Thoughts on Pesach Preparations

 

It is impossible to get ready for Pesach this year without contemplating last year’s preparations.

This year I can do my own food shopping instead of making phone orders and waiting for deliveries.

This year retail is open, and I can buy presents, new clothing, and books.

This year my grandchildren can come into my house and help me clean, cook, and set the table.

This year I can take a break and go to a restaurant, if I so desire.

This year there isn’t a one-hundred meter restriction and I can plan holiday outings for the week of Pesach.

This year I can have guests at my Seder table.

This year no one needs to be alone.

Last year there were many heartwarming stories of how we looked out for each other.

The grandson who self-quarantined for two weeks so he could be with his elderly grandmother for the entire week.

The two high-risk divorcees living next door to each other who held their own, private Seders in their front yards, far enough apart for social distancing, close enough to hear what each other had to say.

The groups of neighbors who gathered in front of their homes to sing Hallel together and yet apart.

However, there were many, many heartbreaking stories as well.

In our daily prayers we constantly recall how The Almighty freed us from slavery in Egypt with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm. Our memories culminate on Seder night and we know that we must never forget both the suffering and the salvation we experienced as a people.

Now, a year after the beginning of the Corona Plague, as the vaccine is available and the numbers are going down, we must not forget what it was like last year.

We must not take any of the good we’ve been given for granted.

We must be grateful to all who helped us survive this past year.

We must never overlook those who are in need or alone.

We must understand that we’re not in charge, rather there is a Supreme Being who runs the world.

Most important, we must come out of this year better people, ready to make a better world.

A happy, healthy holiday to all!

 

My novel, Growing With My Cousin, a good holiday read, is available at Jewish bookstores and on line at https://mosaicapress.com/product/growing-with-my-cousin-a-tale-of-love-life-and-land/ or http://www.feldheim.com/growing-with-my-cousin.html or https://www.amazon.com/Growing-Cousin-Ester-Katz-Silvers/dp/194635113X/ or from my home.