More than any other Jewish holy day, Pesach is deeply
intertwined with food. The obvious reason is that the principle mitzvot of
Pesach have to do with food. We are prohibited from eating chametz (leaven),
and obligated to eat Matzah. These two symbolic gestures, when done with the
proper intention, bring us into contact with the story of our ancient ancestors
and the formative moment of the Jewish people, our exodus from Egyptian slavery
and covenant with God.
I must admit, I don’t really love cleaning the house of
chametz. And, if the truth be told I’m not a big fan of matzah. But there are
many Passover foods that I look forward to every year.
First, there is the green vegetable. I love veggies, and
early spring veggies are both delicious and symbolic. As we celebrate
liberation and its season, spring, I always try to have a luxurious selection
of karpas at my seders. Not just a little parsley sprig, but scallions,
romaine, parsley, celery, endive, and colorful radishes.
Then there is the maror. Yum! I am part of a
multi-generational group of men who each year gather just before pesach to make
fresh, homemade horseradish. We grind up more than 20 lbs of fresh root and
through our teary eyes, we sing Carlebach melodies, dance around the food
processor, and imagine the beauty of the seder and the poignancy of its
rituals.
And of course, let’s not forget charoset. The sweet and
sticky symbol of the labor imposed on the Israelites. There are literally
hundreds of delicious recipes. I personally like apples, though many customs
use apricots, prunes and dates. I also like a little fresh ginger to add spice
and heat to the sweet mortar.
Finally, the wine. While one should certainly be careful not
to drink too much, Passover invites us to indulge a little bit and drink
joyfully from four full cups of wine. Reminiscent of blood, the wine both gets
us tipsy and makes us sober to the realities of our liberation story, and the
blood which was spilled in the course of setting the Israelites free – the
Passover lamb, the plagues, the first born Egyptians, and all who stayed
behind. We diminish the second cup of wine as we recite each plague so that we
never forget that our freedom came with an un-payable debt.
Wow. I’m full. It must be time for my personal family
favorite – Passover chocolate fudgies, my mother’s recipe for kosher for Pesach
brownies. Each family hastheir own food traditions, and I always remember my
parents and grandparents and the wonderful seders we had when I was young, and
the incredible and love filled food my mother prepared for the festival meal.
Carrot tzimmes? Matzah ball soup? Potato Kugel? These are
some of my favorites. What are some of yours?
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