Passover

The Spiritual Side of Passover Cleaning

1. In the Book Kav Hayashar in the name of the Yesod Yosef it says: “I have received a tradition that any effort a person does in honor of the holiday of Passover that makes him tired from his efforts, kills all the spirits that cause harm which are called ‘sons of man’.” From here we see that through toiling and preparing for Passover a person removes all evil from himself.
 
2.  A person should be very careful in his holy work of cleaning the house from leavening to make sure he does it happily and not G-d forbid from anger and sadness. You should be glad with the great Merit that you have to make G-d happy.

3.  In a responsa book called Min Hashamayim it says: “They were very stringent about leavening on Passover and anybody who's careful will merit to have long life.

4. Rabbi Levi Yitzchak of Berditchev says: “Through preparing for Passover, people could reach the spirit of holiness (clairvoyance), but anger prevents us from reaching that lofty level.”

5. It is also said in his name that: “All the cleaning efforts for Passover are comparable to blowing the shofar. The angels created from cleaning go up to heaven and speak on behalf of Israel.”
 
6. The verse says:  “You should do this work in this month,” hinting to us that cleaning the house from leavening is akin to the work of the high priest on Yom Kippur about whom it also says: “With this Aaron should come to the holy”. So we see from this that cleaning the house in this month is similar to the work of the high priest on Yom Kippur.
 
7. Rabbi Biderman says:  “This is our work on these days to let it take root deeply within us this whole idea. Sometimes a person can clean his whole house, every little crevice and crack from leavening and to make the Seder night with enthusiasm but he still didn't leave his own private Egypt. It's dangerous for him and his children to remain subservient to Pharaoh in Egypt because then he's still dealing G-d forbid with the trivial and not the main thing.
 
8. The Rabbi of Peshischa says: “With many other commandments we are not so stringent but when it comes to Passover we are very stringent. Every act of stringency is like an adornment for a bride.” From this we can understand that any stringency we have for Passover we should do happily and calmly and not with sadness or anger God forbid.
 
9. Rabbi Zvi Elimelech of Dinov writes that: “According to the rabbis you can be stringent not to give Passover sacrifice to somebody that is considered as if he is an idol worshiper. For example someone who is angry it's as if you worshipped idols.Today, we do not have the sacrifice for Passover but still we must stay away from anger as best as we can because soon the temple will be rebuilt and who wants to be considered an idol worshiper and not be counted on the Passover sacrifice. Even today perhaps he should not eat the afikomen for it reminds us of the Passover sacrifice and if he's angry he shouldn’t eat it.
 
10. A special story from the Admor of Tolna tells us how important it is to be careful to treat your friends and family nicely even with all the stringencies of Passover. Rabbi Biderman says one year the admor made his Seder and a small child came in with a bottle of beer which is total Chametz, leavening. Everyone was shocked how could it be that total chametz was found in the house on Passover night?

But when the Admor saw the bottle of beer he gently told the child to put it on the floor. He then took a bowl and covered the beer and put a white tablecloth over it in honor of the holiday. Afterwards he calmly told the child with kind words: “Thank you that you help me to fulfill what our sages said: “that if you find leavening in your house you should cover it over.”

The Admor then turned to his household and asked: “Was this law given to the Gentiles? It was most definitely given to the Jews and thank God I was able to listen to the Sages!”

Rabbi Biderman concludes: “How much we have to learn from this Admor that didn't lose his cool to start accusing and getting angry about the great mistake that happened in his house. Then he thanked the little child for helping him do the law of covering over the leavening with a pot!”

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