All Your Life, You Were Only Waiting For This Moment To Be Free (John Lennon & Paul McCartney- "Blackbird")

We have schlepped boxes from the basement to the kitchen. We have emptied our pantry of all the Chametz (all the “non-kosher for Pesach” foods and platters. We have filled the pantry with our Kosher for Pesach dishes, and cooking utensils. We set up a shelving unit to hold the kosher for Pesach food. We have closed up cabinets and drawers that hold our regular year-round kitchen stuff.  We have carried out our Chametz and “disowned” it.  Our children have finally cleaned up their rooms (some of the things they found was truly incredible). We made numerous trips to the supermarket, so much so, that I have my own reserved parking spot. We have cleaned the kitchen over and over and over again. My poor mother-in-law thought she was coming to just visit her daughter and grandchildren had been put to work by my wife. Of course, there is the yearly discussion of the menu: the Chef wants to make different dishes as she has grown bored making the same foods year in and year out. However, those of us who work as the sous chefs and actually eat the food yearn for the comfort of the same seasonal holiday foods that gets served every year.  The kitchen is about 15 degrees warmer than the rest of the house because it seems that the oven has been on all week. Yes, the Pesach preparations seem never-ending. Discussions and arguments about what is and is not Kosher for Passover and which Rabbi supports a lenient or a strict interpretation occurs constantly.   Indeed it seems very easy to get bogged down in the minutiae and the detail that we forget the purpose of this slave-like labor and preparation. 

This Shabbat marks the first day of Pesach, Zman Cheiruteinu – the Time of our Freedom, as well as being Shabbat, Yom Menucha, and a Day of Rest.  Because Pesach comes once a year and Shabbat occurs fifty-two time a year, on this particular Shabbat, Pesach tends to be our focus. We didn’t just partake of a Shabbat dinner; we participated in a Seder.  We don’t read from the weekly Torah reading, we read a special Torah reading that focuses upon the narrative of the first Passover celebration in Egypt as B’nai Yisroel was about to become a free people and leave Egypt. U’Lekachetem Agudat Eizov Utvaltem BaDam Asher BaSaf V’HiGaTem El HaMaSHKoF V’El SHTei HaMZuZoT MiN HaDaM Asher BaSaF V’ATeM Lo TeiTZu ISh MiPeTaCH BeiTo Ad  BoKeR -  You Shall take a bundle of hyssop and dip it into the blood that is in the basin, and touch the lintel and the two doorposts with some of the blood that is in the basin and as for you, you shall not leave the entrance of the house until morning (Ex. 12:22). At some point during that tension-filled night, B’nei Yisroel would be freed. What was the exact moment of their freedom? What minute, what hour in the night were these slaves finally freed? The text does not tell us. The text only tells us that by morning the slaves would be freed from slavery but obligated to retell the story to each generation.

                So we are obligated to tell this story to each generation. What is more, we are commanded to see ourselves as if we were actually slaves in Egypt and freed that night. Yet all we can say is that we were freed at some point during the night. At what exact time who can say? Yet each week we know exactly what time we stop. We know exactly what time we light Shabbat or Yom Tov (Festival) candles in order to usher in the Sabbath and the Chag (Festival). We know exactly when these moments begin and when these moments conclude.  Needless to say, when my son and I are sitting in Shul on Friday night, ushering in both the Sabbath and the Festival of Pesach, we will emit a large cleansing breath, knowing that our preparations are finished, and our work leading up to Zman Cheiruteinu, the Time of Our Freedom, is complete ( or as complete as it can be). I know that when my son and I walk into our home, and the Seder Table is set, the candles are glowing and my wife, daughters, and mother in law are sitting quietly for just a moment catching their collective breaths, that they are aware of this powerful moment, a moment where Shabbat and Pesach has conflated into the deepest possible understanding of what freedom is. Tt this moment, the final boxes have been put away, the preparation finished, the meal is cooked and we can now partake of freedom. Yes, we are free to sit, free to eat, drink. We are free to ask questions. We are free to offer answers. We are free to discuss and we are free to tell the story. Because we are free to do these seemingly trivial things: eat, drink, ask questions, answer, discuss, and tell stories; we understand and appreciate not only Pesach- Zman Cheiruteinu (Time of Our Freedom), but Shabbat- Yom Menucha (a Day of Rest) as well.

Peace and Chag Kasher V’Sameach,

Rav Yitz  

The A B C's, We All Must Face, And Try To Keep A Little Grace (Robert Hunter & Jerry Garcia - "Touch of Grey")

We finished celebrating Pesach and our home will soon return to normal. For a week, our kids lived on Matzah Pizza. For a week they managed to get by without a bowl of cereal for breakfast. As Pesach departed and our family did Havdalah, our children quickly screamed “Bring on the Chametz” and desperately wanted us to order Pizza. Too bad the wait time for Pizza was nearly two hours which was way past everyone’s bedtime.  The disappointment was palpable and they asked what could be done to solve the problem. From their perspective, a solution would have been to run to the store, buy pizza dough, and make pizza for everybody.  However Mommy and Daddy’s solution was a bit different.  “You can have Chametz in the morning! Now go to bed.” Their request as absurd as it was revealed so much about human nature.  When a restriction is lifted, or permission granted, it is human nature to want to be first in line. When a new I Phone is released, a group of people are always in line to be first. When tickets go on sale for Beyonce, apparently people stand in line. I remember when I was in college near Philadelphia and the tickets for the Grateful Dead Philadelphia shows went on sale, a group of us quickly organized ourselves to camp out for the few days so that we could get tickets. People want to be first in line to a premiere and some run to be first on the block to buy the newest car model or gadget.  Although it may be human nature to desire and strive to be first, that doesn’t necessarily mean that it is smart or even cost effective to be first. Sometimes we need to be smart enough and mature enough to put aside human nature.

This week we read from Parsha Kedoshim, which literally means Holiness.  Hashem speaks to Moshe telling him that he should gather all of B'nai Yisroel and tell them that every aspect of life must be infused with Holiness. From the treatment of the stranger, the widow, the orphan, an employee and even our parents, there is a way to behave that is infused with Holiness and there is a way to behave that is less infused with holiness.  We are reminded that certain relationships are inherently unholy. We are reminded that certain types of worship are unholy as well. Throughout the Parsha the Mantra Ki Kadosh Ani Adonai Eloheichem – Because Holy am I the Lord your God is repeated. Of course the underlying message aimed at B’nai Yisroel was to remind them that they needed to strive beyond human nature. They needed to act differently than other people. Being involved in a covenantal relationship with Hashem means striving towards holiness; something that is beyond human nature.  

This idea of acting beyond human nature and striving for something more is emphasized at the very beginning of the Parsha. Imo V’Aviv Tira’u – Your mother and Father you shall fear.  This Commandment appears quite similar to the one of the Ten Commandments: Kabeid et Avicha v’ Et Imecha – Honor your father and mother. However there are a few differences. The first difference is that Parsha Kedoshim talks about “Tira’u” or Fear, while Ten Commandment version talks about “Kabeid” or Honor. The Second difference is the order of the parent. Regarding the commandment that invokes “fear”; “mother” appears before father. Regarding the commandment that invokes “honor”; “father” appears before “mother. At first glance we might think that the Torah is telling us that the Father is more important than the Mother hence the father should be honored first. Rashi, the 11^th Century French commentator and vintner, citing the Talmud Kiddushin 31a explained that “mother precedes father, because God knows that the father is feared more than the mother. In the Fifth commandment, which commands us to honor our parents, the mother, who generally comforts the child and is therefore honored more, is preceded by the father.” Generally speaking, children are more fearful of fathers therefore the Torah commands us to be fearful of mother. Generally speaking children honor their mothers more therefore the Torah commands us to honor fathers.  Striving towards Holiness means that we are supposed to transcend our human nature and instinct.  By doing so, we emulate God and are able to achieve holiness.

Our kids eventually had a pizza after Pesach. They eventually got their fill of Chametz. No it wasn’t the first thing they did after Pesach. By waiting, even for one extra night, there was a deeper appreciation of what they were doing, rather than the rush of being the first do it. Maybe the first bite of Pizza was not necessarily a holy act, but having them wait a few extra hours to begin ingesting Chametz added a little holiness to what is otherwise a rather mundane event known as cleaning up after Pesach.

Peace,

Rav Yitz

The Holy on Their Knees (Robert Hunter & Jerry Garcia -"Days Between")

Well Pesach is now finished. Pesach dishes have been packed and put back into the Pesach closet. Chameitz dishes have been returned to the cabinets. The pantry was restocked with chameitz. We have already had pasta. In my last trip down to our basement, I was bringing some of the chameitz from our basement refrigerator to our kitchen refrigerator. I happened to see one of the Costco egg cartons that hold 30 eggs. It turns out we still have about one dozen eggs left from Pesach. My wife thinks that she used approximately 250 eggs. 250 eggs is a lot of cholesterol. In fact, as I was putting all the Pesach stuff away and started eating chameitz, I realize that Pesach might not be the holiday with the healthiest traditional holiday foods. The vast amount of cholesterol that we consumed reminded me of some of the narishkeit that I learned in Hebrew School. Specifically, I vividly remember being no older than 8 years old and a grandmotherly looking Hebrew school instructor teaching us the biggest “meiser” about Kashrut. When we asked her why do Jews keep kosher, she explained that Bnai Yisroel were so smart and so advanced that they understood Kashrut was for health reasons; and that pork cause trichinosis and that shellfish caused other types of health problems. When I think about that answer, that teacher, and when I listen to people of my generation share their negative Jewish Educational experiences, I understand why so many of us are committed to giving our children positive and meaningful Jewish experiences based upon text and thought as opposed to narishkeit and meisers.

This week’s Parsha is Shemini. It is comprised of three chapters. The first chapter tells us how sacrificial offering are supposed to work. While receiving instructions from Moshe, Aharon, his brother and the High Priest, makes sacrificial offerings on behalf of the people. Following every instruction down to the smallest detail, and remaining in the highest state of spiritual purity, Aharon slaughters the animal, sprinkles the blood, and burns the animal. Once finished, Moshe and Aharon leave the Mishkan, and come out to bless the people. V’yeirah Kavod Adonai El Kol Ha’Am-“And the glory of the Lord appeared to all the people” (Lev 9:23) Obviously we can see how sacrifices are supposed to work. We see how god’s pleasure is displayed and the people response to witness such glory. They bow their heads. This chapter essentially explains God’s response to the sacrifices. When everything is appropriate and in the proper spirit, God accepts our approach. The second chapter concentrates much more upon the priests and what happens when things are not appropriate or not conducted in the proper spirit. Aharon’s eldest sons die for their inappropriate approach toward God. Moshe reminds Aharon and his remaining sons that one must be physically and spiritually pure when offering sacrifices both on their own behalf and on B’nai Yisroel’s behalf. However what do either of these chapters half to do with Kashrut?

The discussion of Kashrut is confined to the last chapter of the Parshah, chapter 11. In it we read a list of animals that we are forbidden to eat. Some of which I probably would not eat even if it was kosher. However the answer to why we keep kosher is provided “For I am Adonai your God-you are to sanctify yourselves and you shall become holy; and you shall not contaminate yourselves…For I am Adonai who elevates you from the land of Egypt to be a God unto; you shall be holy, for I am holy. This is the law of the animal, the bird, every living creature that swarms in the water, and for every creature that teems on the ground; to distinguish between the impure and the pure, and between the creature that may be eaten and the creature that may not be eaten.” Kashrut is merely a physical expression of our purity. God accepts offerings of all kinds. Priests purify themselves in order to make offerings acceptable to God. What about the rest of us? What everyday activity do we engage in which allows us to demonstrate our sense of purity and our own sense of holiness? We eat. The priest engages in a very physical process, slaughters animals, sprinkles blood, and burns the carcass. This is an extremely dirty, smelly endeavor, and when done accordingly it is received by God. The physical and the spiritual are inseparable. The priest approaches God through a very physical process.

We also have an opportunity to approach God in a very physical and daily process. We remind ourselves everyday of our own sense of holiness and our relationship to God through Kashrut. It is important that we remind ourselves of the premise. B’nai Yisroel yearns to have God dwell among it.
They built a Mishkan, they live according to laws which guide them in appropriate behavior with members of the community. The Mishkan and the laws of behavior take care of the community’s relationship to God and the community’s relationship to each other. However the laws of Kashrut permit the individual within the community to approach God on a strictly individual basis.

How wonderful! Parshah Shemini teaches that we all have a means to approach God. Priests make sacrifices, and the rest of us eat. By engaging in such physical activity in a manner that consists of limits to that physical activity, we remind ourselves of our relationship to God. In a way, I suppose my teacher was right. We do keep kosher for health reasons. However not the type of health reasons she was talking about. We keep kosher for our spiritual health. We keep kosher to remind us of our relationship with God. We keep kosher to remind us that just as God is holy, so too are we holy.

Peace,

Rav Yitz