16 Apr A BLUEPRINT FOR A SUCCESSFUL LIFE

In families all over
the world and through
the millennia, the Seder
ritual has started off with
the chanting of Kadeish,
U’rchatz, Karpas…, and
so on – the fifteen steps
of the Haggadah. What
seems to be merely a
mundane ‘Table of Contents’ should take
upon itself a much more lofty aspect when
we realize the authorship of this chant. The
Machzor Vitri tells us that Kadeish U’rchatz
was written by none other than Rashi himself.
Others disagree and attribute it to Rav Shmuel
Fallasi who was one of the Baalei Tosefos, a
colleague of the great Rav Yechiel of Paris.
So, whichever way you look at it, this Seder
‘appetizer’ was written by a very great
individual indeed.
One wonders, however, why it is necessary
to say it in the beginning of the Seder. After
all, before each step of the Seder, the Seder
conductor announces aloud, “Kadeish,” and
explains to the family and guests the next
thing to happen, “U’rchatz,” explaining what
is then going to happen, and so on throughout
the night. Why do we have to enumerate
everything together at the beginning of the
evening and recite all fifteen?
Some simple say that it is to alert the children
early on, while they are yet awake, of the
varieties of events in store for them, in order to
pique their curiosity as an incentive for them

to stay alert throughout the entire evening.
Furthermore, fortified with these fifteen items
that are given ahead of time, they are able to
ask the Ma Nishtana even before the matza
and marror are served.
However, here is a more profound reason for
this rarified ‘Table of Contents.’ As we know,
the Seder is the night of higadata l’vincha,
to teach our children. It is the anniversary
of not only of the Exodus from Egypt; it
also celebrates Hashem’s choosing us as His
Special Nation. As such, on this night 3,336
years from the Exodus, we labor to impart
to our children the fundamental skills to
succeed at being a good Jew; to deserve the
title of being a member of the Chosen People.
Therefore, Rashi or Rav Shmuel chose to
focus on a very important lesson. Namely,
just as we have an itinerary for the Seder Shel
Pesach, one should have, as soon as possible in
life, a roadmap for life, so to speak, complete
with aims and ambitions.
Just like when we head out on a trip we have
our Waze programmed so that we know each
step of the way, or we get our AAA Tripkits,
so too, when we navigate the Seas of Life, we
should crystallize in our minds what steps we
want to take and which vital pursuits we want
to achieve in the mission of life.
Firstly of course, we should have in mind that
this entire world is but a hallway to get to the
Afterlife. We should have before us, every
single day of our lives, the ambition to invest
in Olam HaBa, the Hereafter. Moreover, for

a man, every twelve hours should contain at
least some Torah study. Women, too, should
know firmly that a big part of her life’s
success is dependent upon her husband’s and
children’s success at Torah study. Another
necessary component in a man’s successful
life is the goal of v’simach es ishto, to make
his wife happy and, for a woman, to be an eizer
k’negdo, a wonderful partner to her husband.
These ambitions should color everything that
we do in life.
Yet another stop on the way of life’s travels
is the mission of Olam Chesed Yiboneh,
this world is built for kindness and, as such,
we should demand from ourselves that we
constantly try to give charity and assistance to
those who are in need and less fortunate that
we are. This ambition should also include the
skill to bring a smile to those who are sad, and
comfort to those who are troubled.
Once we attempt to draw a roadmap for our
life, we will realize that another huge part of a
successful stay in this world is developing the
skills to daven properly. After all, as it says in
the very beginning of the Haftorah of Parshas
Vayikra, “Am zu yatzarti li t’hilasi yisapeiru
– This nation I created for Me to relate My
praises.” Once we start working on such a
blueprint, we can start filling in the blanks
with such pursuits as spending more time with
our children and grandchildren, looking after
our parents, honoring and cherishing them,
developing strong friendships, and overall,
trying to do as many mitzvahs as possible.

It is sad how many people cruise through life
aimlessly, by the seat of their pants so to speak,
drifting without spiritual goals and aspirations.
Perhaps, even sadder are those who have goals
that are pathetically insufficient for the life of
a Holy Jew. There are people who concentrate
on reaching par on the golf course, or live
to read as many of the classics as they can.
Others devote themselves to political activism,
and so on and on. We must know that in the
overall picture of a Jew’s life, one’s overriding
focus needs to be of a spiritual nature.
May it be the will of Hashem that we succeed
in our life’s journey and may Hashem bless us
all that it should be a long, happy, and very
wonderful one.