This week we broke into Yachatz, which is the part of the Pesach Seder where we break the middle Matzah as a way to remember the way the world was broken when the Jews were leaving Egypt. It is also a way for us to think about the ways the world might be broken today, and what systems are in place that might need to be broken. Read on to see what your insightful kiddos have to say.
What did you feel when I broke that piece of matzah?
- Scared.
- Surprised.
- Sad and mad because it reminded me of when someone breaks something that means a lot to someone and they get sad and maybe hit them.
- Sad because I wanted to eat it whole.
- Sad because I didn’t want to see it break.
- Mad because it was too crumbly.
How did you feel about breaking tiles at the yachatz Shulchan Avodah (learning center)?
- Strong and powerful while breaking the tile.
- It was really loud!
- I was angry because the noise was so distracting.
- The banging made me jump – it was a little scary.
When does something break in the leaving Egypt story?
- Pharoah breaks his promise. He said the Hebrews could go but then he changed his mind.
- Maybe their legs when they were running away?
- Our trust in Pharoah when the new Pharaoh rose and wasn’t good to us.
- Backs of slaves from hard work.
- Sea breaks open so we could cross.
- Hearts when the first born babies die.
- Hearts when Pharoah says to throw Hebrew babies into the Nile.
What are some ways that our world is broken now?
- When people are mean to each other, nature, or animals.
- Buildings and houses.
- Earthquakes and tsunamis make the earth break.
- Not treating each other fairly or the way we want to be treated.
- If good were an object, it would be broken.
- Cutting down way too many trees for profit.
Our older kiddos were curious about whether the regular Egyptians really did anything wrong. This sparked a conversation about what it means to be a bystander in the face of injustice. As we continue to unpack the story of how we became Jews, we will further explore how we, as Jewish people, can fulfil our duty to repair the broken parts of the world.
