JBFCS: Rita J. Kaplan Jewish Connections Programs

Rita J. Kaplan Jewish Connections Programs of the Jewish Board of Family and Children's Services

April 2009

Passover: Out of the Narrow Straits

This article is an excerpt from our recent 6-page publication, Passover: Out of the Narrow Straits (download), which addresses Passover through the themes of illness, divorce, loss and bereavement, addiction, mental illness, caregiving, leadership in difficult times, and the economic crisis. The piece below deals with the economic crisis.

This year, as I clean out the hametz (leavened food) from my apartment, I am aware of the differences from previous years. This year, I am home, while my husband is the only one working. This year, I have time to think about the cleaning process and the deeper meanings behind it. As I clean my house, is there a similar soul searching that I can do?

Many friends have lost their jobs in recent weeks. It feels as if no one is "safe." Passover, a holiday that has themes of freedom, redemption and miracles, almost seems to come at the wrong time for me this year. What freedom am I celebrating? What miracles can I hope for in my life?

As I anticipate the Seder, I already think about freedom differently. In past years, we talked about the need to be free from materialism. This year, however, this freedom has been imposed on us by the situation — by my company or by the economy. This year, I do not have a choice to be free from material goods. I have to be free of them. I am more concerned now about the conversations relating to how we spend our free time, where we will go on vacation, even if we go on vacation.

As I continue to clean, I continue to think about hametz. Food that had risen was something our ancestors didn’t have time to wait for. I wonder — if the flight from Egypt/Mitzrayim can be interpreted as moving from a narrow place to a more open state, am I then entering a more narrow place than I have been in the past with this cleaning? Can I emerge into a wider one?

As I clean, I accept more willingly this temporary placement into my current narrow strait. I realize that this place does provide me some relief — to examine my life and to think about freedom in a different way than in years past. I will enter the Seder this year looking at each symbol on the Seder plate with more nuance. Certain foods will be saltier, but I will also connect with certain prayers with greater meaning and hopefulness.

These "Spirituality Notes" are excerpts from our monthly E-newsletter. Articles are © JBFCS Rita J. Kaplan Jewish Connections Programs and may be reprinted free of charge as long as this credit line is included.

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