These days I don’t travel as much as I used to, but I still have my suitcases, “personal item” bag, and wheeled carry-on bag ready in case there’s a trip I want to take. I usually keep non-perishable snacks in the two smaller bags to tide me over during long waits at the airport. But, of course, that means I have to inspect them carefully before Pesach and clean them out.
Last year I bought four of those new electronic tags which enable the user to find their luggage easily. I put in the batteries for all four tags at the same time and tested them out. When I visited my mechutanim for their 50th wedding anniversary celebration, the tags worked perfectly, and I was able to see exactly where my bags were. What a mechayeh!
Of course, electronic items have their quirks and foibles. Every once in a while, the “firmware” needs to be updated, or some other thing needs to get coordinated. But those are minor inconveniences compared to the major convenience of being able to find my bags at the touch of an icon on my phone.
Two and a half weeks before Pesach, I started cleaning out various nooks, crannies, and bags. I inspected my two big suitcases; no food in there. I knew that my wheeled carry-on still had snacks inside, so I took those out and made sure nothing more of the kind was in that bag. I also checked the “personal item” bag, which has many different pockets, but didn’t see any food items in there.
A day or so later, my phone signaled to me that one of the four tags had a low battery. Just one – even though I had put new batteries in all four at the same time several months ago. I figured I’d get around to changing that battery after I did a few other, seemingly more important tasks. But the signal kept coming up on my phone.
I couldn’t remember which tag was in which bag. I tested the one that said “low battery” until I found, by listening to the beep, that it was in my personal-item bag. But where in that bag? Did I mention that that bag has a lot of pockets?
I rummaged and rummaged through every pocket in the bag while the tag continued to beep. And lo and behold – while I was still trying to locate the tag, what did I come up with but two little packages of chametz snacks! Somehow I had overlooked them when checking that bag in preparation for Pesach! Of course I hurriedly took them out and put them with my other chametz items.
Then I resumed going through each and every pocket in the bag until I found the little electronic tag. I changed the battery, and all was well.
I think Hashem had purposely made that one tag have a low battery as an “alarm” to direct me to that bag and find the chametz there that I had overlooked! How wondrous are the ways of Hashem, that He can use the most modern technology to make sure His children are observing His age-old laws. With this inspiration, my own “batteries” for Pesach cleaning were recharged!
