Countdown to Pesach 15-Rhizhiner

The 27th of Adar is the Yahrtzeit of Rav Moshe Meir Rosenstein of Berditchev (1821-1902). A chassid of the Rizhuner Rebbe: On Pesach eve, the Rhiziner explained the rules of the search for Chametz in the following manner: This evening we search after Chametz, but we do not burn it before tomorrow. The search and the burning are allegories of the things to come.

Exile is the night during which we suffer the Chametz, the meaner qualities of our people, to remain in the house. But when the morning of our Redemption comes, they are cast into the fire of our return, and altogether consumed. Then the words of Isaiah will become truth, “Death will disappear forever and the tears of man will be wiped away (25:8).” [Niflaot Yisrael, page 58]

This period of preparation for Pesach demands that we first acknowledge and experience our internal Chametz, our weaker midot – personal attributes, before we burn them with the physical Chametz on Erev Pesach.

Pay attention to speech, thoughts and actions that are destructive, and make a list, mental or physical, of them, attempting to be more successful at catching them as, and then before, they play out. Burn that list with your Chametz.

iPray-iAttach-Amidah-Redemption: “Behold, please, in our affliction, take up our grievance, and redeem us.”

“Behold, please, in our affliction,” our internal affliction, or, Chametz, and,

“take up our grievance,” just as we collect our Chametz and wait before, You

“redeem us,” by burning the Chametz.

Haggadah: Yachatz-Breaking the Middle Matzah: The mirror image of what we do with the negative-Chametz, we take the taste of freedom-Matzah, and hold onto it, live with it, until the conclusion of the meal, when we can fully experience the Redemption.