Eliminating Hametz, Eliminating Complacency
The prohibition of Hametz on Pesah differs fundamentally from other Torah prohibitions. The punishment for eating Hametz on Pesah is Karet (external excision from the Jewish people), the most severe of all the punishments. Furthermore, the Torah forbids not only eating Hametz, but even possessing Hametz. It is entirely permissible to keep ham in one’s house; Hametz, however, must be eliminated before Pesah. Additionally, unlike other forbidden foods, Hametz is forbidden on Pesah in even the smallest quantity. If a tiny morsel of Hametz mixes with food, it is all forbidden. This is as opposed to other forbidden foods, which do not render a mixture forbidden if they comprise one-sixtieth or less of the mixture.
Why does the Torah treat Hametz so severely? What message does the Torah convey by commanding us to completely eliminate Hametz during Pesah?
The answer lies in the difference between a Masa factory and a bakery.
Anyone who visits a Masa factory during operation will immediately be struck by the intense flurry of activity that characterizes this process. Dough is considered Hametz if it is left unbaked for eighteen minutes after the water has mixed with the flour, or if it is left alone for a few moments without being worked. Therefore, once the water is poured into the big bowl of flour, the factory staff works feverishly, without resting for a second, kneading the dough and preparing it for baking. The atmosphere in the factory is intense, active, energetic and exciting.
In a bakery, however, the atmosphere if far more relaxed. The workers are, generally, at ease. They in any event must wait for the dough to rise. There is no rush. Production proceeds at a calm, relaxed pace.
This is the symbolism of Hametz and Masa. During the week of Pesah, we are reminded that religious life must resemble a Masa factory, not a bakery. We must constantly be working and exerting ourselves to reach greater heights, to achieve more, to grow and become better. Like the dough in the Masa factory, we must not allow ourselves to rest, to stay put, to remain where we are without progressing and moving forward. Just like an airplane’s engines must keep running, and if they don’t the airplane will fall to the ground, we must likewise keep our engines churning, or else we will fall.
The human being is, by nature, lazy. We are all created from earth, the "laziest" element in the world. Earth just sits on the ground, in place, without ever moving. And this is man’s natural inclination – to stay where he is, without making any effort to move forward and advance. The Yeser Hara (evil inclination) tells a person, "You’re fine the way you are. You don’t need to work any harder than you already do. Take it easy, relax. Why go through any more trouble? You’re already observant, you attend synagogue, you keep Shabbat and you eat only kosher. How much more are you going to demand of yourself?"
On Pesah, we are told to eliminate the "Hametz," the natural inclination toward complacency. We learn that we must continuously strive for greater heights and never be satisfied with what we’ve achieved. The Torah treats Hametz with such severity to teach us the danger of complacency. It cannot be tolerated, just as even the smallest quantity of Hametz cannot be tolerated. We must rid ourselves of this natural tendency just as we rid our homes of Hametz.
It is tempting to put ourselves into "neutral" with regard to religious observance, to say to ourselves, "I don’t know, I’ll just see how things go." This is the attitude of the bakery, not the Masa factory. We must approach Torah and Misvot aggressively and proactively, with ambition and high goals. Some people advance faster than others, but what’s important is that we’re all moving forward, each according to his or her own pace. The message of Hametz is that we must assess our current direction and ask ourselves, honestly, if it is leading us toward spiritual growth, or the opposite.
The Sages teach, "The Sadikim have no rest, neither in this world nor in the next world." Being a righteous person means constantly working and progressing, without ever feeling perfectly comfortable or at ease in his current position. May it be Hashem’s will that we follow this example of the Sadikim, and continuously strive for higher levels of Torah study and observance, each and every day of our lives, Amen.
