Living Beyond Bread: Life Lessons from Matzah

For the previous chapter: When Treating a Patient Doesn’t Deliver the "Expected Returns"

There's a remarkable insight from Rabbi Shimshon Pincus zt”l (talks on Passover) that offers a fresh, optimistic perspective, especially for those facing illness. Embracing this idea can significantly aid emotional resilience in the face of any sickness. As discussed in the current chapter, robust emotional coping is a crucial step towards recovery or at least an improvement in condition.

Rabbi Pincus explains: throughout the year, bread stands as humanity’s most fundamental food. It's the satisfying staple that sustains most of the world's population, warranting a unique blessing: "Who brings forth bread from the earth.”

However, once a year, for seven days, the Torah commands us to completely abstain from bread during Passover. For these seven days, bread, our basic sustenance, is classified as 'chametz,’ and not only is it prohibited, but eating it incurs the severe penalty of karet!

What is the significance of this? Rabbi Pincus explains: in our normal lives, we become accustomed to regarding the fundamentals of our existence as crucial to our being. We might feel if we’re not healthy, if our hands or legs don't function properly, or if we're weak, then we cease to be ourselves. Indeed, when illness strikes and a significant bodily function is impaired, it can shatter our emotional stability, making us feel like our entire world is collapsing like a house of cards.

To counter this, the Torah commands a temporary abstention from bread, our essential sustenance, for seven days to prove to us that we are not truly dependent on things we perceive as most basic! Yes, bread is our fundamental food, but when we do without it for a week, we manage just fine!

This teaches us that we can challenge ourselves and manage even without what we consider vital. If until now you believed your worth solely depended on the functioning of your limbs, it's time to rethink and realize that is not entirely true. Admittedly, perfect functionality is significant, but even without it, one still retains value and can still get by! Bread is preferable and that's fine, but we can also get by just as well with matzah!

Illness, where one loses many normal abilities, can elevate a person, offering a ladder to reach higher places that do not depend on various factors or abilities. A place that emphasizes the person's inner self and allows them to recognize their internal worth even when certain abilities are stripped away.

Remembering this in challenging times can undoubtedly lead to better emotional handling of various situations, paving the way for substantial and real improvement.