Readings for Thursday, March 21, 2024 (11th 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
13th 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 13th gives way to the Feast of the 14th. 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 13th 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 11th 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 21st 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 (
118-119.
A negative and positive precept: Not to
offer a sacrifice without salt, but to salt all offerings (
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 (
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
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.” (
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
- List two
characteristics of the sacrificial animal mandated by God?
The animal must be a male without a blemish
(1:3).
- According to
Moses, what aspect of the sacrifices pleases God?
The aroma of the sacrifices is pleasing to God
(1: 9, 13.17).
- 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).
- 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 (14th 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 14th 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 21st
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 (15th 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
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