SPECIAL COMMENTARY

The Spirituality Of Passover

passage or when we hear this passage
pirituality is "in." Jewish
read aloud at our seder? Will we see
healing centers and healing
ourselves
as though we, at that
services are increasing. On
moment,
are
preparing to leave a his-
Manhattan's upper west side,
tory
of
more
than 400 years of
Congregation B'nai Jeshurun, the
enslavement
in
Egypt to the possibility
Carlbach Synagogue and Ohev Zedek
of
freedom
in another land?
Synagogue, among others,
Will we be able to feel as
draw hundreds of congre-
though we ourselves are
gants who sing and dance
leaving Egypt at that
their way through the Friday
moment?
evening Shabbat service.
Some people enhance
There is renewed interest in
their
seder experience by
the subjects of nurturing the
dressing
in garb worn by
soul and of practicing medi-
our
ancestors
as the
tation Jewish style.
moment
of
redemption
Spiritual Judaism, empha-
from Egypt was approach-
sizing the assumption that
RABBI
ing.
Others find that the
God demands passion, is a
words
of the Haggadah
HERBERT
A.
model of authentic Judaism
suffice
in conveying the
YOSKOWITZ
whose expression is required
appropriate
mood for the
Special
to
at the seder. The Passover
evening.
This
could be a
The
Jewish
News
seder also requires the imple-
wonderful
moment
of
mentation of other models
experiencing
spiritual
of Judaism. Two of these
Judaism as our feelings dominate
models are the behavioral model, in
over other aspects of ourselves,
which we respond to the command of
including the aspect of fulfilling rit-
God to perform specific rituals during
ual and the aspect of studying the
the seder, and the intellectual model,
Haggadah
text.
in which we respond to God's demand
Before
the
meal begins, we read
of us that we study and teach the
in
the
Haggadah
that everyone of us
Haggadah. These three authentic
has
to
follow
the
teaching of Rab-
expresions of Judaism in the Hag-
ban
Gamliel,
who
said that anyone
gadah make the Passover seder one of
who
has
not
specifically
taught the
the most attractive events of our Jew-
meaning
of
the
symbols
of the
ish calendar year.
Pesach
offering,
of
the
matzah
and of
Spiritual Judaism is expressed
the
maror,
has
not
fulfilled
the
respon-
through personal emotional fulfill-
sibility of the seder and has not prop-
ment and the primacy of feeling.
erly observed the Passover. The need
When we read the words in the Hag-
to explain that there were two differ-
gadah, "in every generation, every per-
ent kinds of matzah — the matzah
son should see himself as having per-
that the Jewish people ate while in
sonally been among those who left
slavery,
a matzah that is called "the
Egypt," we are entering into a
bread
of
affliction," and a matzah that
moment that is filled with the possi-
was
eaten
on the eve of preparation
bility of the primacy of feeling. How
for
leaving
Egypt — becomes a pri-
are we going to feel when we read this
mary task.
We need to examine the significance
Rabbi Herbert A. Yoskowitz is a
of the Pesach offering as it relates to the
rabbi at Adat Shalom Synagogue.
Jewish people rejecting the gods of

S

C01111111111ITT VIEWS

tinian terrorists. Many of these mur-
derers are still at large, free to inflict
more terror even though the Palestin-
ian Authority knows their where-
abouts.
"How is it possible to engage in
peace negotiations with people who
persecute those of other faiths? How is
it possible to engage in peace negotia-
tions with people who keep terrorists
on the loose to wreak havoc and evil

3/26
1999

30 Detroit Jewish News

Egypt and sacrificing that which was
sacred to the Egyptian society, the
lamb. When we come to the bitterness
of the maror, we can still feel embit-
tered by the more than 400 years' expe-
rience of slavery in Egypt. We have to
explain these concepts in a Jewish con-
text in order to complete our require-
ment of the seder and of the Passover.

When we include in our Haggadah
the words "we thank God Who
redeemed us just as He redeemed
those who came before us," we can
feel as though we, too, were among
those redeemed from Egypt. We are at
one with our ancestors. The historical
chain binding us to those who came
before us becomes sturdier. Just as our
ancestors expressed their heartfelt
gratitude to God, so must we
express ours.
Jewish people who bemoan the
lack of spirituality in the Jewish
community can anticipate a seder
that is filled with spirituality.
Those who find holidays to be
too bland can feel the richness of
the entire Passover holiday. We
not only eat matzah on the holi-
day, but we are commanded to
observe the corresponding ban on
chametz (leaven), which symboli-
cally represents the evil inclina-
tion. We can become more spiri-
tually alive by not only putting
matzah into our lives during these
days of celebration but by remov-
ing the chametz, the leavened
products.
On Tuesday night, March 30,
many of us will conduct our annu-
al candlelight search for chametz in
our homes. Just as the chametz
Prato Haggadah, Spain, circa 1300, part of
represents evil, the candle repre-
the "Treasures of Jewish Cultural Heritage
sents
our souls. We search our
From the Library of the Jewish Theological
homes
in order to remove the evil
Seminary" exhibit at the Detroit Institute of
inclination from dominance over
Arts.
us. We sell our chametz and lock it
away in our homes for the entire holi-
Even as we visualize and experience
day. We work hard to turn our
through memory the sacrifice that was
thoughts to matters of spirituality. We
offered, we can explain the matzah that
reflect on how to use the days of our
was hurriedly baked and the bitterness
life well. To find meaning in our life,
of the experience of slavery. Explaining
we try to achieve a spiritual Judaism
these symbols creates moments filled
that emphasizes the importance of
not only with the. use of the intellect
Jewish ritual behavior and of Jewish
.and of the fulfillment of the ritual, but
study.
with deeply spiritual moments as we
The spirituality of Passover is avail-
identify with our ancestors via these
able for all of us to taste. ❑
distinct symbols.

PRICE OF PEACE from page 28

against you and praise them for their
heroism?" the senator kept asking over
and over again.
Sometimes, it takes an outsider,
especially a person of stature, to
reaffirm what you know is right. We
at MATCKH always have believed
that there can be no lasting peace if
the next generations are continually
being brought up to kill and hate
Israelis and Jews. We also fear that

this child abuse can make victims of
us all.
Yesterday it was a bombing in Ben
Yehudah Street; tomorrow it could be,
God forbid, a bombing here in Detroit.
But it took the response of Senator
Mack, while still in Israel and then his
speech on the Senate floor, to reaffirm
the courage of our convictions.
As he concluded: "Now is the
time, Mr. President, for a return to

our principled stand. The only way
to truly attain peace is to support
freedom, democracy and justice,
and oppose the cycle of hatred. We
must face tyranny and oppression
where it exists, condemn it and
stand up for peace — real peace
based upon security, freedom and a
change of heart."
I couldn't have said it better
myself. ❑