During these days, the Jewish people prepare for Passover, and first and foremost - the elimination of leaven. They clean the cupboards and drawers, and try to remove every crumb of leaven.
But the elimination of physical leaven is also intended to inspire us to seek the leaven in the heart and destroy it as well.
The basic difference between chametz and matzah is that the chametz swells, while the matzah remains its natural size. Chametz symbolizes pride and the negative emotions that accompany it - anger, jealousy and hatred. In preparation for Passover, we must 'burn the chametz' - to remove these negative emotions from within us, and awaken in our hearts love, modesty, understanding and consideration for others.
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Special challenge
The current reality creates a great temptation to get swept away in the rising tide of negative emotions. If I feel hated, it is natural for me to respond with hatred. If I am slandered, I will slander back. If my image is painted in black and distorted colors - I will do the same to my opponents.
The result will be that we will all live in a murky swamp of evil and hatred, of slander and insults. Our hearts will be filled with negative emotions, and the atmosphere around us will be oppressive and harsh. In the end, we will realize that being dragged into the fray has done none of us any good.
This time in particular gives us a unique challenge - to remain clean, pure, positive. To return love for hate, a blessing for a curse, a kind word for harsh words. If someone says to you: "I hate you," answer him: "And I love you." If he says to you: "You are not my brother," tell him with love and friendship: "And you are my brother.".
Such a response does not express weakness. On the contrary, it is true strength. Our sages stated: "What kind of hero is he? He who conquers his instincts.".
Overcoming the instinct of hatred, of anger, of the desire to fight back - this is true heroism. Remaining who we are, with our world of values, and with the love for every Jew and the responsibility for all of Israel - this is where our strength lies.
In the Passover Haggadah we read the verse (Deuteronomy 26:6) "And the Egyptians afflicted us." One interpretation of this verse is that the Egyptians turned us into evil. Their evil stuck with us. They caused us to respond with evil to their evil, and this itself harmed us.
The road to freedom is long.
This is the 'clearing out of the chametz' that we must do now - to remove the inner 'chametz' and bring the 'matzah' into our hearts. To ignore the negative atmosphere and look for the positive and beautiful in others. To see in every Jew the pure soul within him, and to truly believe that within him lies wonderful goodness.
As we adapt to this attitude, internalize it, and truly feel it, it will also inspire love in the hearts of others.
The Baal Shem Tov taught that others are mirrors - they reflect yourself back to you. We see our own flaws in others. Conversely, when we transmit positive feelings of love, respect, and appreciation towards others - their hearts will also be moved to feel these feelings towards us.
The challenge is not easy, but Passover itself is not an easy holiday. There is a lot of work to do in eliminating the leaven, because the road to freedom is long, but in the end we will leave 'Egypt.'.
