Shalom Everyone, Purim is past and Pesach (Passover) is on the horizon. The Talmud volume that focuses on Pesach is called 'Pesachim'. On page 6a our sages teach us that we should start preparing for the holiday 30 days before.
I can already sense the horror: Too much cleaning!!! Too much shopping!!! Too much cooking!!!
There is such a sense of "Too much" when it comes to celebrating Passover, that for many of us, the holiday that reminds us that we are free from slavery, makes us feel like we are slaves to our "freedom celebration".
The idea of "30 days before" though, is not to make it scarier, but rather to help us recognize that the preparation for Passover does not have to be difficult at all. At the start of the Covid19 pandemic, I gave a class called "cleaning for Pesach in 2 hours or less". It is about 35 minutes long and in chock full of good information to make Pesach prep so much easier.
One of my favorite parts of Pesach is all the different ideas that people have learned about the holiday, and about parts of the seders. Everyone has unique experiences of the holiday, which makes each new idea completely unique as well.
Please feel free to email me and share.
Do you do something unique for your seder? I'd love to hear about it. Let me know! SCROLL DOWN FOR MORE PROGRAMMING AND REGISTRATION INFORMATION!
Parshat Shemini - Playing With Fire
Last week, the parshah told us about keeping ourselves figuratively "on fire" for HaShem and to always bring our best selves. This week the Torah teaches us the limits and dangers of playing with fire: what happens when we use our fire for selfish reasons?
Aharon HaKohen has four sons: Nadav, Avihu, Elazar, and Itamar. They are now all trained in how to serve the nation's needs, by providing guidance for different ways to connect to HaShem. As part of that service, Nadav and Avihu learned the highest and holiest level a person can reach when serving HaShem is the moment when the Kohen Gadol - the High Priest - brings incense into the Kodesh Kodashim - the Holy of Holies, where the Aron Kodesh - the Holy Ark was kept.
Nadav and Avihu wanted to get close to HaShem. They forgot, though, that their role as priests was to serve the nation and help others. Instead, they wanted to get as close to HaShem as possible for themselves, and so they went into the Holy of Holies to bring incense in front of HaShem and the Aron Kodesh.
The Torah tells us that in that moment they got zapped and killed. Yes, they were "on fire" for HaShem, but because they made it about themselves, they got burned. HaShem tells Moshe that Nadav and Avihu were truly really Holy and special people, and that they really did get so close to the "fire" of HaShem. Unfortunately though, since instead of shining the light and fire outward - towards the nation, it got directed inward and only to themselves. By getting too close to the fire, Nadav and Avihu got burned.
The same is true for all of us. Yes, we have to be on fire for what we love. Yes, we have to know how unique and special we each are. Yes, we all have to know that we have something special to contribute to the world that nobody else has. And, we also have to remember that if we use our "fires" in a selfish way, it is we who ultimately get burned.
Let's all keep focus on helping each other out. Find out what you can do to be helpful to others. Because even though you are shining your fire outwards, that is when it will shine brightest within you.
Discussion Questions:
1. Why did Nadav and Avihu get burned?
2. Why is it so important to help others?
3. What is it about helping others that lets our own fires burn brighter?
4. With Pesach coming up, how can you use your "fire" to help someone else feel more free?
Beth Emeth Bais Yehuda Synagogue 100 Elder Street Toronto, ON M3H 5G7
