Pesach (פסח), also known as Passover, is one of my favorite Jewish holidays is because it celebrates the universal theme of transitioning from slavery to freedom. This redemption story has been the source of inspiration for many. I am not talking about Charlton Heston on the Big Screen. For example, Harriet Tubman was referred to as the "Moses of her people." As powerful as the Passover motif of freedom is, I also enjoy Pesach because there are a number of rituals involved that have a lot of symbolism. Even before the holiday begins, we see the symbolism emerge.
One of the main prohibitions on Passover is the consumption of chametz (חמץ). You are probably wondering what chametz is. It is the leavened product made out of one of five grains: wheat, oats, barley, rye, and spelt. Matzah (מצה), which is unleavened flat bread, is allowed. As a matter of fact, Jews are obligated to eat matzah on the first day. As an extension of this prohibition of chametz, Jews are not even allowed to legally own chametz. That is why Jews traditionally clean their houses to make sure there is not even a single crumb of chametz within their possession. There is also the practice of selling the chametz before Passover begins. On the evening before Passover, there is a formal search for chametz that is called bedikat chametz (בדיקת חמץ), a process that includes a statement of nullification. You can tell that Jewish tradition is serious and stringent about not owning a single crumb because all of these practices are not enough. On the morning before Passover, there is one last ritual: biur chametz (ביעור חמץ). Through the practice of biur chametz, a Jew is to destroy the last bit of chametz that they own, most traditionally by burning it. The ritual includes reciting the following a statement of nullification in Aramaic:
כל חמירא וחמיעא דאכא ברשותי, דחזתה ודלא חזתה, דחמתה ודלא חמתה, דהערתה ודלא בערתה, לבטל ולהוי הפקר כעפרא דארעא.
All chametz, whether I have seen it or not, whether I have destroyed (removed) it or not, is hereby nullified and ownerless as the dust of the Earth.
My first question is that if you recite this at the end, why do we need to do everything else? If the above is a statement of nullification, why spend hours of cleaning and searching for chametz? If we view the cleaning and searching of chametz in strictly literal terms, it makes more sense to simply nullify the chametz at the end. However, the pre-Passover rituals are as much about the spiritual lessons as the physical act of removing chametz, if not more so.
As I explained a decade ago, the difference between chametz and matzah is subtle, yet important. Chemically speaking, the chametz has undergone the fermentation process. The chametz is to represent the ego, the fluff in our lives, our inflated view of the self and other distorted views. The matzah has no fluff or fanfare. It is to represent ourselves exactly as we are: nothing better or nothing worse. This state of being is meant to be a balance between arrogance and self-debasement, an equilibrium that I have argued is the most Jewish definition of humility. Rather than be aggrandizing or demeaning, a Jewish sense of humility is meant to be one of self-awareness.
Bring that back to why we clean on Passover. Coming back to the figurative view on these rituals, Passover cleaning is not simply about removing crumbs and prohibited food from the home. It is about decluttering our minds, hearts, and souls. We clean before reaching biur chametz because we are meant to put in the work on our own personal development and to become the best version of ourselves.
What is equally interesting is that in spite of all the preparation, all the cleaning, searching, and selling, Jews still burn chametz and make a declaration of nullification. The declaration during biur chametz states that regardless of whether I found it or not, whether I destroyed it or removed it or not, it is no longer mine. If we go further with the metaphor, it means that we can prepare until we can prepare no more. In spite of our best efforts, something can go awry. Taking this extra step is to remind us that not everything is in our control.
When one completes biur chametz as a last step of Passover preparation, what is being said is "I have put my best food forward. I have done all I could. What happens next is what happens. G-d does not expect us to be perfect. If He did, we would have been angels. The reality is that we are not angels. To be human is to err." What the practice of biur chametz reminds us that we can only do our best. If we could clean our houses perfectly (either physically for Passover or metaphorically in life), we would not need such a practice as biur chametz. Yes, we can work on improving ourselves (as the Passover cleaning symbolizes), but doing anything beyond our darnedest is not possible. We are not meant to be angels, but the best versions of our human selves. There is a point where we have to say that we are good enough and that what we have done up to now is good enough. Could G-d ask for anything more?
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