I once met a woman who hated her husband and wanted a divorce. After speaking with her for over an hour, I found out that all she wanted was a loving, fulfilling marriage with him.

I once met a rebellious teenager who tried to break every law. But a short conversation revealed that he was thirsty for validation, and because of his learning disabilities he reverted to crime. He wanted nothing more than being the star pupil of his school.

I once met an atheist. He said he didn’t believe in G‑d. But when I got to know him, I could palpably feel the yearning he had for a relationship with something transcendent.

So often there is a big discrepancy between what we want and what we really want.

And the last days of Passover present us the gift of looking deeper.

The seventh day of Passover celebrates the Splitting of the Sea. When you look at the sea, what do you see? (Sorry, couldn't help myself). You see some water, some waves, but very rarely are you conscious of the massive depth to this water, and to the incredible diversity of life hidden beneath the surface.

We need to split our own sea. By looking deeper inside; by searching for what we really want.

As intense as the question gets, the process is actually quite simple. Just ask yourself: “What do I want?”

And once you answer, ask again, “But what do I really want?”

Repeat the process until you get to the real answers.

What do I want?

To go to work.

What do I really want?

To have money.

But what do I really, really want?

To provide for my family.

You see, everything we want has layers upon layers to uncover. And persistence is vital. Because if we get stuck in the first layer, we miss the big and important picture.

Usually, deep inside, we all want to be connected. Connected to our family. Connected to our friends. Connected to our G‑d.

And if we keep this in mind, it will help us stay focused.

That’s where the last day of Passover comes in. During the last hours of the holiday (this year on Thursday afternoon), it is customary to enjoy a special meal, called “Moshiach's Feast.” This tradition is dating to the Baal Shem Tov times, and the Rebbe encouraged everyone to join the tradition. Eating the meal symbolizes our physical yearning and connection to the final redemption.

So what do we want?

For COVID-19 to go away.

What do we really want?

To get back to normal life.

What do we really, really want?

That there should be no more suffering in the world. That all the people in the world should work together to make the world a beautiful world.

Yes. Exactly. So we make Moshiach’s Feast. To celebrate that soon it will be so.

So let's look inside and pray hard for the days to come, really, really soon.