Even If We Were All Learned In The Torah

Today,  we have a guest contributor. I rarely share the byline, but my guest has a lot to say about Passover. Young Sir, who happens to have recently turned 5, was great at answering questions during the seder, so we're gonna talk about the seders and what they mean. 

Me: How many seders did you go to this year?

YS: I went to one seder at Tom and Laurie's. I saw my cousins T and O. It was fun. We telled stories and sang songs. We finded the afikomen and we got money for giving it to Tom. 

Me: Did you go to another seder?

YS: I went to another seder at Savta's [that's me!] house. It was my favorite seder.

YS: Well, it was fun. It was relaxing. There were lots of kids there. I was the only boy. [the other 6 were girls.] 

Me: Did you get to answer questions at this seder? Which ones?

YS: I answered why this was different from all other nights. I talked about Egypt and other stuff. I telled them the salt water reminded us of the tears of the slaves in Egypt. I telled them about maror [bitter herbs] that reminds us of the bitterness of the slaves in Egypt. Then I ate a hard boiled egg, matzah, and gefilte fish with cucumber. I didn't want soup, so that was all I ate. I had chocolate-chocolate cake for dessert.  The food was good. 

Me: What else did you do?

YS: We opened the door for Eliahu ha'navi [Elijah the Prophet] and then we went outside to play in the dark.

Me: Was this a good seder?

YS: Yes. We had fun.

I will tell you, however, that 15 people with 7 of them kids, was total wonderful, delightful bedlam, much like the seders of my childhood. I was floored at the amount of knowledge amongst the little guys, and when Little Miss read aloud from the Haggadah, her reading was fluent, flawless, and expressive...a pretty nifty thing for an 8-year old. 

The first seder was the first cousins' seder since the lockdown. There was lots to catch up on. Since I grew up with great cousin seders, this was particularly awesome for me, because the last three years were one giant anomaly. Lots of hugs, lots of laughs, and a great afikomen hunt. I found myself a touch emotional at times, missing Ziggy who loved telling the story of the departure from Egypt, and wishing he could see his grandkids with their plague masks on.

My cousin Laurie found a picture of a seder long ago....my parents, her dad, and her in-laws at her parents' seder table. Her mom, the fabulous Pesh, had to have been in the kitchen...as usual. But seeing the three sets of parents together made me wistful, wishing that they could see their great-grandchildren doing what their grandkids had once done: run amok. Would that they could've been there to see the tradition continue into one more generation. 

During our interview, Young Sir made it very clear he had fun at both seders. He and his big sister were with their cousins the first night and close family friends the second... meant there was lots to yammer on about. I know Little Miss will remember the second seder because of all the noise and laughter; I hope Young Sir remembers, too. And I want them to tell their kids that seders were fun, that they exist because of what The Holy One did for all of us when we went out of Egypt.

This is something we do right: we tell the story at the table, stressing that WE were slaves in Egypt and that freedom from slavery is a communal event. We use rituals like salt water, bitter herbs, and matzah to transmit the importance of the story that is about US, not those people long ago. There is an intrinsic importance in gathering together with family, friends, strangers without a place to go on Pesach, or those who want to learn our holiday. 

The props

The seder isn't just a meal...the word means order and there is a specific way to tell the story, complete with visual aids: a special Seder plate with sections, the Haggadah, a matzah cover...this one embroidered by the same Grandma Sarah that edged all those hankies and a special cup for Elijah himself. These are all visual aids that enhance consistency to the retelling. 

You retell the story. You use the props. You add a bit, adjust for kids' ages, for adults' depth of understanding, but you stick to the outline. You hit all the points high points...and then some.  As it is written in the Haggadah:

Now, even if all of us were scholars, even if all of us were sages, even if all of us were elders, even if all of us were learned in the Torah, it would still be our duty to tell the story of the Exodus from Mitzrayim [Egypt.] Moreover, whoever elaborates upon the story of the Exodus deserves praise.

The Wifely Person's Tip o'the Week

New to making Pesach?

Save a couple of empty gefilte fish jars.

Trust me on that....they're handy for un-making Pesach.