Untimely thought

 

I was reading some entries in a blog by the "(no longer) The Northernmost Jew" when I chanced upon entry 279. "White House Seder" (http://northjew.blogspot.com/2009/04/white-house-seder.html) .

Amy W's blog (http://northjew.blogspot.com/) is worth a visit; she has some interesting "stuff" - some "Jewish," some slightly political.

Anyway, the bit on the Obama seder caught my attention and reminded me that a seder with a non-Jew (no-kare) is strictly prohibited by the Torah, and yes, I will cite book, chapter, and verses: Shemot/Exodus 12 43:50; look it up.

Ah, but the hagadah (Maxwell House or otherwise) tells us to feed "all who are hungry."

That seems to contradict the Torah.

It doesn't; not really.

We are obliged to feed all who are hungry, but not necessarily at the seder. Rambam - Moses ben Maimon or Maimonides - tells us we first take care of our immediate family, and then if there is excess, the extended family and then the community, and finally, the general community. (Bear in mind that there "always" is a little excess; even beggars are obligated to put a coin in the box.)

Back to the seder.

We - my family - had a very dear non-Jewish friend, a woman who truly was "like family," a "Dutch aunt." She very much wanted to participate in a seder, but this scrivener citing the Torah prohibition prevented it.

I should have taken a leaf from my educator Spouse's book and created a "mock" seder.

Most Jewish Community Day Schools have mock - or practice - seders. Often the parents are invited. Some of the children come from mixed marriages and some children are, by halacha, not Jewish. (I understand Reform accepts as Jewish any child born of a Jewish parent - father or mother.)

The "mock" seder, not being a "real" seder - that is, not occurring on the first night of Pesach - lacks the Torah prohibition, so everyone, even a US president, can attend.

Had I been "day school aware," I could have invited my "Dutch aunt" to a mock seder a couple of days before the "real thing." Or even during hol ha"moed (intermediate days of the festival).

What about mixed marriages - both religiously mixed and Jewishly mixed? My rabbi tells me that for "shalom biet" it now is (rabbinicly) permitted to have a no-kare (non-Jew) at the seder. My rabbi, were he Ashkenazi, would fall into the "Orthodox" category, but Sefaridim really don't understand "Orthodox," "Conservative," Reform," et al; a Jew is a Jew is a Jew'; some more observant, some less observant, but in the final analysis, a Jew.

In Israel, because of so many mixed marriages - and this time I refer to Sefardi and Ashkenazi couples - the rabbinute has relaxed its stand on kitniyot (peas, beans, and other items missing from an Ashkenazi Pesach menu) for the sake of "shalom biet."

There is one problem with a mock seder and that is timing.

The practice seder has to be held at least two days before the first night of Pesach. Why? The rabbis ordained that we must abstain from matzah on the day before the seder. Why? Because if we ate matzah every day, it would not be special at the seder.

Aside from the first night of Pesach, there is no requirement to eat matzah during Pesach. Leavened products still are prohibited, but matzah is not required.

One nice thing about a school mock seder - it teaches all who participate the "generics" of the period without impacting each family's own traditions.

Was the Obama seder - the issue that started this rant - a "kosher" seder?

According to one article I read, the White House seder was on the second night, and while most Jews outside of Israel celebrate two "first nights," TECHNICALLY the president's seder wasn't a "real" seder (that is on the first "first night") so maybe ...

After all, according to one report he had "kosher style" food.

In our time we follow Hillel; when the Mashiach comes, we will follow Shamai.

Caveat: I am not a rabbi and I don't play one on tv.

 

Yohanon
Yohanon.Glenn at gmail dot com