (wheat, rye, barley spelt or oats1) comes into contact with water (after the grains have been harvested) a natural process of fermentation begins. If the fermentation continues for 18 minutes or more, the grains are regarded as Chametz.
Matzah is made without Chametz: leavening. Our rabbis point to the philological similarity between the two Hebrew words חמץ and מצה. They question its implications. It takes only moments for unleaven to become leaven and it takes less time for good intentions to become subverted. Philo of Alexandria suggested that just as leaven is forbidden during Pesach because it is “inflated.” we spend our time during Pesach examining ourselves. How do we act to encourage redemption in our own day, as we guard ourselves against self-righteousness which can puff us up with pride?
What is the rule about Chametz on Pesach?
According to the Torah (Exodus 12:15): “Seven days you shall eat matzot… for whoever eats Chametz from the first day to the seventh day that person shall be cut off from Israel.”
What does “shall be cut off from Israel” mean? While theological dissertations may have been written on the subject, a simple sociological explanation probably suffices. Those who do not participate in the activities of the group of which they may claim to be a part, will, before long, find themselves apart from that group.
Does the prohibition against Chametz apply only to eating?
No. Torah also states that Chametz should not be found in our homes (Exodus 12:19) and should not be seen within our borders (Exodus 13:17). We are thus commanded to rid our homes of Chametz.
While the Seder itself helps us eliminate our spiritual Chametz, there are three primary means of eliminating our physical, tangible Chametz.
1. Dispose of it. This was originally done by burning the Chametz. After all, there was no refuse collection that regularly came by the homes of our ancestors to pick up their garbage and take it to the dump. Classically the final search for Chametz is accomplished with a feather, and/or the palm frond saved from Sukkot. Vacuum cleaners were unknown in the early rabbinic period when the Seder developed. Had they been in existence, it is certain that those rabbis would have used them.
If you choose to burn your Chametz, the blessing is:
בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְיָ אֱלֹהֵנוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם, אֲשֶׁר קִדְּשָׁנוּ בְּמִצְוֹתָיו וְצִוָּנוּ עַל בִּעוּר חָמֵץ.
2. Give it away. Any Chametz that you have at home can be given to a local food pantry. Think of it, what we cannot use can be real food to others who are in need.
3. Symbolically sell it. Because in Early Rabbinic times it was thought that eliminating all of our Chametz (including all packaged goods, processed foods, candies, wines, liquor, etc.) might be financially ruinous, our rabbis devised a symbolic sale of the Chametz to a non-Jew who then sells it back to us following Pesach. Some rabbis can be commissioned to sell your Chametz. Following the sale, the Chametz is no longer regarded as in your possession.
If you wish to sell your Chametz, please check with your rabbi.
Kitniot/Qitniyot קטניות are not Chametz!
The Ashkenazi prohibition of eating “legumes,” i.e. rice, beans, peas, maize, garlic, kimmel, peanuts, etc. is a “red herring” We live in a period of the “ingathering of the exiles”, a “re-unification of our people” others call a Mizug Galuyot, a new period of Ashkefard or Sefardkenaz. How many of us whose ancestors came from central or eastern Europe say: “Oleinu,” or “Yisgadal”? No, our Hebrew is Sefardi and, so are our Jewish foods: along with schmaltz herring, we assume felafel as Jewish foods. I advocate abolishing the prohibition of eating קטניות. In fact, before we became a vegetarian household I stuffed our Passover turkey with rice and other goodies.
“Let all who are hungry…”
Let one who is hungry enter and eat.
This year, as for centuries past, all over the world we begin our Pesach Seder with the words:
“Let all who are hungry enter and eat.”
As never before, we now know how many are hungry, here at home, in our own communities, and around the world.
The poor are not helped by our rhetoric, no matter how compelling.
And so, this Pesach, yet another question: Can we transform our words of welcome into a collective act of lovingkindness?
The mechanics of the Mazon donation:
In advance of the Seder the host computes the amount it would cost to feed one other person at the Seder.
1. Sum the receipts for the Seder:
a. wine
b. food
c. Haggadot
d. flowers, decorations, etc.
e. fresh play-dough for kids
2. Divide the sum by the number of participants to get the amount needed to feed one more person.
3. Divide that amount by the number of participants once again to determine the amount each participant should donate.
Send those monies or more to Mazon.
Next: The Seder Table
To explore the structure of the Seder and this Haggadah, check the Table of Contents
Footnotes
1 There is a valid question as to whether oats should be considered one of the five grains of Chametz. See “Oats and Passover”.