PESACH RESOURCES – 5779 EDITION
Chaverim nichbadim - Dear friends:
It’s almost time for Pesach! You know, the “Festival of Freedom”,
the holiday on which we celebrate our release from slavery to Pharaoh
in Egypt by abiding by the very strict dietary and ritual rules
created by the Rabbis and Jewish Tradition, including eating the hardtack
called matzah for eight days. Freedom, you say? God said, “Send forth My
people, so they may serve me.” That’s how it is typically translated. But the
Hebrew word for “so they may serve me”, “v’ya’avduni”, might easily be
translated as “so they will slave for Me”. The root for “serve”, “avad”, is
also the root for “eved” – “slave”. So, how do you manage Pesach in such a way
as to avoid complete slavery?
Here are some simple rules:
1. Accept that you are not perfect – and neither is anyone else!
You don’t have to do it all! You can’t do it all!
2. Prepare the house by cleaning and removing the chametz. A
short but very useful guide to kashering your kitchen and home and identifying
foods that are or are not kosher for Passover can be found at:
3. Prepare the food for the Seder.
4. Prepare the food for the remainder of the holiday by
shopping for it before Pesach.
5. Prepare yourself and your family spiritually.
6. Prepare yourself and your family intellectually.
7. Do not drive yourself or anyone else crazy – see number
rule #1.
8. Remember that Pesach really is about freedom; freedom is fun;
have fun! See rule #7.
9. Any questions? Ask a rabbi!
Are you looking for ways to make your Seder more meaningful, more
accessible, more involving for children, more interesting, shorter, etc.? Then
check out these resources on-line:
a. The Rabbinical Assembly’s Pesach Guide 5779 can
be read and downloaded at the following site:
b. Additional Pesach resources from the Rabbinical Assembly
may be found at:
c. Pesach kitchen kashering from a strictly Orthodox perspective
can be found at:
d. MyJewishLearning.com is, IMVHO, the best Jewish educational
resource on the web, and has material on virtually everything you might ever
want to know about Judaism, but don't know how or whom to ask. The homepage is
easily navigable. For Pesach, explore this page:
e. The Conservative Yeshiva, in Jerusalem, has a number of
text resources for study before the holiday and for discussion at the Seder.
See the many Passover links at:
f. Passover according to Chabad in a straightforward manner.
Follow the links on this page:
g. Especially good for beginners, National Jewish Outreach
Program’s extensive and accessible collection of how-to’s, background materials
and videos, from the folks who bring you Shabbat Across America (also has
Shabbat and other holiday resources):
h. My colleague Rabbi Gabriel Botnick has a short video guide on
shopping for Pesach, available at:
One of my seminary teachers suggested that, in addition to
whichever Haggadah of choice you use for your Seder, you should every year
acquire a new Haggadah with commentary and illustrations to help you prepare
and make your Seder more enjoyable. Ask your local Jewish bookseller, consult
with a rabbi, explore the web – there are beautiful and accessible Haggadot
available. Here are some of my favorites for getting ready:
1. Passover Haggadah – The Feast of Freedom. The
Rabbinical Assembly, 1982. Clear spiritual commentary.
2. A Passover Haggadah – Go Forth and Learn. Rabbi
David Silver. Jewish Publication Society, 2011. A new classic.
3. The Haggadah Treasury. Rabbi Nosson Scherman.
Artscroll, 1978. Midrash and traditional teachings.
4. From Bondage to Freedom – The Passover Haggadah.
Rabbi Abraham J. Twerski, M.D. Shaar Press, 1995. Tradition blended with
insights relating to addiction and dependency.
5. A Different Night – The Family Participation Haggadah.
Noam Zion and David Dishon. Shalom Hartman Institute, 1997. Difficult to use at
the seder, but lots of great ideas - especially in the leader's guide.
6. Studies on the Haggadah from the Teachings of Nechama
Leibowitz. Urim Publications, 2002. Deep Torah from a great scholar.
7. The Hirsch Haggadah. Samson Raphael Hirsch.
Feldheim Publishers, 1993. The 19th century voice of Orthodoxy.
8. A Feast of History. Chaim Raphael. Steimatzky’s,
1972. (Out of print but available used) The lengthy historical essay is
interesting and useful.
9. The Origins of the Seder. Baruch Bokser. JTS Press,
2002 (Paperback edition). Not a Haggadah, but for those interested in an
academic treatise that opens the eyes to history.
10. Passover – The Family Guide to Spiritual Celebration.
Dr. Ron Wolfson. Jewish Lights Publishing, 2010 (2d edition) A straight-forward
how-to guide with explanations and insights for the table.
Some other important reminders about Pesach and the lead-up to the
holy days:
1. All first-borns (except Levi’im and Kohanim) are obliged to
engage in a fast, called Ta’anit B’chorot, from pre-dawn until the seder
on the 14th of Nisan, this year on Friday, April 19, in recognition of the 10th
plague. To avoid the fast, the custom has become for the firstborn to engage in
Torah study and then have a festive "meal" (a siyyum) at the
completion of their study. I will be hosting Torah study and siyyum (complete
with the last chametz you will eat until the end of Pesach) on Friday, April 19,
at 8:00 am at Temple B’nai Hayim/Congregation Beth Meier. All are welcome, not
just first-borns. If you wish to join us, please let me know by e-mail to: ravflom@sbcglobal.net by Thursday evening, April 18,
so I will have enough coffee and Krispy Kreme donuts.
2. TBH/CBM is holding a Community Second Seder on
Saturday, April 20; beginning at 6:30 pm. Reservations are due no later
than 12:00 Noon, Friday, April 5, by e-mail to bnaihayim@yahoo.com or calling the TBH/CBM office -
(818) 788-4664. We need to order from the caterer no later than that date! Sorry,
late reservations cannot be accommodated.
3. DON’T FORGET TO REMOVE AND SELL CHAMETZ – AUTHORIZE RABBI FLOM TO DO SO ON YOUR BEHALF NO LATER THAN 10:00 AM Friday, April 19.
3. DON’T FORGET TO REMOVE AND SELL CHAMETZ – AUTHORIZE RABBI FLOM TO DO SO ON YOUR BEHALF NO LATER THAN 10:00 AM Friday, April 19.
A downloadable, fillable authorization form which you can email to
me is available here:
4. Kitniyot (beans, rice, corn) on Pesach? Yes! Read the latest from
the Rabbinical Assembly at:
I guess it's time to start thinking about Pesach!
Wishing you a Chag Pesach Sameach, Kasher v’Mashma’uti – A
Passover that is Happy, Kosher and Meaningful!
Rabbi Richard A. Flom
Temple B'nai Hayim/Congregation Beth Meier
