God overlooks those last few crumbs

Rabbi Melanie Aron

April 3, 2004

There is a wonderful story about Reish Lakish, an outstanding rabbi and as it happened, an extraordinarily strong man. He was initially attracted to Roman culture and became a gladiator. One day he saw what he thought was a beautiful woman bathing in the Jordan river. He ran after her, only to discover that she was Rabbi Yochanan.

Rabbi Yochanan said: “I have a sister even more beautiful than me, come and use your strength for the study of Torah and you can marry her”. Reish Lakish became a master at Torah and Mishnah and was Rabbi Yochanan’s prize student.

One day the rabbis were discussing at what stage of its creation a sword, knife, dagger, or spear became a finished utensil and thus capable of taking on ritual impurity. Rabbi Yochanah said: “After they have been tempered in a furnace” and Reish Lakish said: “Only after they have been in quenched in water”.

In the heat of the argument Rabbi Yochanan said: “A robber is expert in his trade”, implying that Reish Lakish knew about knives, daggers, swords & spears because of his previous life with the Romans as a gladiator and highway robber. Reish Lakish responded: “My life now is no better, at least then people respected me.” Both men were so mortified by this exchange that they would not speak to each other. Shortly after this incident, Reish Lakish became ill and died. When he heard that his good friend had died Rabbi Yochanan became distraught. To comfort him, the scholars sent Rabbi Eliezer ben Pedat to study with him. Whenever Rabbi Yochanan said something, Rabbi Eliezer ben Pedat said: “There is a Beraitah to support you. There is a teaching that agrees with you.” Rabbi Yochanan exclaimed: “Do you think you are a match for Reish Lakish? When I would state a matter Reish Lakish used to raise twenty four objections to which I responded with twenty four rebuttals, our debate led to a fuller comprehension of the tradition. Of what use are you!”

Last night I spoke in praise of the mitzvah of bedikat chametz, searching out the last crumbs of chametz. This morning I want to argue the other side of the question. I hope that like Rabbi Yochanan & Reish Lakish, by arguing both sides of the question, we will gain greater insight.

Preparing for Passover can drive you crazy. The laws of cleaning for Passover have become over the centuries so involved and complicated that they can take on a life of their own. The meaning of the holiday can get lost in the compulsive cleaning, scrubbing and boiling. Fortunately our tradition provides an antidote for those who are in danger of going off the deep end in the direction of thoroughness and attention to detail.

Along with the ceremony of burning chametz there is a special prayer that is said, called Bitul Chametz . In this prayer we ask God to render as null and void whatever chumetz might remain despite our most careful efforts to get rid of it all. To me this prayer humanizes the strictures of the rabbis. It keeps the rules from becoming unbearable. It is evidence that Paul didn’t understand the meaning of law for Jewish people when he spoke of law as an overwhelming burden from which no person could rise.

The Torah sets high goals, but is forgiving. Judaism recognizes human imperfect. It wants us to stretch and to strive. But it also recognizes that some crumbs will remain despite our best efforts to get rid of them. What this prayer of bittul chametz, nullifying the leftover chametz comes to teach us is that it is our responsibility not to let these remaining crumbs spoil our entire life.

Someone may be a really good friend, but then they offend us in some way. Can we overlook that offense, the way we ask God to nullify the last few crumbs?

We may be working towards a health or fitness goal. If we demand perfection of ourselves, we may get so discouraged that we give up. We can learn from the practice of bittul chametz, to accept our best efforts as good enough.

Bittul Chametz is a sanity preserver, it remains us, as the title of a wonderful book on caring for aging, parents say: Your Best is Good Enough!

Brittany and Michelle – you are high achievers and the daughters of women who push themselves for their families and for others.

Work hard and strive to do well, but remember – God overlooks those last few crumbs.