By Rabbi Dow Marmur
JERUSALEM — In the last couple of weeks there has hardly been a lamp post or a bus shelter in Jerusalem – and probably elsewhere in Israel – that hasn’t been covered with offers of pre-Pesach home cleaning. Even yeshiva students, normally not associated with physical (or perhaps any other) work, advertise their services and assure readers of commitment to, and experience in, making your home fit for the Festival of Freedom.
My favorite group of cleaners paraphrases the Yiddish term for super kosher and calls itself “Glatt Klin.”
An Israeli journalist with a seeming interest in psychology has shown interest in the Jewish version of OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder). His suggestion is Orthodox Compulsive Disorder. Mine would be Obsessive Cleaning Disorder, because I don’t believe that the condition is confined to any one religious group.
Some suffer from obsession about cleanliness every day of the year and are being clinically treated for it, but as a collective phenomenon it seems to appear only among Jews during the period that precedes Passover.
It culminates on the evening before the Seder when the remainder of what soon will be termed unclean – chametz, leaven – has been ceremoniously burnt. In the Diaspora that may only manifest itself in a small symbolic fire, but here in Israel you can see large pyres in public places which, according to some environmentalists, pollute the atmosphere and endanger the safety of property and life: Guy Fawkes kosher style.
The bulk of the chametz is being disposed of by the faithful through a fictitious sale before Passover, so negotiated that the goods can return to the original owner as soon as the festival is over. Until I came to Israel I assumed that the arrangement was confined to Orthodox Jews. However, I now know that members of the Reform congregation in Jerusalem to which we belong are invited to fax (!) particulars about their unleavened goods to the rabbi who will “sell” it all on their behalf. I see this as another manifestation of post-denominational Judaism.
The congregation has even managed to turn the obsession into a reportedly pleasant social event. The Friday before Passover a pot-luck supper was held on synagogue premises that encouraged participants to clear out their chametz by way of communal eating. The annual event is called Chametziada.
Preaching isn’t part of the tradition of our congregation, but in other places at this season and throughout Passover rabbis cite sources that identify everything they disapprove of in life as chametz urging us to take the opportunity to purify ourselves of it and start afresh, as it were. I no longer remember if I ever succumbed to this rather cheap trick, but anything is possible if you don’t have anything to say yet are expected to speak.
A neat way of escaping the rigors of the Passover version of OCD is to leave the country. Many Israelis, inveterate travellers at the best of time, avail themselves of this option at this season. The traditionally inclined stay in Israel but may go to a hotel or guest house that provided kosher for Pesach facilities and allows you either to conduct your own Seder or be part of the communal arrangement that’s normally led by a professional Jew. Either way helps you to escape the symptoms of the disorder.
The build-up to the festival is so enormous that there’s always a danger that it’ll end in an anti-climax. May yours (and ours) live up to expectations as a chag same’ach..
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Rabbi Marmur is spiritual leader emeritus of Holy Blossom Temple in Toronto. He now divides his year between Canada and Israel. He may be contacted at dow.marmur@sdjewishworld.com