First published in the April 14 print issue of the Outlook Valley Sun.
By Rabbi Mendy Grossbaum
Special to the Outlook Valley Sun
In many respects, Passover is the most central holiday in Judaism.
Passover celebrates the close to 3,400-year-old story of the Jewish people’s exodus from slavery in Egypt. It was at this moment that the Jewish people became a nation — paving the way to receiving the Torah, and entering the land of Israel.
Thousands of years later, millions of Jews around the world celebrate Passover by joining together with their family and Jewish friends, and making a Passover Seder.
While there is so much meaning and there are so many lessons taught about the central Passover traditions — the “Matzah,” the “Maror” (bitter herbs), the story of our exodus, etc., there is one component of the Seder that sometimes gets overlooked — the “Karpas” (or in Hebrew: כרפס).
Karpas is the part of the Seder where it is customary to take a product of the ground (traditionally an onion, potato, or some parsley), dip it in salt water and eat it.
The simple explanation for the custom is that it serves as a reminder of all the Jewish sweat and tears shed throughout their slavery — the salt water serving as the reminder. However, the Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson of blessed memory, explained how the ritual of the Karpas actually carries a much deeper meaning, and can serve as a life lesson to us all.
For all of the Wordle fans (still) out there: the Hebrew word for dipping is טיבול (pronounced “Tibbul”). The Hebrew word for humility, or the act of putting one’s own ego to the side in the pursuit of accomplishing something for the greater good, is the word ביטול (pronounced “Bittul”). These two words are composed of the same exact letters, just written in a different order.
The relationship between these two words is no coincidence: when a person dips a food into something, consciously or not he is sacrificing some of the taste of the item for the taste of the dip. While the taste of each individual item is stronger when eaten alone, the act of dipping is in the hopes that together, when the item and the dip are working in perfect harmony, they create a taste that supersedes their own individualism. This is an act of ביטול — humility.
The message of Passover is all about humility — the realization that while we can be proud of our own achievements and accomplishments, ultimately, God was always by our side, leading us from our own personal exile into exodus. Whether professionally or in our personal lives, there was always someone else looking out for us. It is for this reason that on Passover we eat Matzah — a flat cracker-like bread that is dubbed “poor man’s bread” — humility, as opposed to eating leavened bread — ego. Passover is a time when we count our blessings, and thank God for all He has done for us in our lives. It is a time of reflection, introspection, humility, and a reaffirming of our commitment to a higher purpose.
Much like the act of dipping (Tibbul) gives way for a more pleasurable taste, so too when a person lives with a sense of humility, and a commitment to a higher cause (Bittul) he lives a happier life—a life of gratitude, purpose, and meaning. Ironically, it is when we think less of ourselves that our inner joy and sense of fulfillment flourish.
Happy Passover!
Rabbi Mendy Grossbaum is rabbi and co-director of Chabad of the Crescenta Valley, located in La Cañada Flintridge. To reach Rabbi Grossbaum, please email rabbi@cvchabad.org.
