So it seems like two seconds after we put away our Purim megillot, every grocery store in our local universe is unveiling its Passover product displays.
Conversation has quickly turned to house and car cleaning.
With the added dimension of Pesach commencing after Shabbat this year, there is even more to do than ever.
We need to make sure as always that Pesach is more than getting that last corn flake out of the sofa crevice.
Keeping kosher for Passover is tremendously important.
But that effort should never be placed ahead of taking this time of year to deeply inspect what is going on inside of our own lives.
There is plenty of work to be done. Saying sorry to a relative or friend, helping a family in need financially afford this holiday, aiding a frail or elderly person in the cleaning of their homes.
All of this is what underscores the freedoms we have as Jews. The Exodus is also a story of self-improvement and helping one another out.
Don’t get so caught up in the washing of the silver utensils that you forget as a man to help your wife every step of the way prepare for this holiday. Some of us seem to find a reason to disappear for our loved ones, using the excuse of preparing for what will be said at the table.
Don’t go there.
Instead, help your wife.
Instead, find someone to invite to your home who would normally be alone.
Find a way to make this year’s Passover memorable.
It’s so much more than matzah and horse radish.