Let me ask you 4 questions!
1. How did we eat so much?
2. ⁠Why am I finding Matza crumbs in every nook and cranny of my house?
3. ⁠Will my washing machine survive the many loads of linen it must disgorge?
4. After so much shopping, cooking, cleaning and preparation-how did it pass so quickly?
You may feel the need to remind me that the season of asking 4 Questions has passed, no pun intended.
But I am loath to see it go, so I am holding on to this modality for just a little longer.
Rabbanit Yemima Mizrachi teaches us about these feelings.
After major holidays we seem to feel this sense of sadness.
It’s a hard time as we separate from the family time that was so much fun and so connecting, it was a time of creating such closeness.
And just like that, it’s over, with only the Matza crumbs and linens to tell the tale.
We also experienced a spiritual closeness. As we engaged in the holiday we shared wisdom and inspiration and teachings we learned and had the opportunity to share.
That experience provided hope and uplift.
And now it’s done.
How do we “climb back up on that hope”?
This week’s Torah portion is called Acharei Mot, which means after the death, details the aftermath of the terrible loss Aaron the High Priest experienced with the loss of his two sons.
It is a huge disappointment at the beginning of a time of potential closeness with the dedication of the Tabernacle.
At this time, Aaron is taught that he may not enter the Tabernacle at his own whim.
This seems to be a rejection, a further removal or distancing of any closeness.
Not only has Aaron lost his precious children, he also seems to be suffering rejection by Gd as well.
It seems to add insult to injury. But then the Torah explains in the next verse how Aaron will be able to enter the Holy of Holies in the Tabernacle-when he will do the prescribed service, offer prayers and once again create close connection.
It seems that Aaron will first feel that he is lacking, but when he will engage in the service of connection he will receive the key to enter.
One may feel the lack of closeness, but don’t give up, try knocking on the door until it opens.
This coming Shabbat, the one immediately after Passover, there is a custom to bake one’s challah in the shape of a key.
Here is a hack to achieve the same result, take a key, wrap it tightly in silver foil, and bake it into the Challah.
Another hack is to buy frozen dinner rolls and place them in a round pan, a few rolls surrounding one in the center, bury the key in a roll and Voila-Key Challah!
Either way it can surely be the source of questions from the children, remember we are trying to hold onto that Passover feeling!!
Some sprinkle poppy seeds on the Challah to remind us of the manna that began falling in the desert at around this time.
This custom reminds us that our sustenance is unlocked by a Divine source. We need to earn our bread but there is nothing like the vagaries of earning a livelihood to remind us of the need for heavenly assistance.
Rabbanit Yemima adds another dimension.

Why the key now?
At the Seder we threw open the door, welcoming Elijah the prophet, the hostages, the Messiah - an opening of the door for the ultimate closeness.
But no one walked through that door.
We feel like it was closed abruptly in our face.
What a rejection!
So now what?
Aaron, the High Priest, models for us - do not despair, get up and knock on the door that seems to be closed.
Find a key.
We need to stand in the face of that closed door and keep searching for the key.
The key to survival.
Rabbanit Yemima met with Rachel Polin, mother of Hersh.
We are now all to familiar with the message of love Rachel continually sends her son. It is. a very short and powerful message.
“I love you.
Stay strong
Survive. “
Survival under any circumstances is not simple.
It often takes tremendous courage, especially if the door to that survival seems to be closed.
In her inimitable fashion, Rabbanit Yemima uses the Hebrew words in the portion to drive home this point.
The word in Hebrew to survive is”lisrod “.
When Aaron loses his two sons in a tremendous tragedy and it seem he no longer will feel closeness to the Creator, he is destined to feel alone and disconnected and rejected, the Torah tells us what Aaron does in the face of this daunting challenge.
Aaron gets up and puts in the priestly vestments which are called in Hebrew “bigdei srod” which literally means the uniform of the priests. Perhaps that word seems familiar. It’s similar to the Hebrew word “lisrod” which we just learned means survival.
So we may then read this verse that Aaron got up and dressed in “survival gear”.
Aaron gives us the key to survival.
How will Aaron continue?
He will survive by literally getting dressed, doing his job, fulfilling his duties.
As she says so magnificently
“In Judaism, surviving is not a fallback or a sign of weakness. In Judaism survival is a splendorous uniform.”
The message is that life is just behind the door.
Don’t give up till you find the key.
This Shabbat we still have many questions that are still unanswered.
But we possess the key to surviving until we get some much needed answers.
Love, survive, say strong!
Day 209!
Shabbat Shalom and so much love!