B"H
Thursday, 28 Adar 2, 5776 / April 7, 2016 – HAKHEL YEAR
Friday night, April 22th, will begin the holiday of Peach (Passover). Jews all over the world will celebrate the “Season of our Freedom,” as the holiday is called in the Pesach prayers.
After living in Egypt for 210 years, many of which were spent in the most brutal, physical and spiritual enslavement, the Jewish people were finally liberated by G-d, on the 15th day of the month of Nissan, to become a free nation.
Although we celebrate this event on Passover, it is a mitzvah to recount the Exodus twice each day, once in the morning and once at night. This is accomplished through reciting the “Shma” (“Hear O Israel’), each morning and night, when we recite, ”...I am the L-rd, your G-d, who took you out from the land of Egyptto be a G-d unto you." Thus, we remember the Exodus twice daily.
The matzah we eat at the Seder celebrates the miracle of The Exodus when we left Egypt in great haste and as a result the dough of our forefathers didn’t have enough time to rise and was baked flat. Thus, we eat matzah at the Seder and during the rest of Pesach.
Our sages explain that there is also a deeper meaning to eating matzah on Pesach. It is not only a remembrance of what took place many years ago, it’s also a lesson which is valid to this day.
Our sages tell us that matzah, which is flat, represents humbleness. Bread (chametz), which is prohibited on Pesach, is made from dough that rises and represents haughtiness. The lesson of the matzah on Pesach is, that, although we have been chosen by G-d as His people and attained our freedom, we must remember to be humble.
A Talmudic sage was once walking with Eliyahu Hanavi (Elijah the Prophet). On the way, they passed by a dead horse. The smell was unbearable so the sage held his nose with his fingers. However, the smell didn't bother Eliyahu Hanavi.
Then they walked by a wealthy man dressed very elegantly. He was wearing a wonderful perfume. The rich man held his head high and walked as if the whole world belonged to him. As the man passed, Eliyahu Hanavi held his nose.
“When we passed the dead horse you didn't hold your nose. Yet, when this man walked by us you held your nose! Tell me, why?" asked the sage.
Eliyahu Hanavi answered him, "The spiritual smell of this haughty person is much worse than the physical smell of the dead horse."
When the Jewish people were enslaved in Egypt, they naturally felt very humble. Now that they were reaching their spiritual and physical freedom, G-d told them to eat matzah, as a reminder to be humble.
HAVE A VERY GOOD, HAPPY, HEALTHY AND SUCCESSFUL DAY