A Spoonful of Sugar #BlogExodus

Last night we watched the classic film Mary Poppins.

My children were fascinated by the scene in which Mary Poppins plays "Let's Clean Up the Nursery," a game better known for the song "A Spoonful of Sugar."



Jane asks, "it is a game, isn't it, Mary Poppins?"
and Mary Poppins wisely answers,
"That all depends upon your point of view."

We get very very very wrapped up in the cleaning aspect of Pesach. So much time is spent making sure our homes are clean and free of chametz. We worry and fret and stress that we won't get it all done, that we won't "turn" our kitchens in time, that we might miss something important.

Thank goodness, then, for the statement that we make when we complete our search for chametz right before the holiday: "any remaining chametz shall be considered ownerless and as the dust of the earth." Whew. It's like a get-out-of-jail card. In case I messed up....in advance I apologize.

So it really does depend on your point of view. People always feel a need to justify their practices to me, as though I'm taking confession. (wrong religion...) To me, it's in your own point of view. Each person cleans and prepares for Pesach in their own way. Each one of us stands individually before God, even as we stand collectively in our celebration of freedom.

No matter how you clean, though, Mary's advice is strong: "in every job that must be done, there is an element of fun. Find the fun...and snap! The job's a game!"

Zman cheruteinu, the time of our freedom, is a time of rejoicing. Celebrate and find the joy!