Preparation for Passover – Love
by R. Yosef Serebryanski
One of the aspects of Passover is love. By awakening within ourselves the various levels of love in the month prior, the experience of Passover can be a transcendent love. It transcends the issues of time and space.
The hole in our heart can be a sign that something or someone was torn away from us. The Hebrew word for creation is boro which also means making a hole. In other words, when we have a hole, we need to bring something through that hole into this existence.
Sharing love is an essential component in helping people heal the hole in their hearts. We live in a time of great uncertainty and pain, confusion and imagined clarity. These are critical times that require a tremendous flow of love to bring transformational healing to all in need.
This period of love begins with Purim, a time when people come together and share. In the book of Esther we read, “and the lass came to the King.” The first letter of the each of those four Hebrew words makes up the word love – ahava. The Hebrew word for lass – naaroh also refers to the way one serves the King or a master.
Negotiation with evil leads to ultimate destruction. In Egypt the Jewish people were tied to the source of evil. Therefore, the Torah tells us (Exodus 14:5) “the people ran away.” that they had to escape by running away.
At the time of giving of the Torah, the sages describe that a mountain of love descended over the people in the shape of a cone. The Chasam Sofer writes that Mount Sinai should have been called the mountain of love. There was no choice but to accept the love and guidance that they were being given.
The energy of serving the Creator with great love that began with the giving of the Torah, continued until Haman came to power and planned to annihilate all Jews. The people then renewed their acceptance of their connection with the Creator through Torah and mitzvos.
The words naar, naaroh and love are associated with Pesach. Naar has a meaning of being fully awake to the will of the master, King, or Creator.
Genesis 18:7: “And he gave it to the lad (naar) who made it quickly.” The Galya Razya elaborates that Enoch reincarnated in Eliezer the servant of Abraham and also in Joseph. All three were called naar. Thus, when it mentions the word naar by Abraham, Joseph is included on a soul level. The entire episode of the three guests with Abraham happened at the onset of Passover where Abraham baked matza for them.
The Tur (Orach Chayim chapter 417, Zohar Ki Tetze 282b) writes that Passover corresponds to Abraham. In Shulchan Aruch (Orach Chayim chapter 428:3) it describes how each day of Passover corresponds to a different festival.
The Megaleh Amukos (ofan 35) writes that “pesach rishon” the first Passover corresponds to Abraham and “pesach sheni” the second Passover (one month later) corresponds to Joseph. He explains the soul connection of Abraham and Joseph in twenty-six ways.
Isaac was born a year later at that time and his circumcision was at the end of Passover.
Thirty days before Passover we are obligated to study the laws of the festival. (Sfas Emes, Likutim Rosh Chodesh Nissan): The Hebrew word halacha – law also means movement. A person needs to check his internal movement in preparation for Passover. Then on Passover he can come to transcend matters and connect with the Creator in a new way.
The movement of Avrohom was that of kindness and love to all people. It was in this way that he served his Creator. Loving the Creator requires fluidity of movement, growth and expansion since everything is constantly shifting and changing.
A new moon – Rosh Chodesh, occurs between Purim and Passover. On the Shabbos before Rosh Chodesh, we read from the Torah, Parshas Hachodesh, a portion about renewal. The Mishna in Rosh Hashono states that the month of Nissan is the New Year for Kings and Festivals. The Creator’s Kingship is renewed each year on the night of Passover as cited in the verse: “I am Hashem your God who took you out of the land of Egypt to be for you a God.” Each year on the anniversary of this occurrence, the feeling reawakens.
Megaleh Amukos: The Shabbat before Passover is called the big Shabbat (Shabbat Hagadol) since we find the word “big” several times in the story of Abraham. Kanfei Yonah (part 2 ch. 12): In Megillas Esther is written, “Hagam Lichbosh Ess Hamalkah – You also want to conquer the Queen?” In Hebrew the last letters of those four words compose the word mishteh which means feast. The word mishteh has the same numerical value as the big Shabbat (Shabbat Hagadol).
Our forefathers Abraham, Isaac and Jacob were called “mountains.” They were mountains of connection with the Creator. They were elevated from the world and not pulled down by people. They elevated everything with their spiritual vision of matter.
At the akeida Abraham is told to elevate Isaac on one of the mountains. The intention is to raise him up to the Oneness that comes from various levels of love. There are many frequencies of love, but pure love resonates far beyond the lower levels of love. It does not state which mountain. It applies to all times and places where there are choices and many levels of love. This way of serving our Creator is always available. Koheles Yaakov (Shlomo Kluger, Drush 64): One of the mountains refers to the higher or deeper aspect of heart.
Toras Chaim (parshas Voero, p. 87-88): The name Aharon has the word har – mountain as the central part of his name. This is because he was a mountain of love. It comes from the oneness that is the first letter of his name and he brings it down to the lowest of creatures represented in the long letter noon at the end of his name.
Midrash Tanchumah (end of parshas Toldos): “The big mountain refers to Moshiach son of David. Why is he called the big mountain, since he is greater than the forefathers. How did he come? Through the mountains.”
What is a connection between the words love and mountain? A mountain rises from the ground, so too do feelings and thoughts rise within a person. A person who experiences deep love often feels like they are souring up high from the feelings of love.
There is an expression used to describe people in love as having two hearts beating together as one. Our goal should be to achieve that type of unity with the Creator. Once we can get close to that level, we will be able to give everything up to the will of the Creator – and thereby contribute to a perfect world.
The hole in creation will be filled with the light and life force of the source in a way that no opposite energy will exist. Everyone will see and feel the life force of the Creator to a point where they will be able to remain in existence and continue expanding forever from that point.