Rabbi Howard Morrison

Dear Congregational Family,

I have been thinking and reading about leniencies within Jewish Law that can help us celebrate and observe Pesach during these exigent circumstances.

For those who arrange to sell their Chametz to a non-Jew through me or other means prior to Pesach, there is no need to discard Chametz. Especially this year, where going out to shop is risky for some of us, Chametz based products need not be thrown away. Since ownership is not Jewish during the eight days of Pesach, one observes not owning and seeing Chametz by boarding it up or putting it in a place where no one will look. Once Chametz is bought back after the Festival, one will own and may use the Chametz.

Some of you may have read that a body of Israeli Sephardic rabbis has issued a ruling for Seder night only that one may use Zoom to connect the elderly with their families. Of course, these rabbis are clear that the halakha necessitates activating Zoom prior to the beginning of Yom Tov and not touching it during sacred time. In Israel, where one day of Yom Tov is observed, Friday is Chol Ha'Moed, and the electronic social media can be deactivated. In the Diaspora, with two days of Yom Tov, halakhic observance is more challenging since Yom Tov will be Thursday and Friday, which go directly into Shabbat, creating three consecutive days of sacred time.

Another suggestion to connect the elderly with families in order to celebrate some Seder joy is to use social media to conduct an unofficial overview or abbreviated Seder which will begin and end prior to the beginning of Yom Tov. Once Yom Tov begins, the full traditional Seder would still be observed without the use of electronics.

As I mentioned in my first Passover preparation class this past Monday, one could expand the symbolic observance of the Biblical "Pesach Sheni - Second Passover" exactly one month after Pesach. The date is Thursday night through Friday afternoon May 7-8. Depending on the health situation, families could gather together in larger numbers or via social media if physical distancing is still in order. Health and safety must always come first. Pesach Sheni is not a Yom Tov. Thus, the ritual prohibitions of a Yom Tov do not apply. Specific Festival blessings like the Festival Kiddush and the special blessings preceding the Matzah and Marror would be omitted. However, the standard blessings before bread and vegetables would be recited. One may recite the blessings for wine and drink the four cups of wine, recite the narrative sections and songs, etc.

While the afore-mentioned ideas may not work for all, they are attempts to help make easier a Pesach which will more challenging than in most years.

Rabbi Howard Morrison