02 Apr GETTING READY FOR PESACH

Pesach preparations

are complex and multi-
faceted. Way before

Pesach, many people
personally go to the
matzah bakery and
physically assist in the
baking of the matzos,
fulfilling the Talmudic dictum, “Mitzvah bo
yotzeir m’b’shlucho – It is a greater mitzvah
to do it yourself than to do it through an
agent.” Then, there are those who go the extra
mile and bake mitzvah matzos after chatzos,
midday, on erev Pesach itself. Of course, there
is the seasonal cleansing of the entire house,
the office, one’s cars, lockers and everywhere
else. These are not only time-consuming;
they are also a barometer of our sincerity
and dedication to fulfill Hashem’s will. Then,
there is the specific Pesach shopping, both
for the Pesach hardware and the Pesachdige
food, but also for the clothing and accessories
in honor of the festival that celebrates the
birth of the Jewish People.
But, there is another vital part of preparing
for Pesach that is sometimes overlooked
in the midst of the hectic hustle and bustle
of this frenetic season. This is the crucial
mitzvah of passing the essential traditions of
Yiddishkeit to our children at the Seder table.
On this Night of Heritage, when we have the
opportunity to etch the fundamentals of our

faith into our children and grandchildren’s
memory banks, it behooves us to spend time
in preparation for this monumental task. One
should spend at least as much time preparing
a curriculum to pass over to his descendants
as he spends time looking for a suit, shirt,
shoes and tie.
Although we might be tempted to kick back
our heels, recline, and listen to our children’s
many p’shotim that they garnished in Yeshiva
or from their own hard work, we must know
that the directive of v’higadeta l’vincha, to
teach your child, is a Biblical mandate for a
father to forge another link in the chain of the
Jewish People, and thereby connecting his
children with that royal and lofty chain which
goes all the way back to Hashem taking us
our of Mitzrayim.
When preparing our presentation for the
Seder, we must know our children. If sibling
rivalry is a problem, we should discuss the
fact that it was the hatred of the brothers to
Yosef that led to us selling him as a slave. This
in turn generated the punishment wherein we
should be sold down to slavery in Egypt.
Thus, the Seder table can become a spirited
springboard for discussing how important it
is that brothers and sisters not fight among
themselves.
If we find that our children are being
seduced by the styles and fashions of the
secular world, we should put emphasis

on what the Haggadah says, “She’Bnei
Yisroel hayu mitzuyanim sham,” that Klal
Yisroel remained distinct when in Egypt.
Even in the throes of the degradation and
indignities of slavery, they maintained their
sense of modesty and distinctive Jewish garb
throughout.
The fact that Ukraine is at war is definitely
on everyone’s mind. So, while we eat the
bitter herbs and stimulate a remembrance of
the suffering of our ancestors thousands of
years ago, we should point out to our children
how it is even more important to think about
the suffering and the terror of our brethren in
the Ukraine and in Russia during these times
of danger.
Rav Shach, Zt”l, Zy”a, would never eat
breakfast from 8:00 to 8:30 in the morning. He
exclaimed that when hundreds of thousands
of secular Jewish children start their school
day without saying Krias Shema, how could
he eat? Lessons such as these are examples
of the legacy we want to carve and engrave
in the memory banks of our beloved children.
When the Seder conductor announces
“Boreich,” it is time to bentch, we can point
out to our families that on the anniversary
of the birth of the Jewish People, we should
realize that we were chosen specifically for
our dedication to show appreciation and
thanks to Hashem for all the gifts of life.
The posuk says, “Am zu yetzarti li, tehilasi

yisapeiru – This nation I have created to
relate My praises.” Thus, in a very real way,
one of the main reasons we eat is to be able
to fulfill our Jewish destiny with the privilege
of bentching. Indeed, when Rav Shach
was asked what he attributed his amazing
longevity to, he answered that he always
bentched from a bentcher. It is practical
lessons like these that leave a lasting and vital
impression on our children.
May Hashem bless us with the wisdom to
impart to our children the essential teachings
of our Holy Torah and in that merit may we
be blessed with good health, happiness and
everything wonderful.