Passover is now the most-celebrated Jewish holiday. Almost every Jew does something to acknowledge Passover. In the 1950's the most radical secular/Socialist kibbutzim made a point of celebrating Passover by Counting the Omer and by eating spaghetti. Conscious denial is recognition.
So what grabs us so powerfully about Passover? I mean, why not have the same level of involvement with Sukkot? Every family could build a sukkah where they could have special family meals and celebrations. They could even decorate their sukkah with colored lights and colored crystal balls.....It doesn't happen.
Is it the Passover themes that make it so special? We were slaves, now we are free; the hope for Redemption, the perfect world? Could be, but I doubt it.
Could it be the foods associated with the festival? Matzah ball soup, charoset, matzah brei.....that's certainly part of it.
I think the power of Passover is its ability to call up our own childhood memories. It's the one time during the Jewish year when everyone remembers SOME family ritual or custom. We remember being the youngest and singing the Four Questions. We remember finding the Afikoman. We remember how some uncle or aunt fell asleep at the table one year. We remember the mess when someone spilled the wine. We remember drinking too much wine and how the room spun. We remember the annual argument over how much of the Seder should be done, especially after the meal. We remember the songs, one of the few times when our family actually SANG together at home. We emember polishing the candlesticks. We remember someone's special food. We remember the unique cooking smells that permeated the house. We remember the laughter, the arguments, the same stories told every year. We remember customs only our family created. We continue the Passover ritual because We Remember Our Experiences. It's a wonderful gift our grandparents and parents gave to us. And we lovingly (or reluctantly) pass it on to our children. But we do pass it on.
We were slaves; now we are free. But the moment of Jewish freedom resulted in more rules, more regulations, more prohibitions than any other time in our tradition. To be free does not mean to be without boundaries. Freedom permits us to joyfully place upon ourselves the discipline of our tradition. WE do this, either consciously or unconsciously, more or less, on Passover. May that discipline connect us to a whole year of potentially-wonderful family experiences and memories. The responsibility to create year-round Jewish memories for our children is ours. May we use our freedom to make our family rituals rich and full for our children. May we all get out of Egypt.
