Every year before Passover, Jews across the world scour their homes searching for chametz- anything leavened- and give it away or otherwise get rid of it. We are commanded to eat unleavened bread (matzoh) during these seven days.
At the Women’s Seder, held during Passover at Temple Beth-El, we have a ritual to rid ourselves of the metaphorical leavening inside our hearts. Have we been judgmental of others? Have we gossiped? Have we been too hard on the ones we love? On ourselves? Have we given too little? Or have we given so much to others we’ve neglected our own families? We take time to consider our chametz and write it down on a sheet of paper, which we then rip into tiny pieces and toss into the air. Symbolically, we get rid of our chametz with the hope that we’ll do better in the days and months to come.
There is something refreshing about this ritual- for me, even more so than the cleaning of my home. Spending time with other women, praying, singing and breaking matzoh together makes the evening a special one all the way around. When we leave one another at the end of the Seder, we also leave our chametz behind. Our hearts feel lighter, our burdens are lessened for awhile, and we go home uplifted.
2 comments:
My hametz is the running negative commentary I have going constantly about my weight. Maybe if I'd just let it go, I might actually be able to lose weight!
BTW, if you want to register for the Women's Seder, go to http://archive.constantcontact.com/fs038/1100973464956/archive/1103197757256.html .
We've got something good going on here with the Women's Seder, and I just want everyone to experience how special it really is!
Yes, let it go! Thanks for posting the info. for the Seder. I meant to do that within the post, but I was up after midnight writing, and my brain wasn't fully awake! :)
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