B"H
Friday, Nissan 7, 5776 / April 15, 2016 – HAKHEL YEAR
This Shabbat we read from the Torah Parshat Metzora. It is the Shabbat before Pesach and it’s called, “Shabbat Hagadol” – “The Great Shabbat.” It is customary that on this Shabbat the rabbi of the congregation speaks about the holiday of Pesach and the mitzvot associated with the holiday.
The Pesach holiday, beginning with the Seder, is celebrated to remember and experience the Exodus from Egypt. At the Seder, we recite the following passage from the Hagadah, "In every generation a person must see himself as if HE has gone out from Egypt."
Q. How can we, thousands of years after the Exodus, understand this passage?
A. Our rabbis use the following parable: A man who lived on a farm and was never sick, became ill. His family called a doctor. After checking the patient, the doctor wrote out a prescription and gave the following instructions, "Have the patient take this prescription three times dailywith a glass of water for the next ten days and the patient will become well.”
The family, who never filled a prescription before, did as told, but each day the man became worse and worse. They rushed to the doctor and said, "You cheated us! You took our money and didn't cure the patient! The doctor returned to the patient and asked to see the medication, “Perhaps I made a mistake and prescribed the wrong medication." But they told him they didn't have any medication!
"But I gave you a prescription and told you to have the sick man take it three times daily with a glass of water. No wonder the patient didn't become better! You didn't follow my instructions!
"But we did exactly as you told us," they protested. "You told us to give him the prescription three times daily. We tore up the prescription into small pieces and gave the patient a small piece of prescription-paper three times each day with a glass of water!"
"I didn't mean for you to give him the prescription paper,” retorted the doctor. “What I meant was the medicine written on the paper! Using this paper, you could get the proper medication in the pharmacy. Had the patient taken the medicine, he would have been cured long ago!”
The same is with the above passage in the Hagadah, "In every generation a person must see as if he himself has gone out from Egypt." It doesn’t mean physically going out from Egypt. It means the concept, the idea and spirit of the Exodus we should feel every day.
"Egypt," in Hebrew is called "Mitzrayim" which comes from the word, "Meitzar" which means constrictionand limitation. The Exodus was not only a physical freedom, but also a spiritual freedomfrom spiritual constrictions to attain great spiritual heights, which they achieved at Mount Sinai. This feeling we can achieve even today, through the Torah and mitzvot.
SHABBAT SHALOM
Montrealcandle lighting time: 7:23 / Shabbat ends: 8:30
B"H
Thursday, Nissan 6, 5776 / April 14, 2016 – HAKHEL YEAR
We welcome the holiday of Pesach (Passover) with the Pesach Seder. The Seder centers around the following items on the Seder table: Three matzot; shank bone ("zeroa"); hard boiled egg ("beitza"); bitter herbs (“maror”); a paste made of apples, nuts, wine (“charoset”); a vegetable (potato or celery etc. called "karpas").
A dish with salt-water is placed on the Seder table. After the Kiddush and drinking the first cup of wine, we wash our hands, recite the blessing over the vegetable (karpas), dip it in salt water and eat it.
Q. The matzah, maror and karpas, we will eat during the Seder. But what does the shank bone and hard boiled egg at the Seder represent?
A.In the days of the Beth HaMikdash (Holy Temple), Jews would offer two sacrifices in honor of the Passover holiday -- the Peasch sacrifice ("Korban Pesach") and the Chagigah sacrifice ("Korban Chagigah"). The bone on the Seder plate recalls the Pesach sacrifice; the hard-boiled egg symbolizes the Chagigah sacrifice.
Q. The maror reminds us of the bitterness Jews suffered as slaves in Egypt, but what is the significance of the charoset-paste?
A. The charoset-paste is used to dip the maror into it before eating. The texture of the charoset is like mortar. It reminds us of the bricks and mortar which Jews in Egypt had to make when building the cities of Pisom and Ramses, as told in the Torah.
Q. What is the significance of the salt-water at the Seder?
A.The salt-water is symbolic of the "tears" which the children of Israel shed as a result of their suffering during their enslavement in Mitzrayim-Egypt.
Q. Why was an egg chosen to represent the Chagiga sacrifice at the Seder?"
A. A mourner eats an egg in the first meal at the start of Shiva, for the egg is round and symbolizes the cycle of life. The egg is a symbol of mourning. But why a symbol of mourning when we celebrate our freedom?
Our Sages tell us that at the time of our rejoicing, we must remember the destruction of the Holy Temple. Our happiness is not complete without the Temple. We gather at the Seder to rejoice and celebrate our freedom, but at the same time, we also remember our Holy Temple and its destruction.
It is interesting to note that the night of the 9th of Av ("Tisha B'Av"), when both Temples were destroyed, always falls on the same night as the first Seder.
HAVE A VERY GOOD, HAPPY, HEALTHY AND SUCCESSFUL DAY
B"H
Tuesday, Nissan 4, 5776 / April 12, 2016 – HAKHEL YEAR
Q. The traditional good wishes before and on a holiday is, Chag Samech (a happy holiday). But Pesach we wish each other, Chag Kosher v’Sameach (a happy and Kosher holiday). Why do we add Kosher in the Pesach holiday wishes?
A. Throughout the year there are certain foods which we are permitted to eat (kosher foods) and those we are prohibited to consume (non Kosher foods). Food which is Kosher is always Kosher and those which are not kosher are not to be eaten anytime. Thus, it is easy to be careful with the observance of Kashrut.
But the holiday of Pesach is different than all other holidays of the year. Foods which are kosher all year, like bread and cake, are prohibited on Pesach. In fact, (it may surprise you), the prohibition of eating chamets (bread etc.) on Pesach is much stricter than the prohibition of eating pork!
Not only eating, even the possession of chamets is prohibited on Pesach (which is why all the chametz we intend to keep for after Pesach, must be sold to a non-Jew, before Pesach so it will not be ours during Pesach). Because these items are Kosher all year long, yet prohibited (non kosher) during the Pesach holiday, we need to be extra careful and make extra effort to make sure we do not come in contact with it during Pesach. Thus, we add to the regular wish of “Chag Sameach” the word “Kosher”. Wishing each other that the holidays should pass in a most Kosher way.
Q.We hear the term kosher so much. There are many products today with a “kosher” symbol. What is the meaning of the word “Kosher”?
A.“Kosher” in Hebrew means “fit” or “worthy.” A kosher product means that it is fit for eating. Kosher fish and animals are those permitted and worthy of being eaten. Non-kosher are those which a Jew is not permitted to eat, thus, they are not fit to be consumed.
All year long it’s much easier to keep the laws of Kosher and refrain from non-Kosher foods. But, as mentioned above, on Pesach we are prohibited to eat many of the items which are Kosher all year long. Thus, we need to take extra special care and protection to make sure that whatever we buy or cook for Pesach, should be 100% Kosher and fit to be eaten on Pesach. Many foods or medicines may contain non Kosher for Passover ingredients in them. This is why we wish, Chag Kosher v’Sameach.
A small story.. with a big moral lesson: Rabbi Akiva Eiger, one of the great Torah scholars of his day, would invite many poor people to his Seder and did everything he could to make them feel at home. Once, a guest accidentally spilled his cup of wine all over the new white Pesach tablecloth. Everyone at the Seder was shocked and the poor man became very embarrassed.
Thinking quickly how to calm the guest, Rabbi Akiva Eiger knocked over his own cup of wine.. and exclaimed, "It seems that the table is not very sturdy..."
HAVE A VERY GOOD, HAPPY, HEALTHY AND SUCCESSFUL DAY
B"H
Friday, 29 Adar 2, 5776 / April 8, 2016 – HAKHEL YEAR
The Parsha of this Shabbat is Tazria. This Shabbat will be Rosh Chodesh Nissan– the first day of the new month Nissan.
It is also a special Shabbat, called Shabbat Parshat Hachodesh- because we read from the Torah a special reading called Parshat Hachodesh.
Because there are three readings from three different places in the Torah, three Torahs will be taken out of the ark on Shabbat. In the first Torah the cantor will read the Parsha of the week, Tazria. In the second Torah he will read the reading for Rosh Chodesh. In the third Torah he will read Parshat Hachodesh.
Q.What is the significance of Parshat Hachodesh, which we read now before Pesach?
A.In Parshat Hachodesh G-d tells Moshe to command the Jewish people, while still in Egypt, how to prepare for the Exodus. Two weeks before the Exodus, on Rosh Chodesh Nissan. G-d told Moshe about the mitzvah of Rosh Chodesh. Also about performing the first Seder on the night before the Exodus. G-d commanded them to bring the Pesach sacrifice and eat it together with matzah and maror (bitter herbs) at the Seder.
Q.Why do we have to take out threeTorahs? Why can’t we take out only one Torah and roll it from one reading to the other?
A.When there is no other choice, like when there is only one Torah in the synagogue, then that’s what we do. But there is a law that we should not be burdensome on the congregation. Thus, it is not proper to have the congregation sit and wait while we roll the Torah from one place to the other.
Q.At the Seder we drink four cups of wine. There is also a fifth cup filled at the Seder, after the meal, which is called “Kos shel Eliyahu” – “Elijah’s Cup.” What is the significance of this cup, and why is it named after Elijah?
A.According to tradition, Elijah the Prophet visits every Seder. As children we were told that Elijah takes a sip from the wine in his cup.. I remember looking very intensely, but somehow he evaded me.. I never saw him.. I used to be very disappointed..
Being that at the Seder we celebrate our first redemption, which was from Egypt, we pray that Elijah, who is designated to bring us the news of the imminent redemption through Moshiach, should come and inform us of this great news. We also conclude the Seder with our, over two thousand year wish of, “Next year in Jerusalem.”
SHABBAT SHALOM
Montrealcandle lighting time: 7:14 / Shabbat ends: 8:20
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