Good Friday Tradition

The lyrics of “Tradition,” in the stage play “Fiddler on the Roof” came to mind when I opened the on-line edition of this morning’s “The Philadelphia Inquirer.” Page one, below the fold, features an article about a new Haggadah, the text of prayers and readings that establish the order of the Seder at Passover. The cast members playing family in “Fiddler” define the roles in the well-known song. An excerpt follows.
[TEVYE]
Tradition, tradition! Tradition!
Tradition, tradition! Tradition!

[TEVYE & PAPAS]
Who, day and night, must scramble for a living,
Feed a wife and children, say his daily prayers?
And who has the right, as master of the house,
To have the final word at home?
The Papa, the Papa! Tradition.
The Papa, the Papa! Tradition.

[GOLDE & MAMAS]
Who must know the way to make a proper home,
A quiet home, a kosher home?
Who must raise the family and run the home,
So Papa's free to read the holy books?
The Mama, the Mama! Tradition!
The Mama, the Mama! Tradition!

[SONS]
At three, I started Hebrew school. At ten, I learned a trade.
I hear they've picked a bride for me. I hope she's pretty.
The son, the son! Tradition!
The son, the son! Tradition!

[DAUGHTERS]
And who does Mama teach to mend and tend and fix,
Preparing me to marry whoever Papa picks?
The daughter, the daughter! Tradition!
The daughter, the daughter! Tradition!

Friday, April 6, is Good Friday and, at sundown, Passover begins for the Jewish community. Our favorite supermarket has expanded the space for Kosher foods and filled their shelves with necessities and delicacies for the Passover feast. The “Inquirer” item prompted me to reflect on the importance of tradition. The author of the new Haggadah, “Approached his chosen task, ‘with humility and anxiety.’ There are more than 7,000 Haggadoth in print, and many more handmade Haggadoth, created and preserved, in the culture of their origin, by families everywhere. Why one more? ‘I’ve been attending and loving Seders my whole life,’ says Jonathan Safran Foer, (the author) He describes his family as ‘a pretty classically assimilated American Jewish family, nonobservant . . . Family Seders created wonderful memories. They’re precious — the only time of the year when my extended family gathers at the table to discuss the biggest of all themes and the hardest of all questions.’”

In my boyhood, our family established a tradition, attending church on Good Friday. For some reason I remember attending Gratiot Avenue Baptist Church as well as my childhood church. It was at Good Friday services that “the biggest of all themes and the hardest of all questions,” were introduced in a weighty context. I’ll always remember dark clouds rolling in mid-afternoon, during one of the services and thought how God was reminding me of the day Jesus died and how the sun retreated. “Atonement” and “sacrifice” still have tactile, audio, emotional dimensions because of the Good Friday experience. My faith has become more precious because of the tradition.