At this time of the year, I always wish I had the means to reach whomever set up the counterproductive tradition of combining the Passover chametz hunt with spring cleaning. That, and the founders of the waaaaaay overboard chumrot (unnecessarily tricky practices) like covering all the kitchen surfaces. Hello, aluminum foil, how nice to see you – NOT.
I’d file a collective lawsuit against them or something. Because when I toll the accumulated stress, chaos, frustration, exhaustion, and pangs of hunger of hundreds of thousands of Jewish children unable to get a proper meal in a disordered pre-Passover home, the mental damage is just unimaginable.
If my children grow up and decide to part ways with Jewish tradition, I’m laying the charge at Passover’s door. Yes, it’s that bad. I envy the rich people with holiday homes they can use just during this week.
But, on the up side, this year I managed to lower the level of insanity a tiny bit. I left ALL the bookcases and closets alone (other people in this house who are unhappy about it can roll up their sleeves and get busy – I never told them not to), and in the week before the holiday, I peeled off my scrubbing gloves and went with the kids on a hike through the woods.
Such lovely weather. So many different kinds of vegetation, especially lush after a generously rainy winter. This most beautiful time of the year, totally wasted on cleaning.
And here is just a random pic of the backyard flock roaming while I was cleaning out their coop. The rooster just showed up out of the blue over a week ago. Isn’t he a handsome boy?
Domestic Felicity 
Love the pictures, Anna! Beautiful country! Have a blessed springtime enjoying walks with your kiddos!
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Thank you so much, Debbie! Hope you’re enjoying spring in your part of the world too!
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On Sun, 17 Apr 2022 at 1:24 pm, Domestic Felicity wrote:
> Anna posted: ” Pure loveliness At this time of the year, I always wish I > had the means to reach whomever set up the counterproductive tradition of > combining the Passover chametz hunt with spring cleaning. That, and the > founders of the waaaaaay overboard chumrot (un” >
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I have to admit to being increasingly half-hearted about dotting all the religious Is and crossing all the religious Ts. Not that I’ve lost my faith, but I just don’t think the details are as important any more. Anyway, happy holiday!
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Always good to know I’m not alone ♥
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Hi Anna,
You (and maybe your kids) might want to look into Sephardic preparation for Passover. It’s much less work (no aluminum foil-covered counters and no chumrot, which I always understood, not so much as “tricky practices” but as “a lot of extra stuff to do for what turns out to be no reason”)!
I think one iconic message I can give you is the name of the soft matza that was available this year (which Ashkenazim used to eat, too, until the last few hundred years): Matzot Avotenu. Unleavened bread of our forefathers. If you try them and like them, then maybe you might want to learn how to make them yourself (and save a lot of money in the process). Rabbi David Bar-Hayim has videos online about it, starting with this one: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A3lkauu3f-k
I’m not promising that Passover will become your favorite holiday. But you might come to like it better than you do now.
And may geulah shlemah (complete redemption) come swiftly in our days.
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Thank you so much for the input, Hava. I honestly have PTSD from this. There has to be another way.
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I’m obviously not Jewish, but I’ve often wondered if G-d really cares about all of this. Some churches have strict rules about what you can and can’t do – no meat on Fridays, and some folks forego it completely during Lent. (The forty days, not counting Sundays, before Easter.) Don’t eat anything before you go to church, etc. If you want to, fine, but so much of what we do is man-made. Life is difficult enough, without our making it worse!
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I completely agree! If it was all up to me, I’d minimize what I do before Passover to the absolute necessities and that’s it.
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