Word Prompt – FOUR – Solly Hess

Planners love the square. Four even sides surrounded by four perfectly neat, closed off corners. As hectic as the pre-Pesach rush can be, a planner has it covered, with everything placed in our orderly Pesach square. You have it down: setting your Pesach table with four cups of wine, listening to your youngest practice the four questions, and preparing your divrei Torah on both the four sons and four types of redemption. You’ve even meticulously planned a Chol HaMoed outing with enough to spare for the “second days.” But then there’s a curveball. You check WhatsApp and see a request for guests who have nowhere to go. You have a choice: stick to the plan you’ve spent months arranging or create a last-minute opening in your four-sided square.

According to the Gemara, the fourth letter of the Hebrew alphabet, daled, represents a poor person. When studied closely, we learn that rather than impoverished, it corresponds to selflessness. If we make the choice to keep our tables closed, our perfectly planned Seder has missed the mark. On Pesach, we must extend ourselves, give up our control, and make it clear to Hashem we trust Him and make room for others to join us, no matter what shape our table turns out to be.