Random Thoughts on Pesach

* Pesach is not a snack or desert holiday. If not for ice cream, pistachio nuts and potato chips, there would be no snacks or deserts worth eating on Pesach.

* If you ask most MO rabbis, Pesach is their favorite holiday. It has nothing to do with the holiness of the holiday or anything like that. It's because their shuls are virtually empty and the talking in shul is way down. In contrast, the energy in our shul was way down over Pesach for two reasons. First, it was only 85% full. Second, many of the regulars were away (especially the young ones) and were replaced by guests. The intensity of our shul is highest when it is full to the rafters with our own whacko members.

* Ba'alei Tefilah should understand that the Belz niggunim that were so popular on the simcha scene are so 5764. They never worked in the nusach of davening and everyone is sick of them. Enough already.

* Another PSA for ba'alei tefilah. Don't put kaddish to a niggun, especially on maariv of acharon shel Pesach before shemonah esrai. A niggun for kaddish is almost always ridiculous and on acharon shel Pesach it's almost 9 p.m. and we're all hungry. Ich kenesht.

* My beef about hagbah was borne out during the last days of pesach. The average weight of the five bulvanim who had hagbah exceeded mine by at least 100 pounds.

* Borscht with potatos rocks.