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Passover ceremony has deeper meaning

The chametz custom symbolizes the beginning of a journey toward self-improvement.

By MICHELE MILLER
Published April 3, 2007

TRINITY - His dark eyes round with wonder, Tzvi Eber watched Monday morning as his father put a burning yellow candle to the 10 pieces of chametz that had been bound in plastic wrapping and carefully stashed in a brown paper bag the night before.

"I'd like to think I'm not the only one who's doing this in Pasco," Rabbi Yossi Eber said as black embers flitted around him on the back porch of his home.

Back in Brooklyn where Eber was raised, the air would be thick with the smell of burning chametz as neighbors gathered to rid their homes of the leavened bread that is forbidden during Passover. They might burn it in an aluminum pan as Eber did on Monday. Others might use metal trash cans or cinder block pits built especially for the occasion.

It's an extra pick-up day for the city's trash collectors in Brooklyn, said Eber. "Once in a while, the fire department comes out to put it out. But it's all done in good spirit."

And also the spirit of passing on the deeper meanings of a tradition that dates back thousands of years.

Eber, 31, and his wife, Dina, 26, moved from Brooklyn to Pasco about a year ago to open a chabad that would serve a growing community and teach some of the lesser-known traditions of the Orthodox Jewish religion.

The Ebers, who have spent more than a month preparing for what they call "Passover kosher" cleaning the house and changing out all the pots, pans, dishes and silverware, will feed some 60 people at two traditional Seders at their home Monday and tonight, the first and second days of Passover.

They welcome all who hold the Jewish faith - from Reformed to Orthodox - and especially the young, said Rabbi Eber.

"Passover is very much about the kids," he said.

That's why, the night before Passover, the father of four spent some good time using the same lighted yellow candle to search the dark corners of his home for the 10 pieces of chametz that his children had hidden away.

Turns out 5-year-old Tzvi and his younger twin sisters, Zelda and Hana, 2, did a very good job.

"I needed help last night," said Eber, with a smile.

"And I helped him," piped up Tzvi, still tightly holding the two fireman toy figurines he's so fond of these days.

"The official search for the bread represents us searching within for what needs to be refined," Eber explained. "When we burn the bread, we burn all the unholy - unclean spirits. Just as we have left Egypt, we should leave it in our personal life. We burn away the bad we have within."

"Unfortunately," said Eber, "we all have a little of that."

Michele Miller can be reached in west Pasco at miller@sptimes.com 869-6251 or toll free at 1-800-333-7505, ext. 6251.

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For more information on the Chabad of West Pasco County go to www.chabadwp.com.

[Last modified April 2, 2007, 23:24:37]