In this version sung by Ofra Haza at Israel’s 50th Independence Day celebration in 1998, the last verse is placed as the second verse, but with incorrect English translation. (Thanks to reader Ruth for pointing that out.)

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Jews pray for rain immediately after Sukkot in the fall. On Sukkot we eat outside in booths covered with branches, so we need it to stay dry. On the first day of Passover, we stop asking for rain and request dew instead. Just to keep things moist. That was a month ago. Rain at any other time of year is considered a curse, because it’s bad for certain crops, like wheat that needs to be cut. But it’s not that unusual. It even rained once in mid-summer.

Today it drizzled, and rain is predicted for tomorrow and Sunday. I am not sure how the farmers feel about it, but the lakes, streams, and groundwater could sure use some help.

The people who will be most upset by the rain are those planning bonfires for the main observance of Lag Baomer. Tomorrow night is the 33rd night of the Omer, the end of the semi-mourning period we’ve observed since Pesach. Families and groups of teens build bonfires on every available spot of land.  You close your windows and shutters to keep out the smoke, bring in your laundry, and wrap cooked potatoes in foil to toast in the ground near the fire.

Rain would also put a damper on the central celebrations in Meron, where Chassidic boys who recently turned three get their first haircut. Last year 300,000 people visited Meron on Lag Baomer.

As for me, I won’t complain about the rain. Just drive carefully, especially if you’re headed up north.

How Lag Baomer is not the only Jewish holiday for pyromaniacs.

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State of the house on Erev Pesach, 2010.

• 5 loads of laundry waited to be sorted
• 1 load in the machine
• 1-2 loads of dirty laundry (needs to be finished by mid-day)
• A kosher-for-Passover kitchen.
• Barely any chametz to burn, except for ten pieces hidden and found last night.
• Two soldier sons home from training.
• A cleaner-than-usual house.
• An overcast sky, unusual this time of year. Even if it doesn’t rain my laundry is drying slowly.
• I sent out 643 invitations to Facebook by mistake, including all of my email lists and contacts. It’s one of the things that really bugs me when others do it. I guess I’m not as under control as I thought.

In other news:  One of my sons helped kasher the kitchen on the army base. They finally went to sleep at 4 a.m., to be woken up a half-hour later because they hadn’t kashered their (plastic) water bottles. The fire for heating the water had gone out in their dining room, so they had to go to another dining area. Eventually the commanders realized it was taking too long so they sent them back to sleep.

Wishing all my readers a wonderful and calm Passover.

More Pesach posts.

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From Shabbat be-Shabbato

There are two times a year I love having a dishwasher: The evening of Yom Kippur, when we are rushing to clear the table and get to shul; and after the Pesach Seder, when the dishwasher runs on a timer. When I mentioned that I use the dishwasher on Passover several people asked about it.

The above article (Hebrew) by Rabbi A.M.  (R’EM) HaCohen of Otniel appeared in last w eek’s edition of the alon “Shabbat be-Shabbato,” published by the Tzomet Institute. Rabbi HaCohen considers the late Rabbi Moshe Feinstein’s requirement to use boiling water, but rules that running it on the highest setting is enough. Rabbi HaCohen also allows keeping the same racks year-round, maintaining that modern dishwashers remove remainders of food during regular cleaning. He adds, “The Torah has pity on the money of (the nation of ) Israel.”

I translated Rabbi Cohen’s conclusion from the last paragraph:

Clean the dishwasher well, especially the filter and the sprayers (by taking them apart). To clean, it’s recommended to use a scale remover (instead of regular detergent) and run the machine. Let the dishwasher sit for 24 hours, then run it  [again] on its maximum setting. One who is stringent will run it a second time, to clean it in cold water.

Preparing the dishwasher took me at least 3 hours. Before you take it apart, make certain you can put it together again and draw a diagram if necessary. Sephardi Lady told me she puts dishwasher parts in the washing machine, but the dirtiest parts of mine wouldn’t fit. I’ve decided the effort is worth it, as we’ll run the dishwasher seven or eight times during Passover.

Related:
Pesach Crisis Cleaning Checklist
Why the Average Haredi Family Goes to a Hotel for Pesach
Passover Recipes and Cooking Techniques
What Defines Israeli Parenting?

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According to the letter from the rabbinate, signed by Rabbis Yaakov Sabag and Rafi Yochai, the packages of hand matzahs pictured above were made in a factory without supervision. Flour was not sifted, “challah” not taken, the equipment not cleaned, and there was actually chametz in the factory. The matzah was sold at “discount” prices, and even distributed to the poor. The labels contain forged certification by Rabbi Dov Leor and the Badatz Yoreh De’ah, and Rabbi Yitzchak Amrabi and the Badatz Bet Yosef.  The rabbis were not involved it the matzah’s production or supervision. The packages are pictured above.

Last week I wrote about lettuce that is not always “bug-free,” despite certification as such. One type that did not need to be checked, Yevulei Hanegev, contained high levels of pesticides including one that is illegal. The rabbinate warned the public not to buy Yevulei Hanegev products, which are apparently still on the shelves.

I would still like the rabbinate tocomplete laboratory results and not just the conclusions.

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Hat tip: RGG

For more Pesach links:

Remembrance of (Blogging) Pesachs Past

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A guest post on Food Processors and Pesach is up at Orthonomics.

Recent editions of Haveil Havalim can be found at Ima on the Bima and Yachdus.

For some reason, preparing for Pesach inspires me to write. Below, I present the best Passover posts below from years past on A Mother in Israel.

Passover 5767/2007:

The Pesach Problem. I should have called this one, “Why Only a Man Would Write that It’s Possible to Make Pesach in Four Hours.”

Unofficial Guide to Pesach Shopping in Israel

Pesach Menus

What is Gebrokt?

29th Kosher Cooking Carnival (Passover recipes)

Passover 5768/2008:

“Turning Over” the Kitchen

Preschool Passover Project: Simplified Haggadah

Pesach Crisis Cleaning

Keeping Kids Interested in the Seder

Passover 5769/2009:

Why “Average” Haredi Families Go to Hotels for Pesach Part II

The Indispensable Post-Pesach List

Pesach and Wasting Food

Post-Pesach Tips

Passover 5770/2010:

Four Pre-Passover Questions

Getting Your Kids to Help with Pesach Cleaning

More Passover Recipes and Cooking Tips at CookingManager.Com.

For more links, see Jacob Richman’s Passover Page.

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Passover is coming and we need all the help we can get.

Sometimes we forget why kids should be involved in the Passover preparations.

• They’re learning important skills.
• They’re learning about the holiday.
• Even the most resistant children want to feel needed.
• You’ll have more time for yourself—and the kids.
• You won’t end up in an asylum.

Make a list of the jobs that need to get done. Don’t forget daily jobs, like sweeping, cooking,  and supervising small children. One year, my son offered to hang all the laundry in the weeks before Pesach.

Break jobs down into manageable segments of about half an hour each. Then gather the family and divide up the tasks. I let the kids choose.  This can be tricky because sometimes a smaller child picks a chore that is too challenging. Since I don’t like to refuse a genuine offer, I suggest that the child do part of the task, I do it with him, or I partner him with an older child. Sometimes, though, they surprise me.

If kids refuse to choose chores, pick for them or tell them they will get the jobs that are left.

Once chores have been divided, the children can make up a chart. Add your own errands and chores, so they can know your schedule. Take kids with you on errands if you can. My 13-year-old watched me bargain down two shoe salesmen last week. Think how much money I could have saved if my mother had taught me that skill.

Tips to Encourage Cooperation with Kids

• Don’t overdo the spring cleaning.
• Lower your expectations even more if you have small children. Expect to be interrupted frequently.
• Assign a start and end date for each job. One year my kids finished their rooms a day or two before the holiday, leaving me with several extra loads of laundry.
• Make sure each child knows what his or her job entails, including cleaning up afterward.
• Ask kids to prepare a play or a quiz game for the seder, or plan a family trip or party.
• Plan fun activities to break up chores, like the library, park, or museum.
• Go over the chores at the start of the day. Singling out one child sends the wrong message.
• Turn off the computer and TV during cleaning sessions. This helps adults too.
• If a child resists, try to find out why. She may not know where to start. When my 8-year-old resists, I interrupt his activity, take his hand, and firmly guide him toward the chore. It works best when I don’t talk at all.
• If the child does a poor job, plan your reaction carefully. Is it because of inexperience? Responding harshly may lead the child to resist more next time. But ignoring a shoddy job may get you more of the same in the future.
• Project the idea that this is a joint campaign. Sometimes it’s fun, and sometimes it’s not.
• Work to music.
• Offer a communal snack after a cleaning session.
• Turn on a timer and have everyone work for a set amount of time.
• If you run into problems, try not to respond in the thick of things. Schedule a meeting for a time when everyone is calm.

How have you encouraged your kids to get involved in Pesach preparations?

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Please check out the new banner that Leora of Here in Highland Park designed for CookingManager.Com. She also designed the banner for this blog.

Here at “A Mother in Israel” we’ve been known to poke fun at people who get too worked up about Pesach. But with the Passover holiday only a few weeks away, it’s time to start making plans. Here are four questions to ask yourself now to make your preparations easier.

• What food do you need to use up? Plan menus to include them. Don’t buy extra food that you will have to store or sell over the holiday. Is there any holiday food, like matzah, meat, or wine, that I need to order? Some readers have ordered items already.
• Who will be celebrating with you? Invite guests (or get invited) soon, before people make other plans.  Do you know someone who needs an invitation? How about day trips for  chol hamoed (intermediate days of the holiday)?
• What non-food items do you need to purchase? Take out last year’s post-Pesach list, where you wrote down kitchen supplies you needed to add or replace. Keep the list handy to compare prices. In Israel, household items drop in price closer to the holiday, and even more afterward..
• What tasks have you been putting off? Decide which ones need to be done before the holiday. I’m talking about things like mending, repairs, dry-cleaning, hanging pictures,or getting rid of unwanted items.

Related:

Post-Pesach Tips

The Pesach Problem

I’ve opened three Pesach discussions on the Cooking Manager fan page on Facebook:

Cleaning Your Kitchen for Passover

Passover Menus and Recipes

What’s in Your Freezer and Pantry (for ideas on using up food)

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The school has asked the Washington Interscholatic Activities Authority, offering to partner with them financially, to allow the girls to play in the evening, even if they have to travel to the opponent’s venue.

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