* Translation by Yehoshua Siskin
"What we are presently doing in every Jewish home is not at all techincal," began Yael Zaltz, an organizational consultant. She was speaking at a session of the Mitchadshot (Women's Renewal) workshop regarding the approach of Pesach. "Yet we may fail to understand that what appears to be just a lot of hard work straightening out a mess is an expression of a fundamental value.
"After all, a mess is not just a mess: A mess wastes a ton of valuable time when, for example, we search for something and become frustrated in the process. A mess also wastes a lot of valuabe money since we forget we have things that we already bought, or we forget to pay a parking ticket that accrues interest. A mess damages our peace of mind, disrupting the relationship with our spouse since, in the evening, it is unpleasant to sit and talk when there is a pile of laundry on the couch. And what about the children? I want to spend quality time with them - where real education happens - instead of feeling that my parenting is confined to scolding when I impatiently ask 'Why did you leave your shoes in the dining room?' or 'Why is your backpack next to the front door?'"
"On the other hand, what is seder (order)? It is not just when things are put in their proper place. Pay attention to uses of the word "order" -- the right order, law and order, order of priorities and, especially - a night of order (Seder night)! This is a night that puts our heads in order. The state of order in my home reflects my values, what comes first and what comes second, what is important to me and what I wish to show to the outside, to the invited guests who will experience the atmosphere in which children are raised in this home.
"So in these pressured days, before we talk about how we will conduct the Seder, it would be worthwhile to remember what the Seder represents."
