Translation by Yehoshua Siskin
Rabbi Aviad Hezni writes as follows:
“This morning at a bus stop I heard two women saying that there is nothing to eat on Pesach. During the last few days, I have seen dozens of somewhat cynical social media posts regarding Pesach products, calories, and family squabbles. Friends, they are trying to steal Pesach from us!
Pesach is the most revolutionary holiday in human history. Pesach is the holiday of a powerless nation that prevails over the world’s greatest superpower and goes out from slavery to freedom with an abundance of miracles.
Pesach is taking a chained and broken slave and whispering in his ear that he is not only a number. He has dreams, feelings, and phenomenal forces within himself. And, above all, he has God and a holy calling.
Pesach is telling the next generation about the previous generations and how to walk in their ways by living according to their true faith.
Pesach is a process of clarification, of discovering who we really are.
Pesach is a holiday of simplicity: a little flour, a little water, and a quick bake in the oven. To know how to take pleasure from simple and unsophisticated things.
So think about Pesach. Live Pesach. Don’t allow shallow conversation to steal your Pesach. Our “suffering” comes from exaggerated cleaning or home improvement projects and from excessive shopping.
Pesach halachot are important, yet simple and non-threatening. They are meant to encourage a process of spiritual growth and self-refinement. We can neither allow what is of secondary importance to become the main thing, nor allow Pesach to be stolen from us.
Have a joyful and kosher holiday.”
