Dear Friends,
Each year, the days leading up to Passover are filled with busyness and urgency. We clean our homes, prepare meals, discuss guest lists and plans, all while continuing our regular work and responsibilities. Often, these tasks overlap, creating a feeling of chaos that can be overwhelming.
In recent years, that feeling has extended beyond our homes. The world around us often feels like it’s in turmoil – politically, socially, and economically. There are times when everything seems to happen at once, and it’s hard to make sense of it all. Some people thrive in this kind of environment, finding energy in the mess. But for many of us, it feels uncomfortable and unsettling.
At first glance, the Passover Seder, Seder meaning “order”, might seem like the perfect antidote. It’s an evening with structure and rhythm: fifteen clear steps from start to finish, a beautifully prepared Seder plate, and carefully arranged rituals. Some people even refer back to the step-by-step list during the night, checking off what’s been done and what’s still to come.
This structure gives us a sense of control and accomplishment. It reflects our human need for order, a concept that shows up from the very beginning of the Torah, when God creates the world by separating light from darkness, forming something meaningful from chaos. But if we look closer, the Seder isn’t entirely orderly. We start by talking about the act of telling the story. We hide and search for the matzah. We interrupt the narrative to focus on small details. There are tangents and questions. It’s anything but linear. This balance between chaos and order mirrors a deeper truth about Passover, and about life.
Freedom, one of the central themes of the holiday, lives in the space between structure and spontaneity. Too much order can start to feel like bondage. Too much chaos, and we lose our grounding. Passover reminds us that both are necessary. And as we sit around our Seder tables this year, we hold in our hearts those who are not free, the hostages still being held in Gaza, and pray for their safe and swift return.
As Dr. Erica Brown writes:
“On Passover, we create order to lose order. On this night, we balance between order and chaos—between organizing the Seder with a set chronology and concrete stages, and telling a messy story that is constantly interrupted, questioned, and upended… a story of injustice and triumph, of human struggle and divine salvation, of hesitation and progress.”
This year, as we navigate a world that feels uncertain, Sarit Zussman, mother of Ben Z”L who fell in Gaza last year, reminds us: “We must believe that our story has a happy ending.” Her words speak to the heart of Passover, a holiday that holds both the pain of the journey and the promise of redemption.
In these challenging times, embracing both order and disorder can help us make sense of the world. It gives us a framework for understanding our place in the larger story of creation, redemption, and renewal.
Wishing you and your loved ones a meaningful and joyful Pesach.
Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Moriah SimonHazani
P.S. Our very own Barrie, Director of Engagement, was recently featured on the news! She shared fun, family-friendly Passover crafts and activities, perfect for bringing extra meaning (and creativity!) to your holiday.
Click here to check out the video/crafts!
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