It’s a very busy time of the year for traditional Jews. We are cleaning like crazy trying to rid our homes of any spec of hametz–aka “leavened bread” before Passover which begins, Monday night, March 24th. That means cheerios on the car floor, crumbs in the couch, backpacks, and the dreaded kitchen. We will sweep, vacuum, wash, and scrub to make our homes “hametz-free” for 8 days. All this may sound a bit obsessive, and it is, but all part of “turning over” the house to Passover. Call it Extreme Spring Cleaning.
At the same time, the rabbis caution that we shouldn’t focus completely on just the physical preparation: we have to prep ourselves. We need to get rid of the “spiritual hametz“–the parts of ourselves get in the way of growth. Think addictions. Bad habits. Negative thoughts that enslave us.
For me, personal hametz is an ongoing battle with perfectionism. This ailment makes me my own worst taskmaster. Since Passover is a time to celebrate freedom and redemption, letting go of perfectionism is a fitting goal. (Notice I didn’t say “perfect” goal?)
Recently I learned that Passover is considered another Jewish year. A good time for spring cleaning your life.
If you didn’t make New Year’s Resolutions on Dec. 31st, maybe the arrival of spring is a more meaningful time for you to make changes. A non-Jewish friend told me she makes her resolutions in the weeks before Easter since that is a time for rebirth. Another friend says he takes stock of his life every year on his birthday. What a great idea!
Do you have a special time of the year for renewal?
EVELYN KRIEGER 