The Deeper Meaning of Passover Cleaning: From Outer Order to Inner Transformation

The festival of Passover demands a unique kind of preparation beyond the usual shopping and cooking associated with other holidays. This holiday asks for order, which begins at home by preparing the space, the atmosphere, and foundation to receive the essence of the festival.

At the heart of the home, you can feel the weight of this demanding task. Mountains of toys, piles of notebooks and books, the scrubbing, sorting shelves, deep-cleaning rooms, the closets, the kitchen, and all its daunting contents.

In Egypt, where we were enslaved for 400 years, we were spiritually in a state of pre-humanity. We imagined that we were living in some kind of order and that our inner world was clean and organized. Even if it wasn't, we made peace with it and escaping the confines of Egypt seemed impossible. That was reality, and there was no alternative.

Upon upon leaving Egypt, the Israelites discovered they had become a nation. In fact, they had been reborn. They discovered that what once seemed unchangeable, could in fact be changed.

The Illusion of Order

Before the cleaning begins, we live with the illusion that everything is fine, that things are in perfect order and that our current reality is good and acceptable.

As soon as we're asked to sort through our belongings however, to part with things, to hand over the clutter to whoever might take it, we suddenly realize how false that perception was and how much unnecessary baggage we’ve been carrying.

This process of “making order” births a new and better reality, and within that new space, we ourselves are renewed, just like those who left Egypt.

External Cleaning as Inner Purification

Outer cleaning enables the cleansing of the inner soul. Throwing out clutter, reorganizing, scrubbing, and polishing are not only physical acts, but they have subconscious effects on the soul as well.
Every behavioral change requires an internal transformation too. Order calms the soul, while disorder scatters it.

Egypt represents the root of all exiles. “Pharaoh” in Hebrew shares the letters of “haf’ra’ah”- disruption, restlessness, inner turmoil, and mental chaos. These prevent us from connecting with who we truly are and block us from realizing our potential.

Cleaning invites structure, reorganization, focus and returns balance to the soul. Progress in life begins with clearing out, removing, and burning away both the external and internal chametz (leaven).

From Action Comes Clarity

On Passover, we work from the outside in. “After the actions, the hearts are drawn.” The very act of cleaning provides us with energy, drive, and alertness. This is the essence of matzah: we took water and flour and brought out their potential, because we acted quickly. We didn’t wait and allow the moment to ferment.

Sometimes We Think We’re Fine

Sometimes we move through life thinking everything is calm and in place, but when we look inward and begin shedding burdensome personas, traumatic memories, unsettling experiences and emotions, we begin to feel better and lighter.

Preparing for Passover is an incredible opportunity for the type of change that most people avoid in everyday life.

Passover Demands Immediate Action

People naturally resist change, even when it benefits them, but Passover requires us to act, and finally take the step we’ve been avoiding. Just as there is a difference between chametz and matzah, there is a difference between action and inaction. Matzah is the product of speed, decisiveness, presence. It is the outcome of seizing the moment.

This Change Is Fast- And Real

When you find yourself in the midst of transformation, it is like a birth that happens here and now. There is no time for hesitation or overthinking.

With the birth of a nation, you too are reborn. You become a new person who is pure, clear and free from distracting thoughts, burdensome feelings, and emotional heaviness. Just like your home, it is bright, fresh, and shining.

Inbal Elhayani, M.A., is a certified NLP and guided imagery therapist, writer, and lecturer.