Shabbat Hagadol 5785

I always find it interesting to see which books we read to our children that become classics in their homes today with their children. One book that has become our grandson Mason’s favorite is Robert Munsch’s “A Promise is A Promise.” It is the story of a young Inuit girl named Allashua who makes a promise to the Qallupilluq creatures of the sea. She taunts and teases them at the edge of the sea while she is ice fishing. The ice cracks, she falls into the frigid waters, and they swoop her up to take her with them under the sea. Frightened, the girl promises to bring all of her family to the sea if they let her go. The rest of the story tells us how Allashua and her mother concoct a plan to keep the promise, yet not have her siblings swallowed up by the Quallupillug. As her mother taught her, if one makes a promise, one needs to keep that promise. When we first read that story, our middle son Cory used to be frightened that if he misbehaved, the Qallupillug would swoop him up too. (You may have read one of Robert Musch’s other stories, such as “I Love You Forever.” I was turned on to him because he is a Canadian author).

What book would be our children’s go to for Passover for their children? For the most part, when it comes to Passover, our adult children still look forward to the sitting down and reading and singing from the Haggadah. Throughout the secular year, when my two boys get together and want to get my goat, they will come from behind the couch where I am sitting and start singing “Ha Lachma Anya,” in the melody that I use and was my Uncle Joe’s. And it will become a chant, with laughter from all parts of the house. Sitting around the Seder table they will mimic my singing of those words. They enjoy singing some of the traditional melodies, especially as we get to the Dayenu, the Hallel, Adir Hu and the other tunes near the end. But they also enjoyed a special Passover book which was read at the Seder table. And it became one of Mason’s too. It’s called “The Passover Parrot”, and at our Seder it is read just after the Ma Nishtana. 

“The Passover Parrot” is the story of a young girl by the name of Leba, who has the task of reciting the Ma Nishtana, the Four Questions at the seder. For days she practices it, as the family pet parrot listens on. Not too long after she started, the parrot begins mimicking her chanting. One could hear the parrot repeating “Ma Nishtana.” It comes to the time in the seder when Leba is sent to retrieve the afikomen, but she is unable to find it. The parrot is gone too. They look out the window, and there in the tree is the parrot with the afikomen bag. Nothing will get the parrot to release the bag. Leba comes up with a plan with her father. As they are standing beneath the tree, Leba begins singing “Ma Nishtana,” and as she does the bird parrots her and the afikomen bag falls into her hands. Everyone claps and they now can continue on with completing the meal with the afikomen.

We love reading that story. Cory has been reading the book to Mason in preparation for the seder. He will be bringing the book to our seder, so that on the first night only, Mason and Cory can act out the scene, Cory being Leba, and Mason being the parrot. And we are all looking forward to the day when our granddaughters might be ready to do the same, perhaps each one playing one of the roles. But first they are about to have their first taste of matzah.

This Shabbat is Shabbat HaGadol, the grand or great Sabbath that precedes Passover. There is no second Torah or maftir. The haftorah provides us with a hope for the great, awesome and fearful day, Yom HaGadol, when Elijah, the prophet, will be sent by God, heralding the arrival of the Messianic age. Robert Munsch teaches us the importance of keeping a promise. Shabbat HaGadol, provides us our hope that perhaps at this year’s seder, as we stand up and open the door for Eliyahu Hanavih, that the door will be opened to that promise fulfilled - if not yet by God, then, at best, by humankind.

Traditionally, it is the Shabbat HaGadol, the grand Shabbat where the rabbi will spend an inordinate amount of time expounding upon the laws related to the festival and those which are specially nuanced for that year. This Shabbat is one of those shabbatot, where the year is nuanced. Have no fear, this rabbi chooses not to use Shabbat HaGadol to extrapolate beyond the usual. Actually, this rabbi chooses to make this a Shabbat HaGadol by not expounding in such detail. And that is what makes it such a grand Shabbat.

Bring them home now!!!

Am Yisrael Chai!!!

Shabbat shalom!!!

May this Passover be filled with stories and memories.

As is traditionally said, Chag Kasher v’Same-ach.

Rabbi K