Shabbos HaGadol 5785

Forty-four years ago this Shabbos, Shabbos HaGadol, I attended my first synagogue service at Beth Sholom Congregation, the Orthodox synagogue in Chattanooga, TN, which was the beginning of my Jewish journey, a journey that entered an exciting new phase forty-two years later when I finally converted to Judaism. Interestingly, my Orthodox conversion certificate is on the letterhead of another Congregation Beth Sholom, in Potomac, MD. The journey included many stops along the way, including majoring in Judaic studies with a minor in Hebrew in college, taking 11 of 27 courses in divinity school in Jewish studies, attending many Pesach seders along the way, and livestreaming and then attending live synagogue services and even teaching classes at one of the synagogues before finally deciding to convert. I once bought chametz from a panicked coworker before Pesach during my six and a half years working at Hadassah – and now I sell my chametz – I suspect I am one of only a few people to have been on both sides of that transaction. And as the rabbis were gathering for my Orthodox conversion, I was reminiscing about my first Pesach seder and three of the four rabbis informed me, far more cheerfully than was perhaps necessary, that they had not yet been born when that seder took place! 

I attended seven seders at the home of a friend when I was in divinity school and in the years after who had a daughter, only kindergarten age at my first seder at her table. I had the task each year of making sure the wine disappeared from Elijah’s cup, to convince her that Elijah had come. That task became more and more difficult each year as she grew! And I am thinking about Elijah as I read the haftarah for Shabbos HaGadol. The penultimate verse of the haftarah (and of the book of Malachi, the book of the twelve, and of the books of the prophets), repeated at the end, so that it ends on a good note, mentions him: “Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and terrible day of the LORD.” 

Elijah is a complex character. He was thought by some rabbis to be the same person as Pinchas, both known as zealots for the one true G!d, Hashem. Pinchas famously (and quite disturbingly) thrusts a spear through a couple who were sinning. Elijah is known for challenging 450 prophets of the false idol Baal to a contest of sacrificing and seeing which deity sent down fire from heaven. They fail, Elijah succeeds, and he kills the false prophets (also quite disturbingly). 

Yet there is another incident that shows a very different side of this prophet of Hashem. He comes to the widow of Zaraphath and asks for something to eat. She sorrowfully explains that she only has enough flour and oil for a final meal with her son, having gathered sticks for the fire. Elijah promises her that the flour and oil will not fail until the drought ends and for three years, she has enough to feed herself, her son, and Elijah. During that time, her son falls ill and dies, and Elijah miraculously resurrects him. So there is both the zealous side to Elijah, ready to combat idolatry whenever it rears its ugly head – but also the compassionate side, ready to feed and give life to the needy.

Pesach is similar. The halachah is very strict. In the times of the Temple, one had to be in a state of ritual purity to partake of the Pesach sacrifice. During Pesach, when preparing food, a trace of chametz treyfs up the dish. Even if it is only 1,000^th of a mixture, the entire dish ceases to be kosher. This is in contrast to milk and meat – if there are 60 of one against the one of the other that inadvertently falls into the mixture, it is nullified – if a drop of milk mistakenly falls into meat cholent and the amount of cholent is at least 60 times the milk, the milk is nullified and the cholent remains kosher. There is a frenzy of cleaning before Pesach that leads to the sale or renunciation of any remaining chametz.

But then the Seder comes, and we say “Let all who are hungry come and eat.” There is even the mitzvah of Maot Chittin, tzedakah given to the needy so they will have the resources to celebrate Pesach. The Pesach seder is the most widely observed Jewish ritual. There is a welcoming, inclusive aspect to it that literally brings people to the table like no other ritual.

And that, I think, is one of the messages of Pesach – and of Shabbos HaGadol. Religious observance needs two sides to it – chesed, lovingkindness, the inclusive welcome of all who are hungry to the Seder table – and gevurah, strength, boundaries – the zealousness to rid ourselves of spiritual chametz and idolatry in service of the one G!d. Elijah teaches us to bring both – and the verse in Malachi teaches us that only in bringing both can we truly prepare for the geulah, redemption, the day of Hashem. May it come speedily and in our days.