Phyllis the "Bima Ima" has a wonderful custom every year, her #BlogExodus.
1 Nisan - Start
2 Nisan - Honor
3 Nisan - Purify
4 Nisan - Grow
5 Nisan - Hide
6 Nisan - Recount
7 Nisan - Examine
8 Nisan - Deepen
9 Nisan - Perplex
10 Nisan - Unite
11 Nisan - Rejoice
12 Nisan - Discover
13 Nisan - Accept
14 Nisan - Praise
In a sense I have already begun with my post For a Good Jewish Theological Discussion, You Need Hebrew!. In it I try to comprehend the true meaning of the word חרות cherut, and I don't see it meaning "freedom" at all. I suggest you read it to find out what I have discovered...
I always enjoy Phyllis's Passover preparation, because it's a reminder that Passover is more than a bunch of food restrictions. And preparing for Pesach requires more than cleaning and checking ingredients.
This year Rosh Chodesh Nissan will be on Shabbat, so the first and eighth days of Nissan are on Shabbat. They are "start" and "deepen" according to Phyllis. They suit Shabbat.
And I also like that on the thirteenth of Nissan we should "accept." Yes, one of the things we should accept is that we do not have control over our homes and families. Your house may not be as clean as your dreams, and the seder you're planning may not have everything or everyone you had wished for. But as we approach Passover, on the fourteenth of the month of Nissan, we will still praise Gd, because we must learn to make peace and accept that what we have is good.
There are things we can't control and tests that we wished we'd never have to experience. But still there are wonderful things, and we must look at our life as half or even just a quarter full. And once we learn how to do that then the cup looks completely full, because we are learning how to truly accept our lives. That's part of being בני חורין bnai chorin, those who follow Gd rather than being slaves of Pharaoh in Egypt or slaves of any man.
Phyllis's Nissan challenges are to remind us that Judaism is a journey, a spiritual journey.
From Phyllis:
The themes are really up for your own interpretation. I was thinking broadly and openly about what makes Passover special and interesting to me. I hope it will translate into creative and inspirational posts from all of us!
Are you going to join in? Leave me a comment here or send me a tweet or just...jump in!At some point in the middle, I will probably do a "roundup" post and I will retweet all the #BlogExodus and #Exodusgram posts through Twitter via @imabima. If I miss your posts, let me know so I can go back and be inspired by what YOU have to say!