After the waters split and all the miracles happened we still had problems.

The challenges didn’t end.

We were just free now to make choices to choose how we react — or not react.

Now we celebrate that freedom through the act of cleaning the house for Pesach. Being happy with what we’ve got and being happy with getting rid of what we don’t need.

Each place in our home is another territory we conquer and consecrate to G-d.

Each drawer each cupboard. Each one is His.

Sometimes I look at the house and think despair.

It’s the opposite it’s the whole purpose to conquer territory and devote it piece by piece to G-d.

I remember when one of our sons was drafted. We asked our rebbe “But what do they need him for? Can’t we just drop a bomb? Aren’t we technically sophisticated today?”

And the rebbe said “No we still need foot soldiers.”

I understood. We need to conquer things step-by-step.

Conquer territory within ourselves.

This piece belongs to G-d that piece belongs to G-d. Piece by piece mitzvah by mitzvah.

The challenge isn’t meant to cause despair. It’s a platform to get closer.

Sometimes you have a dilemma to go forward or to go backward. The same challenge they had at Kriyas Yam Suf.

I know a lady who makes pastries for a bakery. One day her perfect mixer broke and she had to buy another. Her main questions before she invested in a new one were: Should I continue doing backbreaking labor for minimal pay? How can I throw away a blessing or is it a blessing?

She went back and forth. When the machine broke her first reaction was Okay this is a sign from Heaven that it’s time to stop. The next day she thought maybe Hashem just wants me to try harder and get a new machine.

So she went out and bought a new machine an upgraded high-end mixer. Schlepped it home on two buses and couldn’t wait to use it. She understood that Hashem had now made it even easier for her to do the job.

The next day she turned on the new mixer and it worked like a turtle carrying a hippopotamus on its back. It took five times as long as her old machine and she had to finish mixing by hand.

Was this another sign from Heaven to stop she wondered or another challenge to continue?

She took it as a sign to stop.

She called the bakery and said “I won’t be able to continue because of technical difficulties.”

The bakery wasn’t so eager to let her quit. “I’m not looking for a new supplier until the end of the week” the owner said “and we’ll see what happens.”

She’d been even happier to be rid of the decision-making process than of the hard work of making the pastries. Now the owner’s positive approach threw the challenge right back in her court.

Do I really need this small amount of money a week she wondered or could I be doing something easier or more productive with that time?

Or … could she do both?

I couldn’t give her advice because signposts can be confusing. Is a roadblock a sign telling us “Wrong way” or is it there to challenge us to rise to the occasion and climb over it?

In the end she called the store that sold her the defective machine. The store said it’s the best machine they have “is she sure she used it on the right settings?”

She said “Of course.”

He said “Try again.”

She changed settings and the machine worked like a dream. She’d continue making pastries.

Though her problem isn’t a life-altering challenge or decision it actually does change the order of her life in some way. Each decision made takes us in another direction. What if Nachshon never jumped in the water?

It’s like the 15 Puzzle in which you keep switching around the numbers until order’s right. One piece out of place and the whole thing doesn’t work. People all over the world play this game for fun. Because they enjoy challenges of choice.