March 19, 2010
Pesach Greetings from Hatikva
Shalom Friends:
I’ve noticed recently how easy it has become to be critical of so many things around us. Everyone everywhere expresses angst over political leaders, non-support for Israel, changes in medical care, unfair treatment in the workforce, and the list goes on. True, it is easy to find fault with almost anything or anyone these days. Most of us are quick to notice that we have a better solution for the cares of the world, then we become frustrated when our thoughts are not noticed.
Now we have the power to take control over a small part of our universe and extricate the evil that lurks among us. The good news is that the evil is easily accessible. The bad news (and yet liberating news) is that we have to look within in order for that to happen. I refer, of course, to the season of Passover and the search for chametz (leaven). Remember that chametz represents an inflated ego and pride. These are sometimes the hardest elements for us to identify in ourselves. But, just as the season of teshuvah (repentance) prior to Rosh Hashanah allows us the opportunity to ‘come clean’ before Hashem, the search for chametz can and should be just as encouraging. It allows us to seek, find, and repent.
Sometimes we enter the season intent on cleaning the house, preparing for the seder, or thinking about what to eat during the week-long observance of Hag Hamatzah. While all these elements are very important, it sometimes causes us to downplay the search within our hearts. Remember, the search for chametz is a picture – a physical representation of things that should stir within us. Let’s face it, it is almost impossible for most of us to completely rid ourselves of all leavening agents. So let’s focus on the actual search instead of the final achievement, remembering that often the journey is just as inspiring as the final destination! My hope for ya’ll (you all) is that this season would bring about an inspiring search and journey.
Once chametz has been searched, found, and extricated we begin the observance of Passover itself. In that respect, the seder is the conclusion of the search – celebrating that we are once again a new creation. Our custom in the last several years is to conduct a family seder on the first night and a community seder that includes friends and family on the second night of Passover. I cook for both meals, so usually the menu is similar for both events. I insist that the meal include several courses, partly because I really like to use my Passover china. In addition, the meal turns out to be one of our finest of the year. We usually end the evening feeling overly full – but don’t most mothers want their children to feel enriched during a festival? I thought you might like to see a typical menu for one or both of the gatherings.
Menu
Roasted egg and salad
Matzah ball soup
Boneless, skinless chicken breasts baked in duck sauce
Potatoes (the easiest for the community meal are the small red kind boiled and dressed with parsley, but we have also had various kugels or scalloped potatoes). The potatoes allow us more variance between the two meals.
Vegetable medley (steamed broccoli, carrots, and cauliflower or perhaps sautéed zucchini with garlic, or just sliced carrots)
Meringue cookies with pecans (sometimes referred to as ‘forgotten cookies’) and strawberries, or at home we almost always have Passover brownies (you know the recipe has to accommodate the season!)
A few tricks I have utilized along the way include incorporating the elements of the seder plate into the meal itself. For example, the leftover parsley gets chopped and tossed into the salad or the potatoes and sometimes the matzah balls. The leftover Romaine lettuce serves as a base for a salad, to which we add cherry tomatoes, cucumber and spinach or other baby greens. The roasted egg on the seder plate remains intact, but each person has their own roasted egg on their salad plate. The charoset and horseradish are used for days as a condiment for lunch. Believe me, the only way to eat gefilte fish is with horseradish.
While the seder may be a type of conclusion to the search for chametz, it also serves as an inauguration for the rest of the week, Hag Hamatzah. The week presents many challenges concerning the food we eat. However, instead of thinking about hardship, I like to see how creative we can become. There are several mainstays during our week of observance, such as using matzo meal in a meat loaf for the Sabbath. This is the time when it is good to remember our friend, the potato. In fact, it is a good time to remember all root veggies: potato, carrot, beets, etc. It is also a good time to get acquainted with raw fruits and vegetables – eliminating the need for non-kosher oils or thickening agents. One big concern is finding a parve margarine that is ‘Kosher for Passover.’ And meat substitutes are almost never available. You see, most meat substitutes (I call it faux meat) contain grains or legumes – forbidden in our house during the week. Again, let’s focus on the journey – trying to improve each successive year!
Many of the recipes I use during the week are found in our recently reprinted cookbook. Other festivals are represented in the book as well. I encourage you to get a copy, whether you observe the festival of Passover or not. Click here to order.
[editor's note: This cookbook has some really tasty kosher dishes!]
********
During the past year we have received many requests for DVD’s of some of Joe’s programs. The central theme of eight of the programs concerned the war against Judaism. These are some of the most important programs Joe has presented.
The War on Judaism
The continuing war against the Jewish people is well known and certainly well documented. However, people seldom consider that there is another anti-semitic war taking place; The War Against Judaism. All of us have experienced it, either as one who waged the war or became one of its targets. What is this war? Have you ever heard someone profess their love for the Jews and Israel but they were bothered by an individual who took up a Torah observant lifestyle. How about those looks you get when you pass up the shell fish or pork and have adopted a kosher diet. The list goes on and on. If it’s not the Kipah or the Sabbath or HaShem’s festivals, it’s your new vocabulary, from Yeshua to the Tanach or Torah. These eight 30-minute programs, originally seen on Arba4, not only expose but address the problem. They are now available on two 2-hour DVDs for only $25.00 (+shipping).
If you would like DVDs of the series, click here to order.
*********
In keeping with this season it is very important to remember the joy associated with the festival, recognizing that we ourselves were delivered from being enslaved by a nation with idolatrous practices. Just as the Children of Israel were taken out of their bondage, we too experience the reward of coming out of idolatry and being delivered to a purer encounter with Hashem. May this season renew your faith and bring joy to every member of your family throughout the year.