Rebuilding Series: Miracles and Leftovers. By Marshall Lestz
Rebuilding Series: Miracles and Leftovers. By Marshall Lestz
Good Morning Everybody,
During the Passover Seder, we’re supposed to imagine ourselves in Egypt experiencing the Exodus story. I know we’ve got a few months until then, but since we’re going through those parts in the Torah right now, how ‘bout we do a little rehearsal? Sound good?
Okay, so there we are in Egypt, where we’ve been enslaved our entire lives. And then, thank G-d, Hashem sends Moses to take us out. Now, unlike Abraham, Isaac and Jacob who had numerous interactions with G-d, this was a first for us. Very exciting! Talk about an unforgettable first encounter— we’re talkin’ THE 10 PLAGUES! What a way to get to know G-d!
Now, let’s let that sink in for a second– our initial experience with G-d is seeing Him as the undeniable All-Powerful Master of the universe. He’s flipping the world upside down. Water’s turning into blood. Dirt’s turning into lice. Day’s becoming night. Water’s co-existing with fire. Crazy big-time stuff is going on. This is how we experience G-d.
And then something unexpected happens. Suddenly, Hashem changes His modus operandi. He goes from dealing with the extraordinary, to dealing with something very ordinary. He takes a break from the mind bending miracles and tells the Jews: “Let’s talk dinner plans!”
Yep, we’re 9 plagues in and G-d says, “Hold up, it’s time to eat!” And then He gets into all this minutiae– He tells us exactly what’s on the menu! And exactly how to cook it. And who to eat it with. And how fast to eat it. Even what to do with the leftovers! What’s going on here?! What happened to the locust infestation? Where’d all the frogs go? That stuff was cool!
Well, it seems that at the very inception of our becoming a nation, at the very time we’re experiencing G-d as the mighty, epic, all-controlling Master of the universe, He wants us to understand that, you know what… He also cares about leftovers. He cares about the most mundane things we can think of! Because G-d isn’t just in the heavens. He’s in the details.
And yes, of course, that first seder in Egypt wasn’t “just” a dinner. It was our way of renouncing idolatry and connecting with G-d. But the main point is that it didn’t include fireworks and miracles. It was something much more down to earth and “normal.” And such is our relationship with Hashem. He is always deeply involved and concerned with every moment of our lives no matter how uneventful or mundane. Our actions are as epic to Him, as the 10 plagues were to us.
May Hashem’s love for each one of us add tremendous meaning to our “everyday” actions, every single day.
Have an epic day everybody,
Marshall
Keep on Building!
