In Your Own Sweet Time

Thoughts on Pesach and Pesach prep, holiday reading & recipes, too.

A nice Jewish watch

Last month, my husband and I spent the morning at the National Watch and Clock Museum in Pennsylvania, which boasts the largest horological collection in North America. They have everything from rudimentary time pieces and wood inlay grandfather clocks to fancy-schmancy watches and others that traveled to the moon.

Also, say horological out loud. Such a lovely word to pronounce.

We enjoyed the museum very much, but were surprised that the massive clock above the building was off by an hour. We asked the docent about it. “You saw how tall the clock is. Far too complicated to change it twice a year.” Still, we found it strange that such a decision had been made by a museum devoted to time.

Once we reached our next stop, the nearby Turkey Hill Experience, our minds turned to ice cream. The factory tour offers samples of 15 different flavors; that was lunch. :). But my thoughts were back on the clock as soon as we headed for home.

I wondered, Does it matter that it’s off? Most people look at their watches or smart phones when they need to know the time anyway. I appreciated that none of the museum volunteers had to make the precarious climb up a ladder. And there was something gracious about letting the clock tick at its own pace, even if it wasn’t in sync with the 12,000 time pieces inside the building.

If only we had the same approach to Pesach preparations.

It’s easy to get anxious about time this season — mostly, whether we’ll have enough of it to get everything done. We might have to drop a side dish or two (that no one will miss) from our menus and ignore the mess in the basement (which probably has no chametz in it anyway). But generally, things work out and we sit down for seder when we’re supposed to.

So here’s a gentle reminder that Pesach is not a competitive sport. Not in the kitchen, the number of guests, or the tally of halachic chumras. There’s also no prize for getting ready the fastest. The only clock we have to worry about is our own.

The holiday does present its share of serious challenges. For some, they’re physical and financial. Possibly spiritual, too. We feel more deeply the absence of loved ones no longer in this world. Our other losses and disappointments stand front and center.

So many of us are balancing a jumble of deep emotions. We might be dealing with health issues or existential ones. It may well be that your struggle — a packed house, for example — is what someone else is praying for.

Instead of asking, “Have you turned over yet?” or some other (in)sensitive question when we see one another at the market, let’s just wish one another a Chag Kasher v’Sameach.

Remember that we left Mitzrayim together, and the story we will retell on seder night over matzah and maror (the bitter herb) is a legacy we share, no matter what else we’ve each got going on. Whether we turn over two weeks early or the night before.

Be kind. Show love. We’re all doing the best we can.

I’m definitely not in the camp of people who already have a freezer filled with soup and briskets and meatballs. No matter. I know I’ll get there, G-d willing, sitting down at the seder when the time comes.

A Few Things Before I Sign Off

• Check out my latest story for Jewish Action, about the impact of parental religious misalignment on a child’s decision to remain connected to their Torah roots or leave Orthodoxy behind.

• There’s a lot of reading time on these long Yom Tov afternoon, so I’ve put together an ambitious book list. Hoping to first finish Ruth Franklin’s new biography, The Many Lives of Anne Frank, then start on Dara Horn’s One Little Goat: A Passover Catastrophe, S.Y. Agnon’s A City in Its Fullness, and Ayelet Tsabari’s Song for the Brokenhearted.

• As to my Pesach menu, to be honest, other than the seder foods, I haven’t made one yet. But these new-to-me recipes look intriguing and I plan to make them at some point: Chayi Nayman’s Coffee Cake Muffins and The Smitten Kitchen’s Cauliflower Salad with Dates and Pistachios.

That’s It Until After Chag

Wishing you all a meaningful holiday, however you celebrate, whatever the volume of food you prepare, or don’t. Share your holiday successes, reading, and special moments with me in the comments.

Gut Shabbos, Shabbat Shalom. A Gut Yom Tov, Chag Kasher V’Sameach!

Love,

Merri