Apr 13, 2016
evolution of packaged Pesach sets
The pre-packaged set of a feather and wooden spoon for your bedikas chametz has been around for ages. It even sort of made sense - where would the average person get the traditional feather required for dusting chametz crumbs into the bag? and who has wooden spoons that can be burnt with the chametz rather than a regular spoon that would be washed and put away?
Then a few years ago came the pre-packaged, and numbered, ten pieces of bread for hiding and searching for before Pesach. This made less sense - who can't tear a piece of bread into 10 small pieces? But still, maybe some people's houses are so kosher for Pesach by then that they don't have any bread left in the house to do a bedika with.
and then last year came the pre-packaged jars of salt water for the seder plate. Really? Who can't put some salt into a bowl of water? But they made it and I guess they sold it.
and it seems this years newest item of entrepreneurship is pre-boiled eggs for the seder. Because boiling eggs is really difficult. And time-consuming.
I am surprised this came before the pre-roasted and pre-packaged shank bone.
If not the shank bone, what will next years Pesach-creation be? What is your prediction?
Are we getting lazier? Are we just too busy to deal with the small stuff that can be taken care of for a small fee? Is this part of the survival of the fittest?
and if you are looking for competition to yesterday's business of replacing your cellphone for Pesach because it is too difficult to clean, you can always get this cellphone cover instead:
Then a few years ago came the pre-packaged, and numbered, ten pieces of bread for hiding and searching for before Pesach. This made less sense - who can't tear a piece of bread into 10 small pieces? But still, maybe some people's houses are so kosher for Pesach by then that they don't have any bread left in the house to do a bedika with.
and then last year came the pre-packaged jars of salt water for the seder plate. Really? Who can't put some salt into a bowl of water? But they made it and I guess they sold it.
and it seems this years newest item of entrepreneurship is pre-boiled eggs for the seder. Because boiling eggs is really difficult. And time-consuming.
I am surprised this came before the pre-roasted and pre-packaged shank bone.
If not the shank bone, what will next years Pesach-creation be? What is your prediction?
Are we getting lazier? Are we just too busy to deal with the small stuff that can be taken care of for a small fee? Is this part of the survival of the fittest?
and if you are looking for competition to yesterday's business of replacing your cellphone for Pesach because it is too difficult to clean, you can always get this cellphone cover instead:
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Since you brought it up, I wonder how many people actually use a candle, wooden spoon and feather? AFAIK, these have no significance in halakha, other than (1) the candle makes it easy to see in holes and corners (a torch is not allowed, since the owner would be afraid of setting fire to his house) and (2) the other items make it easy to sweep up crumbs.
ReplyDeleteToday, one can use a flashlight and brush and dustpan. In fact, I heard of at least two gedolim in America who used a flashlight, because they thought it did a better job than a candle. But my impression is that with the Chassidization of frumkeit, almost everyone uses candles.
Curious what others do. (I use a flashlight, brush and dustpan. Wash off the latter two when I am done.)
I use a candle and feather. we always have. it feels traditional and is an experience for the kids like that. I also wouldnt say it is a result of chassidization of frumkeit because that is how we did it in my family since I was a kid, and nobody could accuse us of that either back the or even now :-)
ReplyDeleteand, no fears because our bedika is too fast to burn anything down :-)
I use a flashlight, but I still get the bedikas chometz set, and the kids get to hold the spoon/feather/candle (unlit). I am a big believer that it's these kind of interesting traditions that give a "taam" to yidishkeit and are responsible for holding on to a lot of our people over the generations who may not have been otherwise interested.
ReplyDeleteI just saw the ten pieces of bread kit this year in the store and I bought it. At least for me, it's not just tearing ten pieces of bread - it's wrapping them up so they don't leave a mess. And cleaning up after myself (I would imagine most people's houses are kosher for pesach enough by that time that they can't just leave the bread residue around). And ever since an incident some years ago when we couldn't find one of the pieces, I also number them so that the kids can write down where they hid them.
ReplyDeleteAnd these Ner Mitzva guys do all that for you for 2 bucks. A bargain!
Save two bucks and use 10 Cheerios, unwrapped. No residue. And a sandwich bag works much better than a wooden spoon.
DeleteDon't use a plastic bag - you can't burn it.
DeleteI put each piece of bread on a bedika cloth.
ReplyDelete