18 Mar IN PURSUIT OF CHOMETZ – PART ONE

Once again, we are
beginning to engage in the
gigantic task of cleaning
our homes of chometz,
of leaven, searching in
earnest every nook and
cranny of our possessions
for those forbidden
crumbs! It behooves us to understand why,
during this season, we are pursuing so
feverishly that which the rest of the year is an
essential staple of our lives and the subject of
which we bless Hashem in Birchas Hamozon
by saying that he sustains his world with
goodness (referring to bread)!?
The Gemora in Masechtas Berachos [17a]
refers to the yeitzer hara, the evil inclination,
as the “yeast in the dough.” Just as yeast
causes the dough to ferment, so does the
yeitzer hara enflame our passions and tempts
us to “rise” and sin. The Radvaz [#976] writes
that he could not find a satisfactory reason for
the anomaly of why even a minuscule amount
of leaven is prohibited biblically on Pesach,
which is not the case by all other forbidden
foods. He concludes that it must be because of
its symbolic reminder of the yeitzer hara and,
therefore, it is understandable why one must
purge such inclinations, even in the smallest
of amounts!! The Alshich explains that this is
why the gematria of chometz is 138, the same
numerical value as the word p’gima, meaning
flawed. This is because chometz represents
the flaws in a person caused by his yeitzer
hara.
In the same vein, the Zohar [Shmos 41:1]
explains with this concept why we put out ten
pieces of bread before we do the bedika (the
formal search for chometz). The ten morsels
of leaven represent the ten organs of man that
can lead him to sin. These are the two hands,
the two feet, the two eyes, the two ears, the
male organ, and one’s mouth. (The Maharsha
says that the nose isn’t counted since it rarely
commits a sin.)
Thus, now we understand that when
searching through our homes and worldly
possessions for chometz, we are supposed to
also be searching through our lives for any
spiritual imperfections and purging them as
well. Therefore, when cleaning the kitchen
cupboards, we ask ourselves about our kashrus
standards and when cleaning the den we think
about how we use our free time. Similarly,
the Rema [433:11] states that one is required
to check their pockets for chometz, and the
Shlah HaKodesh explains that this symbolizes
the need to check that no dishonest money
adheres to our pockets!
So, it is eminently clear now that Pesach is a
time for introspection and teshuvah. Indeed,
the saintly Agudas Eizov, may Hashem
avenge his blood, quotes from the Seforim
Kedoshim that while the high holy days are
times of repentance out of fear, Pesach is time
to repent out of love.
Therefore, in the spirit of Passover spiritual
cleansing which we are commencing, here is
a list of fifty-two areas of life which perhaps
could use some ongoing scrubbing and
scouring. With these fifty-two commitments

to better ourselves, (we will learn twenty-six
this week and twenty-six next week), we will
be more ready to bring our Pesach observance,
the anniversary of the birth of the Jewish
people, into the whole year!
1) I will make Hashem my very first thought
every morning as I open my eyes with a
passionate Thank You, a heartfelt “Modeh ani
lefanecha,” and not with a sigh, “Oy, another
day!”
2) I will wash my hands generously, not
gingerly, removing the tumah, rededicating
myself to the service of Hashem and to ready
myself for prayer. So too, I will not just “touch
the tap” when coming out of the bathroom or
before my prayers, but will always wash my
hands correctly. (The Chazon Ish said that
correct morning netilas yadayim can ward off
depression!)
3) I will make it a habit to greet my loved
ones with a smile in the morning, to start off
their days with the assurance that they are
loved and cared for! (This is a hard one but,
oh, so rewarding.)
4) I will adopt a mantra, “Do not scream
in the home, do not scream in the home, do
not scream in the home.” (This one’s even
harder!)
5) I will say the birchas ha’Torah with special
fervor and introduce this habit to my children,
showing them how to say, “V’ha’arev na es
divrei Torasecha – Please sweeten Your Torah
in our mouths,” with a heartfelt plea that we
should learn to enjoy our Torah studies. I
heard from one of our Gedolim that this is a
great segula to acquire a zest for learning!
6) I will always try to attend minyan,
recognizing that my prayers at home might be
disregarded, but at a minyan they never are!
7) I will remember that davening is called the
“Service of the Heart,” and if I pray without
kavanah, merely saying words, I’m really
missing out on most of the effectiveness of
tefilah! As the Chovos Halevovos states, “A
prayer without thought is like a peel without
the fruit and a body without a soul!”
8) With this in mind, I will finally make it
my business to learn the meaning of the more
difficult parts of prayer, such as the daily yom,
recognizing how ridiculous it is that I should
be saying it so many years without meaning.
I will realize happily that when I study it once
deeply, I’ll understand it for the rest of my life!
9) I will exert special effort to say the Shema
meaningfully, knowing that on Shabbos I
declare that all Jews say Shema, “Pamaiyim
b’ahava – Twice with love,” and anything said
with love has to be said with feeling! I will
also remember that Gehinom is cooled off
for one who forces himself to slow down and
meticulously say the Shema.
10) I will try to prepare myself whenever
possible for the Shemone Esrei, making a quick
list of what I want to have in mind when I say
Refa’einu (thinking of those who are sick or
depressed), Boreich aleinu (compassionately
remembering those who are unemployed),
Slach lanu (regretting my latest indiscretions),
Shema koleinu (pleading that Hashem accepts
my prayers), Sim shalom (having in mind
those who are having problems with shalom

bayis), etc. I will do this recognizing that such
preparation is the best aid against the danger
of my prayers becoming a mere habit or, chas
v’shalom, a burden.
11) I will make it a point to always pray for
others, realizing that this is the best way to
have my prayers fulfilled, and will put special
emphasis on praying for the success of my
spouse and my parents.
12) I will put on my tzitzis with the awareness
that it represents the 613 mitzvos, because the
gematria of the word tzitzis is 600, plus the
8 threads and 5 knots, equal 613. And I will
have in mind that although I can’t physically
fulfill all the mitzvos (since we don’t have the
Beis HaMikdash), I would really want to if I
could.
13) I will put on tefillin with the excitement,
fueled by the knowledge that, “Hashem
aleihem yichyu,” one who puts Hashem upon
himself will live. I will try to bear in mind
while wearing them that I’m “tied” to the
Torah way-of-life and will remember how
Hashem took us out of slavery from Egypt in
order that we be bound to Him.
14) I will make certain to learn something no
matter what, at least once in the daytime and
once at night!! Just like I find time for my
bodily needs, I will find time for the needs of
my soul, remembering that “Tchilas dino shel
adam eino ela b’divrei Torah,” a person is first
judged in the next world concerning his Torah
study. I will also realize that it is incumbent
upon me to learn Torah whenever I have idle
time. I will think of the fact that if I throw all
the mitzvos on one side of the scale and put
a sefer on the other side, the sefer will weigh
as much as all the other mitzvos combined.
Such is the greatness of the mitzvah of Torah
study!!
15) I will try to start learning Mishna Yomis,
two Mishnas a day. As it says in the Medrash
Talpios, Asher stands by the door of Gehinom
and doesn’t let anyone in who habitually
learns Mishnayos. We are taught that he who
learns two mishnayos everyday will merit the
Afterlife!
16) I will also try to learn some sort of halacha
every day, e.g., Kitzur Shulchan Oruch,
Mishna Berurah, Rambam, Hilchos Chafetz
Chaim, etc., knowing that it says in Masechtas
Berachos that Hashem loves the learning of
halacha more than any other gateway of study!
17) Knowing how scarce my time is for Torah
study, I will utilize wisely my drive-time, not
frittering it away listening to the weather ‘on
the eights’ over and over again, or to some
talk show host sharing his ‘wisdom,’ or worse,
exposing us to putting-down other people or
embarrassing them publicly which is one of
the most heinous crimes imaginable according
to the Torah, punishable with the loss of one’s
Afterlife if done habitually. I will instead
fortify myself with a healthy dosage of Rabbi
Miller, Rabbi Reisman, Rabbi Wein, Rabbi
Frand, Rabbi Weiss, etc, turning my car into
a veritable Beis HaMedrash, joyfully fulfilling
the directive of uv’lechtecha vaderech,
learning Torah while traveling.
18) I will try to review the weekly Torah
portion twice with the Targum or Rashi each

week, knowing that the Gemora promises
that one who does so will live long. The
Chofetz Chaim writes that this also aids in
the development of emuna! I will put special
emphasis on the Chumashim that I tend to
neglect!
19) Since Dovid HaMelech instituted the
saying of 100 brochos everyday to stop Jewish
casualties, (this is currently so important), I
will realize its efficacy and attempt to always
do so as well.
20) I will say my brochos on food haltingly,
with an empty mouth, holding the item in my
right hand and putting special emphasis on the
saying of Hashem’s Holy Name. I will not
swallow the end of the brocha together with
my food!
21) I will develop an intense hatred for any
kind of machlokes, fighting, remembering the
fact that even infants die because of the sin of
machlokes (see Rashi in Parshas Korach) and
that fighting chases away the Shechinah.
22) I will actively be on-guard not to speak
loshon hora, training myself not to talk about
people. I will choose only friends who are
willing to adhere to such a practice. I will
passionately pray to succeed at this everyday
when I say, “Elokai, notzor leshoni meira!”
23) At the same time, I will purge the bad
habit of slightly changing (or enhancing) a
story by committing myself to being totally
truthful, for it is the symbol of Yaakov, (titein
emes l’Yaakov) our namesake, and it is the
seal of Hashem!
24) I will develop the habit of thinking about
Hashem when looking at a mezuzah and
will stop to take note of the mezuzah each
time I pass by, to ponder its message for this
promises to bring life to me and my children
and to bring protection to my home!
25) I will get in the habit of saying Tehillim
at available moments, harnessing the power
of these age-old words said by our ancestors
during every imaginable horror, to pray for
the sick, the childless, the unmarried, and the
impoverished.
26) I will find time to visit the sick for the
Gemora in Masechtas Nedarim teaches us
that it saves us from Gehinom, protects us
from suffering and from the wiles of the
yeitzer hara, promises us good friends, and
will elevate us to the status that people will be
honored just to be associated with us!
Whew, there’s so much to do and, of course,
this is only a sample. Next week, we’ll have
twenty-six more. Hatzlocha rabbah!