Here is a poignant chasidic tale centered around the theme of the upcoming holiday of Passover.
A successful and wealthy business magnate approached his Rebbe, his chasidic master, before Passover, with the following thought and request. “Rebbe, I’ve been blessed to witness so much in this world, and labored with great satisfaction in this world. But there’s one thing I have not yet experienced. I have never seen Elijah The Prophet.
“I would very much like to somehow see Elijah The Prophet. Is there any way you can help me achieve this dream?”
“No problem,” came the Rebbe’s unfazed and serene reply.
“I’ll give you an exact home address. You should go there in a few days in honor of the upcoming Passover Seder, and if you celebrate the Passover holiday with them, you will merit to see Elijah The Prophet.”
The chasid was thrilled. He thanked his Rebbe profusely.
“Be sure and take along with you Passover necessities and supplies, such as food and wine, as the family may not meet all of its Passover needs. Its stash for the holiday may be inadequate.”
The eve of Passover arrived, and the successful businessman set off in his carriage on his journey toward the small village the Rebbe had indicated, plied with generous amounts of matzah, wines, delectable holiday foods and treats of all kinds
Finally, following the path to the given address, he reached a pitiable, neglected little village. On a remote and deserted road he pulled up to a decrepit hovel on the verge of collapse, where he meets the woman of the home, a widow with five starving children (in another version the tale, nine children).
He told this woman he had arrived to celebrate the seder with her and her family.
And so it was.
They celebrated the seder together, this time, due to the generosity of this man, this dilapidated home that had known the pain of deep hunger, was humming with the relief and joy of eating a good meal filled with an abundance of food and drink.
The moment of the seder to greet Elijah at the door had arrived. The man sent by the Rebbe approached the open door to this hovel with great anticipation. This was the moment he was waiting for.
Alas, he found himself staring into the abyss, into an empty threshold. No one was there.
A few days thence, the man returned to his Rebbe and shared that he had immensely enjoyed spending the holiday with the family the Rebbe had sent him to. However, with disappointment, he also shared, he had not merited to see Elijah The Prophet.
The Rebbe was surprised. He said, you must have somehow missed him, he said. You must return to that very house once more, for the seventh day of Passover, for the conclusion of the Passover holiday.
And so it was.
The man repeated his journey, again bearing holiday goodies with him, crossing into the village, and then inching closer to the same dilapidated home. As he was about to disembark from his carriage and knock on the door in order once again to join the family for the holiday, one of the children playing outside suddenly noticed his arrival and begins running toward the hovel, when the man hears the boy shouting “Mama! Mama! You’re right! it’s another miracle! He came! Elijah the Prophet came back!!”
While the biblical Elijah is a zealous, intense, passionate and exacting personality, Elijah of Talmudic lore and beyond, is a gentler one; grandfatherly, sage- and saint-like, mysterious and in disguise, there just at the right moment, to save the day and help those in need.
Each of us in day to day life can be that “Elijah The Prophet” to someone else. Each of us can live “Elijah The Prophet” moments with others who are experiencing more vulnerable moments in their lives.
Sometimes in life we may be Elijah, while at other times we may be in need of Elijah moments ourselves.
Ma’ot Chitim, literally, “wheat money,” is a strong part of the Passover holiday tradition. It’s part of the community obligation to ensure that all members of the community can afford the holiday necessities and expenses in dignity, comfort and joy.
We live in an age of abundance but also of scarcity and financial struggle.
Whether this tale is true or not, its beautiful message certainly is.
And it’s for all year long, not just Passover. And the Elijah mode is relevant to all layers of life, not just basic physiological needs. It may surely starts there, as the mitzvah of Ma’ot Chitim illustrates and later Maslow’s hierarchy illustrates.
One of the mantras my father raised us on in the name of Rabbi Israel Salanter, that resonated for me, was: Spiritual matters are more important than material matters, but another person’s material needs are my spiritual obligation.
As Passover preparations are getting underway, depending on where someone’s life situation currently falls, this holiday time can prove to be challenging.
Let us bring Elijah the Prophet moments, even before his mystical presence arrives on Leil Seder, the seder night.
Copyright © 2023 by the Intermountain Jewish News
