Pesach and Opening Day

Pesach and Opening Day

On Opening Day, the cleats are all unscuffed
And the mitts are freshly oiled.
The helmets are free of pine tar
And every bat boy's uniform is freshly pressed.
On Opening Day, all is readiness 
And nothing has been accomplished.
The standings are all even,
No wins and no losses.

Pesach begins that way, too.
All the crumbs have been swept out of the bread drawer.
The jars of gefilte fish stand in a line on the counter.
There is not a single wine stain on the white tablecloth.
All is readiness. Nothing has been accomplished.

Before this day can matter, matzah must shatter
Under too hard butter.
Before this day counts, fans must hope, 
Savor victory, 
And regret a wasted late-inning chance.

Freedom cannot be pristine.
It has to be sought, battled and won.
We stand this day on the shores,
Looking out at the impossibly wide sea,
Wondering how we will get across.
It takes that first pitch,
The first bad call and the first missed sign
To know what we are willing to lose.

When Nachshon (or Casey) puts his big toe 
Into the sea (or the batter's box),
And risks everything,
That is the moment in which we leave the world
Of pre-game perfection
And enter the world of redemption.

(Play ball!)



Other Posts on This Topic:
Why Torah is Like Baseball
Thoughts on Torah, Redemption and Spring Training