Torah Readings for April 6, 2024

 

Torah Readings for Saturday, April 6, 2024

Shemini (Eighth)

9:1-11:47 Vayikra (Leviticus)

Shemini is the third sedrah in Vayikra (Leviticus).  Shemini means eighth.  The sedrah takes its name from the third word in the opening verse of the sedrah, “On the eighth (‘shemini’) day, Moses called Aaron and his sons, and the elders of Israel.”  In the preceding sedrah of Tzav, we read about the consecration of the Kohanim, which took seven days.  The narrative in Shemini starts with the day immediately following the events described in Tzav; hence the appellation of the eighth day.  There are those who liken the seven days described in Tzav to the Seven Days of Creation.  In the first week, God was at work in the world.  On the eighth day, it was time for Man to take responsibility for the world he had been given.  Likewise, Moshe had worked for seven days to consecrate the Kohanim.  On the eighth day, it was time for Aaron to assume his responsibility in helping to make the Israelites a holy nation, a nation of priests.

The sedrah is three chapters long.  Chapter 9 describes the events of the Eighth Day.  Chapter 10 describes the events surrounding the death of two of Aaron's sons.  Chapter 11 describes the Laws of Kashrut.

The Eighth Day (9:1-24)

After seven days of consecration where Moshe was performing the rituals, now, on the eighth day, Aaron begins to function fully as the Kohein Gadol.  From now on, only the Kohanim will be responsible for the sacrificial cult in the Tabernacle and later in the Temple in Jerusalem.  According to some commentators, Aaron shows some hesitancy in accepting his role because he remembers, with shame, the episode of the Golden Calf.  But Moshe reassures him that his sin has been forgiven and Aaron does indeed “Come forward to the altar.…”  Supposedly, the sacrifices offered by Aaron in Shemini mark the start of our formal worship, which continues unbroken to modern times through the daily prayer services.  At the conclusion of the sacrifices, Aaron blesses the people.  We see a reminder of this in many congregations today, where Rabbis offer a blessing at the conclusion of Shabbat Eve and Morning Services.  Finally, a fire from the Lord consumes the offerings signifying Divine approval. You might remember the fifteenth and last part of the Seder, which is called Nirtzah.  During Nirtzah we ask for God’s approval for what we have done.  For without His approval, all is for naught. The event described here is an earlier reminder of the concept that without a spark of the divinity, ritual is a meaningless spectacle.

The Events Surrounding the Death of Aaron’s Sons (10:1-20)

The chapter opens with the death of Nadab and Abihu, two of Aaron’s four sons.  They are described as bringing “esh zarah” (alien or strange fire) before the Lord which results in their instant death.  The text offers no explanation for their behavior nor does it specify what is meant by the term “alien fire.”  Some commentators contend that they brought incense of their own creation into the Tabernacle.  We know from previous discussions that incense was of great importance since the morning service carries the daily reminder that a Kohein Gadol who entered the Sanctuary with unfit incense was subject to the death penalty.  What we do know for sure is that God found the behavior so offensive that he took their lives in a seemingly miraculous way.  He rejected their fire by consuming them with a fire of His own.  Apparently, only their souls were consumed, because in subsequent verses we read about their cousins grabbing the miscreants’ tunics and removing their bodies from the camp.  All that is offered by way of explanation in the text is Moshe telling Aaron, “This is what the Lord meant when He said ‘Through those near to Me I show Myself holy and assert My authority before all the people.’”  In other words, the Priests are expected to follow the rules.  Leadership does not allow for license and privilege.  Rather it demands an even higher standard of behavior since failure on the part of the leaders (remember Aaron and the Golden Calf) will cause the people to go astray.  And what was Aaron’s response to this calamity at the moment of his greatest triumph?  “And Aaron was silent.”  Aaron said nothing.  Aaron did nothing.  Did he “accept the justice of the decree” or was he a grieving father, too overwhelmed by the events, or a little of both?  We cannot be sure.  But just in case Aaron or his two remaining sons missed the message, Moshe tells them not to mourn so that they can avoid death at the hands of an angry God.  This strange chapter ends with Moshe angrily denouncing Aaron and his sons for not consuming the sacrifice of purification in the appropriate manner.  Aaron points out the ritual reason for why they behaved as they did.  At the human level, he also points out to his brother that they were reluctant to eat the purification sacrifice in light of the punishment that had befallen their family.  Moshe acknowledges that Aaron has acted correctly after all.

The Laws of Kashrut (11:1-47)

This is the latest in a series of strictures about eating and food.  We have already been told not boil a kid in its mother’s milk, not to consume blood and to avoid chametz during Pesach.  Now we are given lists of creatures we can and cannot eat.  We also are given rules about contamination and containers.  God has given us these commandments so that we might be holy (11:43-45).  Some commentators put the Dietary Laws in the category of strictures known as Chuchat - laws we obey without fully knowing the reason other than that we have been commanded to follow them.  Why is hamburger holy and lobster unholy?  Despite much speculation, nobody will know until the Moshiach comes and answers the unanswerable.  There is no need to rehash the rather detailed information in the Sedrah.  (See Below)  There are many foods on the approved list that most of us would not consider eating.  For example, those of you who are tempted to eat locusts, consider this word of caution.  Ashkenazim do not eat them because their Rabbis feel that it is too difficult to distinguish the different varieties.

In the meantime here are the definitions of a few terms as they are now used that you might find useful.  “Kasher” or kosher means “ritually fit” or proper.  The designation is generally applied to food that is on the “acceptable” list and/or has been prepared according to ritual and under proper supervision where required.  “Terefah” or “treif” is the opposite of kosher.  Treif literally means torn, but now is generally applied to any food that is not kosher.  “Tame” is the term used for what is unclean.  “Tahor” is the opposite meaning pure.  These last two terms are used for matters other than just food.  There is no need to re-hash the views of different groups of Jews about the Dietary Laws.  Etz Hayim does offer an interesting middle ground, as one would expect from the harmonizing world of Conservative Judaism.  It points out that the Torah gives the laws of Kashrut in an incremental manner.  “Similarly, many Jews who begin from a position of limited observance can commit themselves to sanctifying their mealtimes in an in an incremental manner.  They may begin by avoiding pork and shellfish; continue by separating meat and dairy products, and so on.  No one need feel like a hypocrite for not keeping all of the commandments immediately.  What is important is to be on the path, to be a ‘striving’ Jew.”

 

Themes

Commandments
149.    The stricture against priests entering the sanctuary with disheveled hair (10:6).
150.         The stricture against priests entering the sanctuary with torn clothing (10:6).
151.         The requirement that priests, under threat of divinely ordained death, are not to leave the sanctuary during a service (10:7).
152.         The stipulation that priests should not enter the sanctuary, or render a legal ruling, after imbibing liquor (10:8-11).
153.         The specification of two characteristics - split hooves and chewing the cud - which renders land animals kosher (11:2-3).
154.         The prohibition against eating unkosher animals (11:4-7).
155.         The specification of the two characteristics - fins and scales - that render fish kosher (11:9).
156.         The prohibition against eating fish that lack fins and scales (11:10-11).
157.         The stricture against eating unkosher birds (11:13).
158.         The specification of characteristics of permitted locusts (11:21-22).
159.         The delineation of the ritual uncleanness of crawling creatures (11:29-31).
160.         A commandment relating to how food or food containers become defiled and what is to be done with them (11:32-34).
161.         The law that ritual uncleanness is conveyed by touching an animal’s carcass (11:39).
162-163. The prohibition against eating swarming creatures and tiny insects found on grains and fruits (11:41-42).
164.    The prohibition against eating creatures that swarm in water (11:43).
165.         The stricture against eating swarming creatures (11:44).
Biblical Literacy by Rabbi Joseph Telushkin

Demarcations

Shemini is a sedrah of demarcations.  According to Rabbi Hertz, the first ten chapters of the book of Vayikra, including the first two chapters of Shemini, “contain The Law of the Sanctuary in the stricter sense of the term.”  Starting with the eleventh chapter of Vayikra, the last chapter in Shemini, most of the rest of the book “deals with matters other than priests and sacrifices, with what might be described as The Law of Daily Life.”  As we move through the rest of Vayikra, I will leave it to you to see if you agree with Hertz’s demarcation.  According to a note in Etz Hayim, the letter ‘Vav’ in the word ‘gachon’ (belly) in 11:42 is the middle letter of the entire Torah.  The ‘Vav’ is always written large to emphasize this.

Moshe

With the death of Aaron’s sons, we see Moshe torn between his role as a brother and a national leader.  Surely as a brother, he wanted to comfort his grieving brother.  But he had to set his personal feelings aside and serve as the national leader in a moment of challenge.  This conflict might account for his outburst concerning the consumption of the purification sacrifice.

Wine

According to the Psalms, wine may gladden the heart.  But according to Torah, leaders performing their duties are to have a clear head and avoid intoxicants of any kind lest their judgment be impaired.

Strange Fire

Traditionally, this term has been used to refer to practices that did not conform to either the Written or Oral Law.  It is often joined with the injunction about not adding to or subtracting from the Law.  Obviously Judaism has changed over the centuries.  But those changes have supposedly always been anchored in our basic laws and customs as found in the Bible.  One of the reasons we find such an emphasis on intellectual pedigree among Rabbis and Commentators is to ensure that their interpretations and innovations are not whimsical innovations.

The Easy Way to Practice Judaism

There are many reasons given for not practicing Judaism.  My parents weren’t religious.  I didn’t go to Sunday School.  I cannot read Hebrew.  I am busy on Friday night or Saturday morning.  Ah but everybody eats.  And living in the United States with its abundance of food, most of us can control what we eat.  This means, most of us could practice Kashrut at least in its most rudimentary form.  This means that eating in at least a semi-kosher manner is an easy way for all of us to practice our Judaism.

The Importance of Eight

Shemini or Eight reminds of the importance of this number.  God created the world in seven days.  Moshe consecrated the Mishkan for seven days.  But on the Eighth Day, Moshe turned the Mishkan over to Aaron.  In effect he said, now that this has been created as a holy place it is up to you to use it as such, to take it to the next level.  In the same way, God turned the world over to mankind on the Eighth Day.  He said he had created this world and now it was our place to use it properly, to take it to its next level.  The brit takes place on the Eighth Day.  The child has survived the “week of creation.”  Now it is the parents’ job to bring it into the covenant and take it to the next level - a committed Jew and decent human being.  With Havdalah, the Eighth Day begins for each of us.  Each of us has the challenge of taking the spirituality of the Seventh Day and taking into the real world of the Eighth day.

Paying the Rabbi

In Pirke Avot Rabbi Tzaddok teaches, “Do not make the Torah into a crown with which to aggrandize yourself or a spade with which to dig.  And Hillel states:  “He who uses the crown (of Torah) will pass on” (above, 1:13).  From this Rabbi Dovid Rosenthal says we “may learn that anyone who derives benefit from words of Torah takes his life from the world."  Does this mean that nobody should be able to earn compensation by “making utilitarian use of their Torah knowledge?”  There are numerous examples of sages who worked for a living, many of them at humble positions such as woodcutter, charcoal maker and a seller of pins and needles.  Rashi was a vintner and Maimonides was a full-time physician.  Apparently Maimonides thought that this injunction was aimed at the “large class of able-bodied people  who studied Torah while freeloading off of local charities, often imposing charity ‘quotas’ upon the greater community to assist them in their” self-described sacred pursuits.  Congregational rabbis in the United States hardly fit this description.

In this week’s Torah portion we are reminded that one of the purposes of the sacrifices was to provide food for the Kohanim and their families.  While rabbis are not priests, the words of our lips (prayers) have replaced the offerings on the altars (sacrifices).  If the priests gained sustenance from the role they played in offering the sacrifices of our forefathers, it serves to reason that we should provide sustenance for the rabbis who play such an integral part in our worship activities.  So, it would seem that congregational rabbis are the exception to the injunction about not making a profit from the crown of the Torah.

 

Readings for Saturday, March 30, 2024 Shabbat Parah

 Readings for Saturday, March 30, 2024

Shabbat Parah

Two scrolls are used on this Shabbat.  The first is for the regular weekly portion.  The second is for the special reading for Shabbat Parah.

Tzav (Command)

6:1-8:36 Vayikra (Leviticus)

Tzav is the second sedrah in the book of Vayikra (Leviticus).  The sedrah takes its name from the first Hebrew word of the second sentence in the reading.  “Command (Tzav) Aaron and his sons saying…”  As the Stone Chumash points out, up until now “commandments regarding the offerings were introduced with ‘say’ or ‘speak’” since the entire nation was being addressed.  Here the Torah uses the word “command” in terms of the sacrifices because God is addressing the Kohanim directly and instructing them in the duties that they must carry out with zeal.  Tzav is a highly repetitious portion since the first part of the sedrah deals with the sacrifices already described in last week’s sedrah, Vayikra.  One of the major differences has to do with order in which the sacrifices are presented.  According to Etz Hayim, the sacrifices in Vayikra move from voluntary to involuntary while In Tzav; the sacrifices are listed in order of their holiness.  The second part of Tzav deals with ordination or consecration of the Kohanim.

 

Olah or Burnt Offering (6:1-6)

 

Minhah or Grain Offering (6:7-11)

 

Chatat or Sin Offering (6:17-23)

 

Asham or Guilt Offering (7:1-10)

 

Zevach Sh’lamim or Offering of Well-Being (7:11-34)

Tzav amplifies the information offered in Vayikra about this sacrifice.  Tzav specifically mentions two different types of, and reasons for, offering the Zevach Sh’lamim.  One was a “Todah” or Thanksgiving Offering (7:10).  The other could be a “Nedavah” or Freewill Offering (7:16).  Apparently included in the second group was the “Neder”, a sacrifice brought upon fulfillment of a vow.  The Hebrew word Neder means vow.

 

Ordination or Consecration of the Kohanim (8:1-36)

If you think you have read this already, you are right.  In chapter 29 of Shemot (Exodus), God tells Moshe how to conduct the service of consecration.  In Tzav, the ordination process actually takes place.  The consecration takes seven days.  The next sedrah will pick up with the eighth day.

 

Themes:

 

Commandments

131. The obligation to remove from the altar the ashes of offerings (6:3-4).

132-133. The requirement to kindle a “perpetual” fire on the altar and never let it go out (6:5-6).

134-135. The commandment that priests are to eat the remnants of meal offerings but not cook them so they become leavened (6:9-10).

136. The Specification of the daily meal offerings brought by the High Priest - beginning when he is anointed (6:13).

137. The requirement that the priest’s meal offering should not be eaten (6:16).

138. The specification of how priests are to offer the Chatat or Sin Offering (6:18).

139. The prohibition against eating the offering if any of the animal’s blood has been brought into the Tent of the Meeting (6:23).

140. The specification of the Asham or Guilt Offering (7:16).

141. The specification of the Shalmim or Peace Offering (7:11-14).

142. The specification against leaving overnight any remains of a Todah or Thanksgiving Offering (7:15).

143. The requirement to burn remnants of sacrifices on the third day after they are offered (7:17).

144. That a sacrifice becomes invalidated because of failure to obey the relevant regulations (7:18).

145-146. The prohibition against eating the meat of a defiled offering and the requirement to burn such meat (7:19).

147. The prohibition against eating Helev, or Forbidden Animal Fat (7:23).

148. The prohibition against consuming an animal’s blood (7:26).

From Biblical Literacy by Rabbi Joseph Telushkin

 

Kashrut

Some of the Laws of Kashrut (keeping Kosher) have to do with dishes and how to purify them.  In reading 6:21, we see some of the Torah underpinnings for the rulings about kitchenware made of different materials.

 

Thanksgiving

In the days of the Temple it was customary to bring offerings of Thanksgiving for the joys of life.  With the demise of the Temple, the custom was established of giving a person an aliyah (calling them up to the Torah) to celebrate moments of deliverance or joy.  The Gomel or Thanksgiving Blessing is recited at the end of the reading.  While Psalm 107 lists four specific reasons for reciting Gomel, the most common one today is recovery from a major illness or successful surgery.  Additional moments of joy could include a groom being called up on the Shabbat before the wedding or a father being called up after the birth of a child.  In this last example a special prayer is said for the well-being of the mother.  This is just one more example of how our religious practices are rooted in the Temple service of old.  According to some sages, once the Moshiach has come, all of the sacrifices will disappear except the Sacrifice of Thanksgiving.  The other sacrifices have to do with our shortcomings, which will no longer exist in the Messianic Era.  But even after the coming of the Moshiach we will still be thankful for enjoying the blessings of the Lord.

 

Appropriate Attire

The Kohanim only wore their special garb while performing their duties in the Tabernacle (6:3).  When away from the Tabernacle, such as when they carried out the ashes (6:4), the Kohanim put on ordinary clothing.  In keeping with the spirit of these references to dress, a tradition of wearing one’s finest garments on Shabbat and Holiday developed in many communities.  So well-known was this custom that in the days of the Spanish Inquisition, spies would report to the authorities any time they saw Marranos dressed up on days corresponding to Jewish holidays.  This was considered a sure sign that their conversion to Christianity was less than sincere.

 

The Ordination of the Kohanim

Why did God have Moshe dab blood on the ridge of Aaron’s ear, the thumb of his right hand and the big toe of his right foot?  Nobody knows what this particular ritual meant to our ancient forefathers.  However, the sages have provided us with some interpretations that might be meaningful to us in our daily lives.  According to some, the three parts of the body mentioned are “an abbreviated code” for the entire person.  To serve God, we must serve him with the entirety of our personage.  Blood is a symbol of ritual transition.  In the Brit Milah, the drop of blood is a symbol of transition into the Covenant that God made with Abraham.  At Pesach, the blood on the doorposts marks the transition from death (for the Egyptian) to life for the Israelites or the transition from slavery to freedom.  Here the blood marks the passage of Aaron and his sons from being private individuals to being the Kohanim, the public officials responsible for the ritual well-being of the Israelites.  Others have said that the ear reminds us to always listen to God, the thumb (being part of the hand) reminds us to always reach out to God and the toe (being part of the foot) reminds us to move quickly to carry out the will of God.

 

Blood

The Torah repeatedly commands us not consume blood.  So why are we commanded to put blood on the altar of atonement?  The Israelites were commanded not to consume blood because the pagans consumed it as part of their sacrifices.  Also, animals drink blood.  The commandments are intended, in part, to differentiate us from the pagans and to help us control our animal soul.  At the same time, blood is the life force.  That which is prohibited to man, is not prohibited to the Lord.  “The holiness of the blood is demonstrated by putting it on the altar as something only for God and not for humans.”

 

The Five Senses

The sacrifices appealed to all five of our senses.  Since we can no longer offer sacrifices we have customs and ceremonies to engage all five of our senses:

Sound - The chanting of our prayers and the blowing of the shofar;

Sight - The public display of the Torah and its ornaments;

Smell - The spices of the Havdalah Ceremony;

Taste - Matzah and Bitter Herbs; and

Touch - The Lulav.

 

In Place of Sacrifices

Since the Temple has been destroyed, we cannot offer sacrifices.  The Sages looked to the TaNaCh to find substitutes.  We have already seen that in the words of Hosea, “Let the offerings of our lips and tongue replace the animal sacrifices of the Temple” they found the justification for prayer standing in the place of the sacrifices.  Verses in Tzav provided further evidence for this transition.  “In the Talmud Rabbi Isaac asked, ‘Why does it say This is the law of the sin-offering, (Vayikra 6:18) this is the law of the guilt-offering? (Vayikra 7:1).’  To teach us that when one studies the law of the sin offering, it is considered as though he had actually brought it on the Altar, and when one studies the law of the guilt-offering, it as though he actually brought it on the altar.’  Rather than merely recite these portions, study them and attempt to learn about the laws and significance of the various sacrifices.”  Furthermore, in the opening words of this week’s sedrah, they found the justification for having the study of Torah stand in the place of the sacrifices.  “Tzav Ah-haron.zoat torat ha-olah.”  “Command Aaron…This is the law (torat) of the burnt offering.”  The Rabbis seized on the word torat, a form of the word torah and concluded:  “In our day, the study of Torah takes the place of bringing animal offerings.”

 

The Permanent Fire

The Kohanim were commanded to keep a “permanent fire aflame on the Altar” (6:5-6).  There are those who contend that the Sanctuary (be it the Mishkan or the Temple in Jerusalem) has its spiritual counterpart within the personage of each Jew.  And the heart of the Jew corresponds to the Altar.  Just as the Kohanim were to keep a permanent fire burning on the altar by tending to it and feeding it wood, so we are to keep the permanent fire burning in our hearts by studying Torah and publicly manifesting our faith.  Sometimes the flame of the fire may burn low.  Sometimes our attachment to our faith reaches a low ebb, but the spark is always there in the heart of the Jew waiting to be nourished so that it may roar again with the light and the warmth of God and his mitzvoth.

 

“Steak and Sacrifices” by W. Gunther Plaut

(The following comes from the pen of one of the leading rabbis of the Reform Movement. You might be a little surprised by what he has to say about animal sacrifices.)

 

“Being civilized, modern people, we are likely to shudder at the idea of slicing up animals to express our devotion to God.  Of course, we see nothing wrong with a good steak for dinner, unless perhaps the cardiologist advises against it.  But we leave the killing of animals to others and are not inclined to improve our children’s education or our own by visiting a slaughterhouse.  Yet whole chapters in the Torah are devoted to animal sacrifices; the part of Tzav consists of little else.  What are we to make of instructions elaborating how the animal is to be slaughtered who may eat of it, what disposition shall be made of the fat, and who shall keep the skin?  Or of the rule that the elders of the community will expiate an unwitting error made by the people through laying their hands on a bull and slaughtering it?  The whole notion that the merciful Creator demands the killing of innocent creatures as a sign of human obeisance seems at first glance to be an obvious contradiction.  Yet we would do well to look a little further.  First, we should consider the times and circumstances to which this legislation addressed itself.  The Israelites in the Promised Land were almost all farmers, and therefore had a special relationship to their animals and often would know them by name.  They were not accustomed to a daily diet of meat, and in that respect were no different from the vast masses of humanity then or now.  Animals were domesticated for sale or for the milk or wool they produced.  They represented capital that one did not eat up lightly.  Consuming meat was reserved for special occasions.  Chief among these were visits to the nearest shrine and, later, to the central sanctuary in Jerusalem.  These pilgrimages were acts of festive celebration, expressed as thanksgiving or expiation for sins committed, and marked major events in life.  The pilgrim would take an animal along and slaughter it in the holy precincts.  As an act of worship, sacrifice had two important side effects.  For one, it served to lessen the guilt a farmer felt (and feels) when he killed a creature he had from its birth.  This guilt was attenuated when the killing was done to honor God and when the meal was shared with others.  In balancing the desire to eat meat and the moral problem of killing animals, sacrificial ritual was an extension of the wider dietary laws.  Rabbi Avraham Yitzhak Hacohen Kook, chief rabbi of Mandatory Palestine, one wrote that all the laws of Kashrut are devised to remind us constantly that we are eating the flesh of once-living creatures.  For that reason, for instance, we do not consume animals’ blood, which in biblical tradition is considered “life itself.”  Another side effect of bringing the offering in a holy environment was the deep impression the ritual was sure to make.  This was not just killing for the sake of pleasurable feasting; it was done for God’s sake.  One came closer to God through voluntary giving of one’s possessions, through sacrificing something.  (The word “sacrifice” combines the Latin word facere which means ‘to make or render’ and the Latin word sacer which means ‘holy.’  It is a translation of the Hebrew word for sacrifice, korban, which literally means ‘bringing close’ as in ‘bringing close to God.’)  And what do we do today?  We buy meat at the butcher’s or in grocery store already cellophane-wrapped.  Small children have no real inkling of where the meat came from.  Any connection to the living creature is totally absent.  These animals are to have been “harvested” in some mysterious way, which even adults would rather not know about.  In contrast, our biblical ancestors never reduced animals to the status of things.  Yet we tend to feel smugly superior to those ancient times.  We do so with little reason.”

Second Scroll

Special Reading for Shabbat Parah (Sabbath of the (Red) Heifer)

19:1-22 Bamidbar (Numbers)

 

Shabbat Parah - Sabbath of the (Red) Heifer is the third of the four special Sabbaths (not counting Shabbat Ha-Gadol) that precede the holiday of Pesach.  Each of these special Sabbaths has a special connection with the story of the Exodus or the preparations for observing the holiday.  On Shabbat Parah two scrolls are taken from the ark.  The first scroll is used for reading the sedrah of the week.  The second scroll contains the special reading for the holiday, the first 22 verses from chapter 19 of Bamidbar (the Book of Numbers).  This passage deals with the ritual of the Red Heifer.  In Hebrew, the Red Heifer is called the Parah Adumah.  Parah is translated as cow or heifer.  Adumah is the Hebrew word for red.  Hence the name of the Sabbath is “Shabbat Parah.”  The ashes of the Red Heifer were used for ritual purification.  In the days of the Temple, those who were unclean could not participate in the sacrificial process.  This reading reminds us of the importance of cleansing oneself prior to taking part in the sacrifices for Pesach.  We do not offer sacrifices.  Nor are we able to use the ashes of the Red Heifer.  So the reading provides a symbolic method of connecting us with the ancient ritual.  It also can remind us that Pesach is a time of new beginnings and that the time prior to Pesach can be used to cleanse ourselves spiritually just as we cleanse our homes of chametz.

 

A Tale of Two Bovines

At this time of the year we read the stories of two forms of livestock - The Golden Calf and the Red Heifer.  In the material world, a calf made of gold would certainly fetch a higher price than a cow that has not shown that it can produce a calf.  But in the spiritual world, the world where the word of God dominates, the red heifer is of the greater value because, unlike the Golden Calf, it serves His purpose.  When we measure the true value of things, it might help us to remember that the ultimate Judge is the one who determines worth, not the Wall Street Financiers or the gnomes of Zurich.

 

Special Haftarah for Shabbat Parah

36:16-38 (Ashkenazim)

36: 16-36 (Sephardim)

Ezekiel

 

The Man:  Ezekiel was one of the three Major Prophets.  He was a younger contemporary of the Prophet Jeremiah.  He was part of the Jewish population that went into exile after the destruction of the First Temple.  He preached to the Jews of Babylonia in what were some of the darkest days in ancient Jewish History.

 

The Message:  Ezekiel assured the people that they would return to their homeland after the Exile.  Here he stressed the importance of obeying a strict moral code once they had returned to the Promised Land.  Exile had been punishment for disobeying the commandments.  Redemption would only be successful if the commandments were followed.

 

Theme-Link:  Usually there is a connection between the haftarah and the weekly Torah portion.  This is not one of those times.  This week the connection is with events on the calendar - namely Shabbat Parah.  The emphasis of the special Torah portion for Shabbat Parah is on the need for ritual cleanliness.  This is tied directly to preparing for the observance of Pesach.  The haftarah serves to reinforce a similar message of the need for purity in all of our actions.

 

Copyright; March, 2024; Mitchell A. Levin

 

 

 

Readings for Saturday, March 23, 2024: Fast of Esther; Purim; Shushan Purim

 Readings for Thursday, March 21, 2024 (11^th of Adar)

Fast of Esther - Shacharit (Morning Service)

32:11-14; 34:1-10 Shemot (Exodus)

This is the standard reading for minor fast days.  During the year, this material is part of the weekly portion called Ki Tissa.  The reading from chapter 32, which is the first of the three aliyot, relates to the Sin of the Golden Calf - specifically the plea of Moses that the Lord not destroy the Israelites.  “Turn from Your blazing anger, and renounce the plan to punish Your people…And the Lord renounced the punishment he planned to bring upon His people.”  The readings from chapter 34, which comprise the other two aliyot, describe the creation of the second set of stone tablets which replace the first set - the ones Moses shattered against the Golden Calf.  The reading actually ends with a statement by the Lord renewing the Covenant, “He said, ‘I hereby make a covenant.…’”  This is an appropriate reading for a fast day.  It concerns itself with the worst sin of the Israelites - the episode of the Golden Calf.  The first reading shows that God does hear us when we repent and is willing to “avert the evil decree.”  The second two readings are a reminder that from something bad - the Golden Calf - something good - the renewal of the Covenant and the second set of tablets - can come.

Fast of Esther - Mincha (Afternoon Service)

32:11-14; 34:1-10 Shemot (Exodus)

These are the same readings and reasons as the morning service.

Fast of Esther - Mincha (Afternoon Service)

Haftarah

55:6-56:8 Isaiah

The reading is from the Second Isaiah, the Isaiah of the Exile.  In moving, poetic terms, the prophet offers a vision of forgiveness for the truly penitent.  First the penitent person must accept that the Lord is calling the shots, “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Neither are your ways My ways, saith the Lord.”  And then the penitent person must change behavior, “Keep ye justice, and do righteousness…Happy is the man that does this…that keepeth the Sabbath from profaning it, and keepeth his hand from doing any evil.”

 

The Fast of Esther normally falls on the 13^th of Adar and is observed in memory of the fast mentioned in the Megillah Esther.  Their fast was a three day fast.  Ours is only a one-day affair.  This fast also reminds us of a theme that runs throughout Judaism - the bitter and the sweet or darkness always gives way to light.  The Fast of the 13^th gives way to the Feast of the 14^th.  In other words, we should not be too disheartened by moments of defeat because, with the help of God, they are merely the prelude to an even greater joy.

 

There are exceptions when it comes to observing the fast and this year is one of those exceptions.  According to Rabbi Shraga Simmons, “If the 13^th falls on Shabbat, we don’t fast that day, due to the honor of Shabbat.  The fast is not even held on Friday, since this would adversely affect Shabbat preparations.  Rather, we observe the fast on Thursday, the 11^th of Adar.”

Readings for Saturday, March 23, 2024

Shabbat Zachor - Two scrolls are used on this Shabbat.  The first is for the regular weekly portion.  The second is for the special reading for Shabbat Zachor.

First Scroll

Vayikra (He called)

1:1-5:26 Vayikra (Leviticus)

 

This week we begin the third book of the Torah, Vayikra or Leviticus.  Much of this book concerns material that seems foreign to our modern world.  It is a world of sacrifices; a world of animals and blood and fire.  It is a world that seems far distant from our so-called civilized 21^st century practices.  So why study this text at all?  For several reasons; it is one of the Five Books of Moses and we have been reading it for centuries.  The sacrificial system was important to our forefathers and understanding it might give us greater insight into our origins.  The sacrificial system and the activities in the Temple provide much of the origin and motifs for the worship services in the Synagogue as well as various home-based customs and ceremonies.  Some of the material is very technical so some of the guides may contain large segments of material taken directly from various sources.  Don’t worry, unlike a few famous historians, I use quotation marks.  Having stated the caveats, let's begin.

 

Vayikra, both the book and the first sedrah take their name from the first word of the book, which literally means, “He called” as in “He called to Moshe.…”  The “He” refers to God.  The English name for the book is Leviticus, referring to the Levites, the tribe to which the Kohanim or Priests belong.  In the Mishnah the book is referred to as the “Torat Kohanim” or “the Law of the Priests” since much of the book deals with the sacrificial system and the duties of the Priests.  Vayikra is dense with laws.  If my math is correct, the book contains 247 of the 613 Commandments.  However, since many of the commandments involve the sacrificial system, they cannot be performed at this time since there is no Temple.

 

There are those who contend that Vayikra was written by the priestly class in Jerusalem long after the events in the Wilderness.  According to them Vayikra was inserted in the Torah to justify and ensure that the Temple in Jerusalem would be the only place to bring sacrifices and that the sacrificial system would be controlled by the tribe of Levi and specifically by the Kohanim, the Levitical family descended from Aaron.  If this were true, one has to ask why there is no mention of Jerusalem in Vaykira.  Furthermore, when the Jewish state split after the death of Solomon, Jeroboam established sanctuaries at Dan and Bethel where, according to archaeologists, a sacrificial system along the lines described in Vayikra was followed.  Finally, we have evidence that there was a Temple at Elphantine where the Jews of this Egyptian outpost offered sacrifices in the third century before the Common Era.  Regardless, the sacrificial system ended in 70 of the Common Era with the destruction of the Second Temple.

 

While sacrifices were common to ancient man, the Biblical commentators have cast the material in Leviticus in a uniquely Jewish mold.  For the Jews, the sacrifices exist as a way for us to express our adoration of God.  They do not exist because God needs to be fed or because God needs our sacrifices.  This is a topic we explored when we studied the Golden Calf.  Also, unlike with other ancient people, the description of the sacrificial system was public knowledge.  By making it part of the Torah, all Israelites were to know how the system worked.  Among most other peoples, the sacrificial system was part of the secret knowledge known only to the priestly and/or ruling class.  The entire system of sacrifices described in Vayikra and the “Holiness Code” that comprises the last nine chapter of the book, were intended to reinforce the notion of Kedoshim, the notion of holiness.  Vayikra is written to truly make us “a nation of Priests.”

 

Vayikra, the first sedrah, contains a series of commands from God concerning a variety of sacrifices.  Using the notes from Etz Hayim, we find the following:

 

Olah or Burnt Offering (1:1-17)

The olah or burnt offering “was burned to ashes in its entirety (except for its hide) on the altar of burnt offerings.  It was brought on various occasions, often together with other offerings.  Neither the priests nor donors ate any part of it.  The Olah could consist of male herd cattle, male flock animals or certain birds.  This range of choices - from expensive to inexpensive - enabled Israelites of modest means to participate in religious life because they could present less costly offerings at the sanctuary.”

 

Mincha or Grain Offering (2:1-16)

“Appropriate for a variety of occasions, the grain offering (mincha) often served as a less costly alternative to animal sacrifices.  Both the mincha and olah were regarded as ‘a most sacred offering,’ a status that imposed special restrictions.”  It would seem that the grain offering was for those who were too poor to afford any of the animals that would have been used in the olah.

 

Zevach Sh’lamim or The Offering of Well-Being (3:1-17)

“This category of offering was brought by a person who had something to celebrate.”  “Some of the same animals used for the olah could also be used for the Zevach Sh’lamim.  The same altar was used for both types of offerings as well as for the grain offering.”  Unlike the olah or mincha, “Zevach Sh’lamim was a sacred meal shared by the priests and by the donors of the offerings.  Only certain fatty portions of the animal were burned on the altar as God’s share.  The mincha could be eaten only by the priests.  Thus Zevah represents a distinctive mode of sacrifice, affording worshipers the experience of sharing a sacred meal with the priests.”  According to Plaut, the three sacrifices just described were of a voluntary nature.

 

The next series of sacrifices - Chatat and Asham - are obligatory sacrifices.  For the modern reader, the reasons for bringing these sacrifices are probably more meaningful than the ritual itself.  The reasons for bringing sacrifices provide us with a guide as to what is acceptable and unacceptable behavior in the sight of God.

 

Chatat or Sin Offering (4:1-35)

This offering covers sins that are committed “unwittingly.”  The miscreant may be a priest, the whole congregation, a leader or just an individual.  The Chatat takes on slightly different forms depending upon who the offending party is.

 

The sedrah then continues with four more special cases when Chatat must be offered (5:1-13).

 

Asham or Guilt Offering (5:14-26)

Unlike with the Chatat, only a ram may be used in performing Asham.  Asham was brought as part of the atonement process for a variety of transgressions, including “unintentional misuse or destruction of sanctuary property,” fraud, robbery, or lying under oath.  In the case of the last three, before one could bring Asham, the transgressor had to make restitution to the victim.

 

Themes:

 

Commandments

115. The specification of the burnt-offering sacrifice known as olah (1:3).

116. The commandment to bring the meal offering known as mincha (2:1-3).

117. The prohibition against offering up leaven and honey on the altar (2:11).

118-119. A negative and positive precept:  Not to offer a sacrifice without salt, but to salt all offerings (2:13).

120. The specification of the sacrifice the Jewish High Court offers when it makes an erroneous ruling that causes the entire people to sin (4:13-14).

121. The commandment that an offering known as Chatat is brought for unintentional sins (4:27-28).

122. The duty to offer testimony if one has pertinent knowledge about a crime (5:1).

 

From Biblical Literacy by Rabbi Joseph Telushkin

 

Study

When a child began to study Torah, he began with the book of Vayikra.  I can find no definitive reason for this well-known and often mentioned practice.  Maybe one of you has found it among your resources.

 

Customs and Ceremonies

The Mincha sacrifice was offered after mid-day or what we call Afternoon.  Mincha is now the name given to the Afternoon Service, which may not begin before 12:30 p.m.  The custom of dipping bread in salt before eating is a reminder that sacrifices in the Temple were salted.

 

Sin and Repentance

According to Plaut, Chatat (the Sin Offering) takes its name from the verb “chata” that means, “to miss the mark.”  In other words, the person who commits a sin is not necessarily evil.  Rather, he or she may have tried and missed the objective.  Chata is an admission of that failure along with a commitment to try and not miss the mark next time.  But as we can see from the requirements surrounding Asham, bringing a sacrifice is not synonymous with atonement.  In requiring the miscreant to make restitution, the authors of Vayikra are driving home the very Jewish concept that forgiveness begins with apologizing to those whom we have wronged and changing behavior.  Forgiveness is not gained through ritual alone.

 

Justice

Once again, we are reminded that the Jewish concept of justice is higher than the one we find in civil society.  As we read in 5:1, those who withhold evidence because they are not asked or who do not come forward to testify voluntarily are considered to be sinners.  When they have had a change of heart and rectify their behavior they must bring Chatat to gain expiation.

 

The Little Aleph

Aleph is the last letter in the Hebrew “Vayikra.”  When the word Vayikra is written in the Torah at the start of this sedrah, it always ends with a small aleph.  According to Rabbi Weisblum, the reason for this is as follows.  The sedrah concerns itself with the offerings in the Temple.  “The small aleph symbolizes that all donations, contributions or offerings, of whatever size, were acceptable.”  There are other explanations including ones that have to with structure and spacing of letters in the original text and the humility of Moses.  The text is spare; the explanations are varied and dense.

 

Prayers In Place of Sacrifices

Since the Temple has been destroyed we cannot bring sacrifices.  Therefore, we offer prayers in the place of sacrifices.  This is an example of how interpretation has allowed us to survive for the past four thousand years.  This change is based, at least in part, on a verse from the prophet Hosea “So will we render for bullocks the offering of our lips” (14:3) which is taken to mean, “Let our lips substitute for the sacrificial offerings.”  The word “bullocks” refers to the sacrifices.

 

Chametz

Rabbi Artson notes that the prohibition against Chametz or leavened grain is connected with observing Pesach.  But in Vayikra we find that no offering containing Chametz was to be brought to the Tabernacle or the Temple.  “No grain offering that you offer to the Lord shall be made with leaven (Chametz), for no leaven or honey may be turned into smoke as gift to the Lord.” (2:11).  One explanation for this ban is offered by the Rambam.  In ancient times, idol worshippers used leaven and honey in their offerings.  Since our practices were so different from those who worshipped idols, our sacrifices would not use the leaven and honey that they used.  But what is the connection between the ban on Chametz in sacrificial offerings and the ban on Chametz at Pesach?  Pesach marks the holiday of our freedom from bondage, which was the first step toward making us a holy nation, a nation of priests.  With the destruction of the Temple, the ceremonials in our homes stood in place of the sacrifices.  When we ban Chametz from our table for the week of Pesach, we are, in effect, elevating our table, to the level of the altar in the Temple where Chametz was banned at all times.

 

Sacrificial Selections

One has to wonder how the different types of animals were selected to be included in the sacrificial system.  What was so special about pigeons and turtledoves?  Why weren’t other birds acceptable?  Why couldn’t goats be used interchangeably with sheep?  Yes, there are practical reasons - sociological, historical and agricultural.  But it would appear that the real reason will be like all other “Chukat” apparent only with the coming of the Messiah.

 

Vayikra Moshe

According Everett Fox, the phrase “Vayikra Moshe” (And He called unto Moses) appears only twice in the Torah.  The second time is in Chapter 1, verse 1 of the book of Vayikra.  The first time is in Chapter 24, verse 6 of the Book of Shemot (Exodus) in the weekly reading of Mishpatim.  In Shemot, the term “Vayikra Moshe” separates the end of a torrent of laws relating to personal and social behavior from the rules dealing with the building of the Mishkan, the utensils to be used by the Kohanim and the clothing to be worn by the descendants of Aaron as they perform their holy duties that make up the balance of the second book of the Torah.  Since nothing is in the Torah by accident, what is the significance of this unique way of God calling out to Moses and why is it found only in these two places?  Could it be that God is connecting the laws of Leviticus with the purpose of the Tabernacle?  Could it be that we are reminded that by obeying the laws of Leviticus we are figuratively entering into the Mishkan, that portable symbol of the presence of God?  Today we have no Mishkan or Temple in which to offer sacrifices.  Our prayers serve as substitute for those sacrifices.  Could it be that by offering our prayers we are building our own Tabernacle in which we can find a closer connection with the Divine?  This is but one possible explanation.  The reason we study this year in and year out is to find the meaning behind the meaning.

 

Vayikra Quiz

1. List two characteristics of the sacrificial animal mandated by God?

The animal must be a male without a blemish (1:3).

2. According to Moses, what aspect of the sacrifices pleases God?

The aroma of the sacrifices is pleasing to God (1: 9, 13.17).

3. What happened to the part of a grain offering that was not mixed with oil and incenses?

It was given to Aaron and his sons to be eaten (2:3).

4. What two foodstuffs were forbidden to the Israelites for all time?

Blood and fat (3:17).

 

Second Scroll

Special Reading for Shabbat Zachor

25:17-19 Devarim (Deuteronomy)

 

Shabbat Zachor or the Sabbath of the Remembrance always comes on the Shabbat before Purim.  It is the second special Shabbat that precedes Pesach.  On Shabbat Zachor we remove two scrolls from the ark.  The first scroll is for the regular weekly reading.  The second scroll is for the special reading Shabbat Zachor that comes from Devarim 25:17-19.  This reading begins with the words “Remember (Zachor) what Amalek did to you on the way, as you came out of Egypt!”  The two sentences recount the attack of the Amalekites that was made without provocation at the rear of the column of the Israelites, the weakest place, when we had just left Egypt.  Because of the nature of this unprovoked attack we are commanded to “eradicate the memory of Amalek from beneath the heavens.…”  This reading comes just before Purim, because traditionally Haman is supposed to be a descendant of Amalek.  Also, tradition tells us that we are to eradicate the memory of Haman just as we are commanded to eradicate the memory of Amalek.  Although women are exempt from most time-driven commandments, they must fulfill the command to hear the reading for Shabbat Zachor.  The command to “Remember Amalek” is of such importance that it is part of the Six Remembrances that are recited daily.

 

Amalekites in Modern Times

The commandments to Blot out the Amalekites have the harsh sound of a call for genocide to our modern ears.  In addition to which we are puzzled by the command to both blot out the Amalekites and yet to Remember the Amalekites.  What was the great sin of the Amalekites?  For example there is no command to blot out the Egyptians who enslaved us for four centuries so why the Amalekites?  The Amalekites attacked the Israelites when they were at their low ebb, shortly after leaving Egypt in what one commentator describes as an unnecessary sneak attack.  In other words, Amalek is the archetype of the evil doer who preys on the weak, the helpless and the unsuspecting.  When the Jew remembers Amalek, he or she is remembering this kind of evil and the Jew blots out Amalek by protecting the weak from the parasites who prey upon them.  In modern parlance, Jews are blotting out Amalek when we support laws that promote honesty in the world of commerce, that protect the rights of workers and that ensure the safety and healthfulness of food, drugs and water.

 

Haftarah for Shabbat Zachor

I Samuel 15:2-34 (Ashkenazim)

I Samuel 15:1-34 (Sephardim and Chabad Chassidim)

 

The Men:  The reading centers on Samuel, the last of the pre-monarchical leaders and Saul, the first King of Israel.  Their relationship was a stormy one at best.  Samuel did not want a king and Saul was not the stuff of which great monarchs are made.

 

The Message:  The reading relates Saul’s fight with the Amalekites and their King, Agag.  God told Saul that He was punishing the Amalekites for what they had done to the Israelites when they left Egypt.  He told Saul to attack them and wipe them out - men, women, children and all of their livestock.  Saul disobeyed and kept the best of the livestock and took Agag prisoner.  When Samuel confronted him, Saul tried to deny that he had disobeyed God and then he tried to rationalize his behavior.  Samuel would have none of it.  He told Saul that God “regrets” His decision to make him king.  Saul pled, but it was too late.  God and Samuel turned their respective backs on him.

 

Theme-Link:  Usually the prophetic portion is connected to the weekly Torah portion.  On some occasions, the prophetic portion is linked to the special nature of the Shabbat or an event on the calendar.  This is one of those occasions.  The special Torah reading is about the Amalekites.  The haftarah is also about the Amalekites.  One describes the evil that they did.  The other describes an attempt to finally punish them for this evil.  For many people this is the most puzzling prophetic reading of the year.

 

This is not the last time Saul will be connected with the Amalekites.  Saul fought his last battle against the Philistines at Mount Gilboa.  When he saw that all was lost, Saul fell upon his sword rather than be taken captive.  Three days after the battle a man came to David’s camp and told him that Saul was dead.  When David asked how Saul had died, the man said he had killed Saul.  He gave David Saul’s crown and bracelet as proof of his deed.  The man identified himself as being "the son of an Amalekite.”  Why did this Amalekite lie about what had happened?  According to some, he thought David would reward him for killing Saul - the monarch who had tried to kill David.  Instead of rewarding him, David had the Amalekite killed for having killed “the Lord’s anointed.”  Some say this episode is further proof of the venality of the Amalekites.  There are those who contend that this troubling haftarah exists to remind us that Evil does exist.  This means that Right and Wrong exist; a concept that makes modern man who lives in an era of situational ethics uncomfortable to say the least.  And this leads back to Saul and David.  When Samuel confronted Saul for failing to follow God’s command, Saul equivocated and tried to rationalize his behavior.  When Nathan confronted David in the matter of Uriah and Bathsheba, the monarch admitted his sin and repented for his deeds.  For some, this explains why the House of Saul fell and the House of David did not.

 

Readings for Purim, Saturday Night, March 23, 2024

Purim

Megillah Esther

This reading fulfills the first half of the rule that “Each person, man and woman alike is obligated to hear the reading of the Megillah at night and during the day.”  This is the “central observance” of Purim.  While laws pertaining to the holiday may be found in the Talmudic Tractate known as “Megillah,” the simplest compendium of the rules is in Chapter 141 of the Kitzur Shulchon Oruch, copies of which are available in very readable English translation.

Torah Readings for Sunday, March 24, 2024 (14^th of AdarII)

Purim - Shacharit (Morning Service)

17:8-16 Shemot (Exodus)

 

The Torah portion describes the battle between that Amalekites and the Israelites that took place in the Wilderness after the Exodus.  According to tradition, Haman is a descendant of the Amalekites, specifically Agag, who was an Amalekite King.  The reading is one verse short of the standard ten usually required, so the last verse is repeated.

Megillah Esther

 

The Megillah is read after the Torah has been returned to the ark and half-kaddish has been chanted.  This reading fulfills the second half of the rule that “Each person, man and woman alike is obligated to hear the reading of the Megillah at night and during the day.”

 

Purim

Purim is celebrated on the 14^th of Adar.  In preparation, here are a few customs and ceremonies related to the holiday.  The emphasis is on the word few.  This is not intended to be a complete compendium of the customs, ceremonies or the reasons for the observances.  I will leave that to the professionals in the community.  The rules concerning Purim cover nine pages in Volume II of the Kitzur Shulchon Oruch (a code of Jewish ritual law).  The material is found in two chapters called respectively, “The Reading of the Magillah” and “Sending Presents of Food, Giving Gifts to the Poor, and the Purim Feast.”  These chapter headings should give you an idea as to the thrust of the holiday observances.

 

The Half-Shekel

We always remember the poor at Purim.  It became a custom to give three half-shekels or in our case three half-dollars to the poor so that they could enjoy the holiday as well.

 

Shalach Monos (Yiddish)

Purim is a time for giving gifts.  Traditionally the gifts consist of two consumable items that do not require further preparation.  These may include hamantaschen, other kinds of cookies, cakes or candy as well as grape juice or wine.  In some communities the making and delivery of Shalach Monos baskets has become a Sisterhood fundraising activity.  At any rate, these treats are delivered by a third party.  Frequently children get to play the part of gift deliverers.

 

Reading the Megillah

Everybody, regardless of sex, is to hear the reading both in the evening and again in the morning.  There are numerous rules about the proper way the reading is to take place.  Interestingly, the name of G-d does not appear in the Megillah.

 

Eating and Drinking

Purim is a holiday of great joy.  Traditionally a festive meal, including meat, is to be consumed during the day of Purim.

 

Two Scrolls - Two Women - Two Outcomes

Two of the five scrolls are named for women - The Scroll of Esther and The Scroll of Ruth.  Ruth tells the story of a convert who chooses to move to Eretz Israel, who observes the commandments including caring for the widow, gleaning and chalitzah.  Her merit is such that she becomes the Matriarch for the House of David which includes David, Solomon and ultimately the Moshiach.  Esther tells the story of a Jewess who marries a non-Jew.  Yes, she does it as part of the Divine Plan and yes she does save her people.  Of course she does this by using the skills of the courtesan and the harem girl.  Furthermore, according to tradition, her son is King Darius of Persia and Darius is no Jew.  In other words, the line of the born Jew - Esther - disappears from view.  The line of the Jew by choice - Ruth - is with us to this day.  In the 21^st century, questions have been raised about the on-going viability of the American Jewish community.  According to some, it would behoove us to look at the lives of these two great women for a clue as to what action steps need to be taken.  First, they would say, we must tap into the zeal of the Jews by choice, embracing them, educating them in the ways of our people while acknowledging their worth and contributions.  At the same time, we must reach out and hold on to those who feel themselves to be at the outer rim of house of Israel.  We must provide them the education that goes with being an Ashish Chayil in the truest sense of the word.  We must draw them back so that Darius will join David as Jews ensuring the future of our people.

Readings for Monday, March 25, 2024 (15^th of Adar II)

Shushan Purim

In certain ancient walled cities - Jerusalem is the primary example - Purim is observed not on the 14th of Adar (the date of its observance everywhere else), but on the 15th of Adar.  This is to commemorate the fact that in the ancient walled city of Shushan, where the battles between the Jews and their enemies extended for an additional day, the original Purim celebration was held on the 15th of Adar.  The 15th of Adar is thus called “Shushan Purim,” and is a day of joy and celebration also in those places where it is not observed as the actual Purim.  (As described by Chabad Org.)

 

 

Copyright; March, 2024; Mitchell A. Levin