by Rebbetzen Gila Golker, Richmond United Synagogue
You see, Seder night means “the night of order”. But while there is a special order to the proceedings on Seder night, in truth, every prayer service has an order; whether we use a Siddur or Machzor, it all follows a clear structure. If anything, Seder night feels out of order! We make Kiddush and wash our hands, but rather than tucking into our Matzah, we only get to dip a vegetable into salt water! After this tease of an hors d’oeuvres, instead of continuing to enjoy our delicious meal, we recite the long text of the Haggadah, and only then, once it is already late, do we finally get to eat our meal. This all feels rather out of sequence!
Rabbi Shlomo Aviner, of the Israeli town, Beit El, answers that, while these actions may feel random and unconnected, this is not the case. Only with further study and understanding will the different puzzle pieces slot together to form a recognisable picture. Likewise, in our Judaism, we may struggle to connect to some mitzvot and recognise their relevance to our lives. However, while these mitzvot may feel random, there is a God who always ensures there is order; just as nature has an order, history has an order, all mitzvot have an order and so too, this night has an order.
In our own lives, there will be times when things feel out of order, and we may not understand where things fits into the larger picture. We must recognise that the One who always ensures there is order is ensuring order in our lives too!