Why Pesach Making Advice Doesn't Always Work

There are any number of postings that have already gone up that proffer advice on how to prepare for Pesach. Some deal strictly with the cleaning aspect, some with the shopping aspect, some with the food preparation aspect, some with the financial aspect, some with the time aspect and some with the how to stay sane aspect. As many different posters and readers as there are, that's how many different approaches there are to making Pesach. And here's a news flash that should surprise no one: there is no one method for making Pesach that is "the" method. Nonetheless, in every methodology offered there may be a thing or two that will work for you. The key is to find YOUR rhythm, your method and make it work for you.

Let's look at an example. There was a lot of online merriment and a lot of derision as well as regards a posting in Mishpacha Magazine which laid out an accelerated cleaning plan for Pesach. But I think that most of the commenters missed the point. The writer was recommending a lot of concentrated hard work interspersed with some moments of relaxation. And this was a problem just why? Maybe your personal schedule won't accommodate the kind of schedule the writer recommended, but her advice to take some time during the day and "pamper" yourself was, for me, right on the money. Does it have to be the sheitle cut that was one of her recommendations? No, if that's not your idea of relaxing. But sitting down at a table with a cup of coffee and a book might do it. Sitting down at the computer and just browsing might do it. Playing a game with your little ones just might do it. Taking a walk around the block just might do it. The point is not what was recommended as a break from cleaning but that you take that break rather than push yourself beyond exhaustion.

We all have different lives, and those lives will dictate, to a large extent, how and when we can and will prepare for Pesach. We all have different personalities and different personal needs, and those, too, will dictate our Pesach making methods. We live in homes of different sizes, with differing storage areas. We live in different parts of the country and different parts of the world. Some work full time outside of the home, some work part time outside of the home, some work part time inside the home, and some are full time stay at home moms. Some have one child at home, some have many. Some of those children are very young, some are in mixed ages, some are already older, at or nearing adult status. Some have a spouse and some don't. Some will be staying home for the entire Pesach, some will be going away for part of it, some will be going away for all of yom tov. Some will be having company coming to stay in their home, some will be having company only for some of the meals, and some will be having no company at all. Some people have the physical strength to push themselves for extended periods of time and some people don't. Some people have the mental strength to push themselves beyond what is comfortable in other circumstances, and some people don't. Some people are night owls and have no problem working in the late hours, and some people aren't.

The point here is not to push you in any one direction as regards making Pesach. What is the point is that each of us needs to give some thought to what might work for us, needs to come up with some organized approach to Pesach. Where borrowing an idea or approach will work for you, then fine, borrow away. And if the approach you have been or are using doesn't seem to be working to your benefit, then rethink the approach until you find something that does.

There's a Yiddish saying that translates as "We all end up sitting down to the Seder at the same time." The point of the saying is that the end goal is the important one; how we get there is a matter of personal choice. My only piece of advice at this point? If you haven't got a plan for making Pesach, get one! Beyond that, good luck!