One more to go

It is erev shabbat and we are about to enter the second to last shabbat before pessach. Are we ready? Have we prepared? I'm not referring to the many hours spent on cleaning and purchasing kosher l'pessach items.

I'm talking about our neshama.

Pessach is more then just cleaning, it's a chag that demands us to take in inner look at our middot and at the way we serve HaShem. These are not new concepts, but reminders are always helpful. We learn from matzah, for example, that we should not be haughty and 'puffed up'. Additionally, we know that we should have zerizut when preforming mitzvout and not let them 'sit in our hand' of an extended period of time, become 'chametz'.

Again, non of these are new or astounding, but have we thought about them recently? When pessach cleaning have we reflected and checked every crevise of out heart and soul for 'leven' emotions and actions? While doing the physical actions of cleaning for pessach we need to look within and do the spiritual cleaning as well.

As a random thought, I'd like to share with you a recollection that I had yesterday:

The situation was as such: I had purchased two skirts for pessach, but they were too short on me (being tall isn't always so great). But, being in Vancouver and desperate for new skirts, I decided to purchase them and then alter them myself at home, making them longer by adding to the top.

So, I started the altering processes yesterday and thought I could finish one of the skirts in a day. However, I was using my own made up pattern and had no instructions, besides for my wise Ima, so it took longer then expected. A few times, even, I had to take apart what I had just sewn and put on the again, in a different way.

Throughout this whole process I was listening to two shirs from Rabbi Shaifer (theshmuz) and listening to music.

Now, this was a very stressful endeavor. So, anytime I would start the machine I would say, "l'chavod yom tov," and this kept me calm.

To make a long story short: after listening to more then 2 hours of shirim, and 4 hours of music, the skirt wasn't finished. But I had learned a lesson (if not more).

HOUSE WORK CAN BE STRESSFUL.

By the end I turned to my Ima, who has so much more patience with these types of things, and said, "Now I understand why HaShem made women to do house work."

What did I mean? Yes, it was tiring, yes it was tedious, but I had grown through the process. The physical action of making a skirt had caused me to practice patience and bitachon.

How?

While committing the enterprise, I was constantly reminded of my own limitations. Here I was, with high hopes in my own physical capabilities, to alter a skirt in an afternoon, and "presto chango" I was being defied by a machine, and made to realize that I'm can't do it so easily.
(Not to say that I've given up it's just taking more time then expected).

How does this relate to what I was saying before?

Cleaning for pessach is no mundane action. It's an opportunity to get closer to HaShem, to reflect on our middot and to make sure that they're still in check, not high and haughty.

Chag kasher v'samayach.