Going a Little Nuts This Pesach

Rabbi Avrohom Brashevitzky – Director of Chabad Jewish Center of Doral in Florida

This past Shabbos, after a full productive week of WhatsApping and trying to follow all that’s going on, I was finally able to direct my attention at some seforim which I possess but have never really read (at least there’s no recollection in my mind of having done so).

I do not want my children to inherit, after 120, perfectly brand new – old books. I cracked open a small Haggada which features small bites of insight from various sources, mainly from Chassidishe Rebbes. The page I opened to was right at Hei Lachma Anya.

There, it quotes an unidentified source with an interesting explanation as to why we distribute nuts to the children on the night of The Seder. This is in stark contrast to Rosh Hashanah when we are discouraged from eating nuts because to its numerical value (Egoz -nut and Cheit-sin are both 17 albeit without the Aleph).

This, he explains, is true for Rosh Hashanah when our Teshuvah comes out of fear, thus not the ultimate Teshuvah. Therefore, we are reluctant to make any hint of or misdeeds. However, on Pesach, our Teshuvah is out of Ahava (love), thus triggering “Zedonos Naasim Zochuyos” (the iniquities become virtues). Who doesn’t want as much merit as possible?

As soon as I read about the nuts in association with Pesach, I was transported back many years to the iconic Raskin’s Fruit Store on corner President and Kingston. There, close to the front of the store, on the damp saw-dust which always covered the old tiles – were three tall sacks. They seemed so tall as I was a short little kid. One was full of walnuts, the other had raw almonds in their shell, and the latter was full to the brim with filberts. You may know these as hazelnuts, but Ffilberts sounds so much better, more nostalgic.

Those filberts were the hottest commodity once Yom Tov began. During the days of Pesach, it was relatively quieter in Shul as all the kids were outside “playing nuts.” This is a world that is no more as the facade of 770 was totally different than it is today. In the grassy sections were the bigger Chevra-lite with the Neggel Vasser cups, offering 50 nuts for anyone who can get it in. While the smaller vendors set up shop along the iconic brick wall in front of the grass of the actual building 770. There it was a lot easier to try your hand at winning, as all you had to do was roll your nut from the curb of the sidewalk, or from closer, albeit the potential gain was only 5 to 10 nuts.

The real shvitzers had these massive bags and / or empty Shmurah Matzah cartons full of nuts. Whether they actually won all of them or merely brought a ton of nuts from home to show off, we will never know. Bottom line, the nuts were a sensation. Rich or poor, good at sports or not, we all tried to win as many nuts as possible. I still cannot recall why we wanted so much to win them, certainly, the motive wasn’t to have them for consumption. I’d be very surprised if any one of the winners actually went home to eat their loot. But we tried hard to win. And felt very bad when our nut count was dwindling. It kept many of the kids very busy throughout the entire Pesach.

I have no idea if people in Crown Heights still give their children nuts for Pesach. I certainly have not ever handed out nuts to my children before (or after) the Seder. They live in a different world. I’m sure if I’d start distributing these to my children, they’d look on me like a nut.

But this year is different. This year, way in advance of the first night of Pesach, our Tatte gave us nuts. Lots of nuts. Where ever you turn, it’s nuts. From one hour to another, it’s nuts. The news seems to be getting more and more nuts. Everybody, from young to old is walking around (in their home! quarantined) going nuts! Ribono Shel Olam, how much more nuts can we handle?!

Tatte Zisser:

Any Yid that’s going to sit down at The Seder table and try to be joyous. Every Balabuste who’s still thinking about cleaning her home with all the Hidurim. Every child who’s been home for three weeks already and is therefore nuts – out of their minds, yet is eagerly anticipating The Seder. Not to mention the families who have abruptly lost their loved ones, yet will certainly celebrate Our Time of Freedom with joy. And all those who are in need of a Refuah Shleima, yet all that’s on their mind, is how will they be able to perform the Mitzvos of this night…

ALL ARE CERTAINLY DOING SO OUT OF LOVE FOR YOU, FOR YOUR TORAH AND MITZVOS AND OUT OF DEDICATION OF BEING A YID.

WE BEG YOU. PLEASE GIVE US SOME SWEETS FOR PESACH. PLEASE STOP THESE SOUR, BITTER NUTS.

PLEASE GIVE US THE ULTIMATE WIN OF THE COMING OF MOSHIACH SPEEDILY, NOW!

On a very practical note, and I’m talking to myself: As parents, we should remember that the kids experienced a lot of nuts these past several weeks and they are already Ois-Gemutched. Let’s be easy on them. Let’s make the Sedarim as fun as possible. If need be, do away a little with the nitty-gritty; make it fun, make it hilarious. These are the Kinderlach who will be first to greet Moshiach – let’s make sure they do so with – already – happy hearts.

Wishes for a Kosher and Happy Pesach to all, may Hashem give a speedy Refuah Shleima to all who need it, may we merit to greet Moshiach and do the Seder together with our Rebbe this year.

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