I thought cleaning for Pesach was a nightmare. Nope. Cleaning for Pesach was somewhat therapeutic. A blend of kashering dishes, clearing out the pantry and giving the fridge a good scrubbing.
But cleaning during Pesach is a whole different level of anguish. The crumbs. No matter how many times I dust-bust or sweep, matzah crumbs find me. All over the kitchen, living room, our freshly cleaned car. Matzah crumbs seem impossible to avoid. They follow me. They’re always there.
To feel less frustrated by this constant current of crumble, I thought about what matzah represents. If matzah is symbolic for our humble selves, then perhaps the crumbs are meant to teach a lesson. That no matter how distanced we feel from who we want to be or where we want to go, if we began with a foundation of humility, those remnants of sincerity and thoughtfulness will continue to push forward. It is hard to scrub away a soul that was raised with a strong moral compass and menschlekeit. A stream of matzah crumbs reminds us of how we should wish to live in this very confusing world: focusing less on vanity and more on values, concentrating less on material things and more on who we love, complaining less about the ways in which the world has wronged us and cultivating more avenues as to how we will improve this blessed act of creation.
During the Seder we uncover the matzah and read from the Haggadah. We declare, “This is the bread of poverty that our ancestors ate in Egypt. All who are hungry should come and eat.” Come eat this unleavened bread as a reminder that our people began with humble means. We are a people raised with gratitude and deep empathy for the stranger. From generation to generation, this is the lesson that remains intrinsically woven throughout our hearts. And with those crumbs as our guides, we will never be lost.
And so, the matzah crumbs continue to follow us. Under the couch, behind the curtains, in the small crevices of the rug. Almost impossible to remove. But perhaps this is what was intended all along. Perhaps these are the crumbs we are meant to find…over and over and over again.
Rabbi Nicole Guzik is a rabbi at Sinai Temple. She can be reached at her Facebook page at Rabbi Nicole Guzik or on Instagram @rabbiguzik. For more writings, visit Rabbi Guzik’s blog section from Sinai Temple’s website.
