Pesach – Nights of the Pesach Table

Of the major Yom Tovim the one that is most memorable for adult and child alike, is Pesach. Even if the Pesach is reduced to a family dinner with token Matza at the table, a Pesach family gathering is still held by most Jewish families and always approached with anticipation and joy. Might it be that the historical tradition instructed in the Torah that we eat the Pesach meal together in family groupings has become so ensconced in our tradition that it may have been epi-genetically embedded in our collective psyche? Perhaps. But the fact is we still do it. So this year, why not include some Pesach table essentials such as relating features of the historical narrative, the Haggada; let children conduct sections of the Seder; ensure that four cups of wine are featured; eat the Matza while leaning to the left; allow your taste buds to be challenged by the Marror, the bitter herbs; have a competition to come up with the right blessings for these features; choose one central meaningful motif discussed by the adults. The gathering at the Pesach table is one of the most colorful and memorable events of our lives. So make it so. Give it thought. Plan for it. Make it happen. Your table is an essential cog in the wheel of Jewish continuity.