Loving the land of Israel but living in the Diaspora always makes me feel guilty for not doing enough for Am Yisrael. So almost every year my husband and I go to Israel to get a spiritual and mental recharge. A few weeks ago, our personal mission included volunteering for Aruchat Eser, making sandwiches for school children, as well as packaging produce for needy families through Tachlit. We also picked grapefruits with Leket and visited Otef Aza and prepared a BBQ for IDF soldiers with the Chabad of Katamon. We stood on the side of the road to pay respect at the funeral of the Bibas family and made a shiva call to Yarden Bibas as well as to the Lifshitz family.
So what does this have to do with karpas? In between volunteering and supporting the local Israeli businesses we spent a day at the Dead Sea. Dipping into the salt water and feeling the tension being released from my muscles was indeed rejuvenating. And that is exactly what the dipping of the karpas symbolizes. The salt water represents the tears Bnei Yisrael shed while in servitude and the green vegetable symbolizes spring and the renewal of spirit. Just as we were able to endure the hardship of Egyptian bondage and become a free young nation accepting our role as Hashem’s Chosen Nation, so too we must believe that now we will not only survive the trials and tribulations we face, both personal and national, but we will, b’ezrat Hashem, be fresher, stronger and more resilient. Am Yisrael chai.
