In the Haggadah Rabbi Gamliel says that there are three key words, critical to the Passover experience, that must be said on the Seder Night. They are: Pesach, Matzah and Maror. Pesach is the Paschal Lamb, which even though we don’t have it anymore without the Temple, we must remember it as part of the Passover ritual and experience. Matzah is the big Mitzvah of the night, the bread of faith and bread of affliction. And Maror which is the bitter herb and the slavery and suffering it symbolizes.
Beyond the literal meaning, these three key Passover words and terms have much figurative life-relevance meaning as well:
MAROR is the bitter herb, which represents the bitter aspects of life. Mike S. is an alumnus visiting this week from his job working with Jewish teens in a midwest Jewish city. He told me that the single most significant thing he’s learned on the job is that everyone has something going on in their life, perhaps hidden from view, but everyone is dealing with some issue or stress, even the outwardly cool and popular kids. This is so true, something we’ve learned from dealing with students here at UAlbany, but it is true everywhere. Judaism, especially Chassidic thought, doesn’t like to dwell on the negative and problematic, but we can’t ignore it either. The bitter herb is part of the Seder experience. In the proper context and focus we have ways to deal with the negatives, issues and problems in our lives.
MATZAH is known as the Bread of Faith. The Jews didn’t negotiate or argue (well, maybe later, but not) when they left Egypt. There was that golden opportunity of redemption and they grabbed it and ran, so fast that there was no time for the dough to rise. They did so without knowing where they were going, and or what lie ahead. It was a leap of faith, and an amazing sign of deep trust in G-d and Moses. Many of us prefer to have things figured out and planned, and know exactly what we’re getting into, but life doesn’t always work that way. We may have our plans, but life plays funny tricks. There’s even a verse to that affect that is said in our daily prayers. Sometimes, or often more than just sometimes, we need to have faith, we need to trust, we need to take that leap… but wait – leap takes us to the next word: Passover.
PESACH means Passover, because G-d passed over the Jewish homes when he smote the homes of the Egyptian firstborns in the final plague. Passover’s literal meaning is about G-d jumping, but in this figurative interpretive sense, it’s about us jumping. Getting off the comfortable and familiar terra-firma, rising higher, infusing spirituality and holiness into our physical everyday pedestrian lives. Jumping takes joy, energy, enthusiasm, and a confidence that isn’t deterred by those around us.