Please Forget You Knew My Name, My Darling, Sugaree (Robert Hunter & Jerry Garcia - "Sugaree')

            According to the school calendar, winter break began earlier this week.  With my wife and son both off from school, we drove our son to his grandparents in Upstate New York. My wife and I continued our drive to New York City.  We planned to pick up one daughter who was also beginning her semester break from university and visit our other daughter. It was also an opportunity to visit my sister and my wife’s aunt. However, there were some clues that our time in New York City was going to be a bit different. ‘ My niece spent her final days of school attending “online” classes before her winter break. My sister spent her last few days of work online before her winter break. Several Broadway shows were canceled, Saturday Night Live was not live in front of a studio audience, but rather live before a skeleton stage crew. Sporting events were being canceled throughout North America.  As I walked around Manhattan, I noticed a curious sight. I kept seeing lines of people form. No, these lines were not in front of Madison Square Garden or Broadway theatres, these lines were on various street corners.  It turned out that the lines were of people waiting to get tested for Covid. Indeed, with the powerful resurgence of the Delta variant and the new arrival of the Omicron variant, the number of people becoming ill quickly grew and the number of people dying has started to increase as well. During this resurgence, the empirical evidence has been clear. Those who are fully vaccinated with a booster may contract Covid, but their illness is relatively mild with an extremely low chance of hospitalization and death. Those who are unvaccinated suffer a far worse fate with a 20%  increased chance of hospitalization or death. As I walked around New York and saw people standing in line for testing, walking into pharmacies for their vaccinations, I thought about those hundreds of thousands of people who died needlessly because they either waited too long to get vaccinated or they refused to get vaccinated. These people had names. They had families, They had friends. Their lives touched others’ lives.  Yet through ignorance, naivete, hubris, obstinancy, or procrastination, their awful choice turned each of these people into a statistic, into one number of the over 800,000 people who have died from Covid in North America.

           This week we begin the second book of the Torah; the Book of Exodus – Sefer Shmot, literally translated into “The Book of Names”. This second book begins with the Parsha Shmot. The first few verses essentially recount the ending of the Book of Genesis. Shmot re-iterates the names of Jacobs’ sons and the fact that Jacob and his sons came to Egypt. We are reminded that Jacob had already died. We are reminded that the next generation, Jacob’s sons (including Yosef) passed away. A new king assumes the mantle of power and does not know of Yosef’s great deeds. Instead, the new Pharaoh believed that this foreign population was tantamount to a fifth column. Therefore this tribe must be enslaved to prevent their uniting with Egypt’s external enemies. We read about the birth and growth of Moses, and his flight to Midian. We read about his becoming a husband, a shepherd, a father. We learn of his epiphany with the Burning Bush and God’s instructions plan to redeem B’nai Israel from slavery and Moshe’s role in the redemptive process.

          Considering, that this is a completely new Sefer, a new Book of the Torah and that the dominant theme of this new book is redemption from slavery and the national revelation at Mt. Sinai, why should the text be known as a Book of Names and why should it begin with a re-iteration of the names of Jacobs’ sons: V’Eilah Shmot  B’nai Yisroel Ha’Baim Mitzrayaima Eit Yaakov Ish U’Veito Ba’u- And these are the name of the Children of Israel who were coming to Egypt with Jacob, each man, and his household came, Reuven Shimon, Levi, Yehuda; Issachar, Zebulun, and Benjamin; Dan Naphtali; Gad and Asher. We don’t normally begin a new book with a conjunction, especially the conjunction “And”.  Instead of beginning the Parsha and the Book of Shmot with Eilah (These), the Parsha begins with V’Eilah (And these).  Based upon the Sefer Breishit's conclusion, the sons, along with Jacob, arrived in Egypt decades before (Gen. 46:8-30). Why do these opening verses repeat the concluding verses of the previous book? RaMBaN, (the great 12th-century Spanish doctor, commentator, and Halachist), and R’ Bachya (late 13th early 14th century Torah commentator), explain that the conjunction which begins the Parsha purposefully connects this new book to the previous book.  “B’nai Yisroel”, the term now used for the extended tribe owes their existence and their future existence to V’Eilah –“and these”…. these sons of Jacob, these sons who were “with Jacob” in his descent into Egypt. Rabbi Samson Raphael Hirsh (19th Cent. Germany) explains that these twelve sons and their resulting twelve tribal families were intimately attached to Jacob, and this was the secret of Israel’s strength and survival in Egypt. Although each son had his own family, he remained connected and united with Jacob. Implicit to these opening verses we understand that the secret to B’nai Israel’s survival in Egypt as slaves: past, present, and future were connected through values and covenant of the name of Jacobs twelve sons, Jacob, and his father and grandfather, Isaac and Abraham. The strength of those connections, the strength of being connected to the past with an eye towards a hopeful and positive future kept B’nai Israel spiritually free despite physical hardship and bondage.

          The names explicitly mentioned, Jacob and his son’s, stood for something. Implicitly, these names stood for and symbolized a covenantal relationship with God. These names stood for inheriting a land, as well as making a great name for itself. For their descendants, the names gave them an identity, an identity that kept them spiritually free despite their physical bondage. Every one of the over 800,000 deaths due to Covid had a name, a life, and touched others' lives. Yet those who died needlessly because they refused to be vaccinated because they erroneously thought that their personal liberties were the issue, suffered from a form of enslavement.   However, there is another kind of slavery: slavery to misinformation, slavery to obstinancy, naivete, ignorance, that carries with it a very real possibility of becoming an unnecessary statistic, or another unnecessary death. Perhaps all the unavoidable deaths are the greatest tragedy of this Pandemic.  

Peace
Rav Yitz 

There is none except for you. Except for you I swear to it on my very soul (Robert Hunter &Jerry Garcia - "Reuben and Cerise")

          Our family spent the past week visiting family on the West Coast. While on vacation, one of the common and frequent morning questions came from my wife. Approximately 20-30 minutes after our son woke up, she would remind him to put on his Tefillin (Phylacteries) and daven Shacharit (recite the morning service). Our son wouldn’t respond. Several minutes would pass and my wife would ask “Have you started to Daven?” Again, she did not hear a response. Several more minutes would pass by and our son would walk by en route to doing whatever he decided was the morning routine while on vacation: eat breakfast, play with his cousin, or whatever fifteen-year-old teenager does in the morning while on vacation. As our son would walk by, or even enter the room where his mother was, she would look up at him and this time, express her frustration with our son because he has not only failed to put his Tefillin and daven but hasn’t acknowledged his mother and her numerous requests to do so. As our son leaves and returns to whatever he was in the midst of doing prior to his mother’s requests; my wife looks at me and says: “you’re his father, aren’t you going to tell him to put on his tefillin and daven? Why do I have to tell him?” I smile and remind her that he is fifteen, he has been putting on tefillin for nearly 2 ½ years. He knows how to put it on, he knows when to put it on, he knows how to daven Shacharit, and most importantly he intellectually understands that he is MeChayeiv (obligated) according to Halacha (Jewish Law) to daven. At some point, we must refrain from reminding and hocking him to fulfill this and any other ritual obligations. Rather, he must learn to come to this moment on his own volition, and not because his mother or father asked, cajoled, complained or yelled at him. In the long run, there is a better chance of observing and fulfilling his obligations because he holds by his halachic obligations rather than his parents holding him to those obligations. Needless to say, my wife isn’t very happy with my apparent laissez-faire attitude.
          This morning we read from Parsha Vayechi. This is the final Parsha in the book of Breishit. The Parsha begins with Yaakov calling Yosef and making him swear an oath that he will not be buried in Egypt. He also blesses his grandson’s Ephraim and Menashe. He gathers his sons together and offers each son a blessing or a prophecy. Yaakov dies and his sons take him out of Egypt and fulfill their vow. They bury their father in Heron alongside Avraham and Yitzchak and Sarah Rebecca and Leah. Afterward, the brothers fear that Yosef will finally take vengeance for their mistreatment of him. Yosef doesn’t, and the brothers and their families continue to grow and prosper in Goshen. As Yosef prepares for his death, he makes his brothers vow to take his bones out of Egypt and bury his bones in Eretz Canaan.
          Yaakov’s final dying wish is to be buried in Canaan, in the Caves of the Machpela with his ancestors, Avraham/Sarah, Yitzchak/Rivka and his wife Leah. Yaakov shares this wish with Yosef. Given his position within Egypt, Yosef would be the most likely of the sons who could arrange to fulfill Yaakov’s wish. After sharing his final wish with his beloved son Yosef; Yaakov asks Yosef to swear to him that he will carry out this final wish. To demonstrate one’s “swearing a vow,” Yaakov tells Yosef: Im Nah Matzati Chein M’Einecha If now I have found grace in your eyes Sim Nah Yadcha Tachat Yereichi put, I pray of you, your hand beneath my thigh v’Asita Imadi Chesed v’Emet –and deal kindly and truthfully with me. However, Yosef does not do as his father asks; Yosef does not put his hand beneath his father’s thigh as an indication of swearing an oath. Rather, Vayomer [Yosef] said, Anochi Eseh Chidvarecha – I personally will do as you said. Yaakov, sensing his son’s hesitation, asks Yosef to swear that he will fulfill the request. Finally, Yosef acquiesces and swears an oath to fulfill his father’s request.
          Why does Yosef hesitate? The text clearly conveys that Yosef did not make a “vow” to Yaakov when first asked. Yosef did not immediately put his hand beneath his father’s thigh as an indication of making a vow. Yosef did not immediately say “I swear to bury you with your ancestors”. Why doesn’t Yaakov’s favorite son swear to his father this last dying favor? What kind of son doesn’t swear an oath if asked by his dying father to do so if it means peace of mind and a soul at peace for his father? Yosef’s first answer indicates that he will look after the request personally. Midrash explains the difference between Avraham’s servant’s behavior and Yosef’s behavior: HaEved Asa K’Avadoto Uven Chorin Asah K’Chiruto – Rabbi Yitzchak said: The servant acted like a servant and the free man acted as a free man, The servant acted like a servant, as it says ‘And the servant put his hand beneath his [Avraham’s] thigh; While the freeman acted as a free person: ‘And he said, I will do as you said’’. As a free individual, Yosef is only bound by his conscience. He is free to question. The servant, on the other hand, has no such ability. He is bound to fulfill his obligations whether forced or unforced. The Malbim, the 17th-century commentator explains that Yosef was acting as a son should. Yosef was trying to act out of filial responsibility, based upon his own free will rather than a servant who is bound by oaths.
          There are moments where one’s own volition is not enough to fulfill a final wish. Yaakov makes Yosef swear the oath because he wants Yosef to acknowledge an authority greater than his own. He also wants Yosef to acknowledge an authority greater than Pharaoh. Yaakov wanted Yosef to be completely powerless and act solely on behalf of his father. Under normal circumstances, according to ChaZaL – our Talmudic sages of Blessed Memory, the acceptance of Torah and its commandments are an acknowledgment and acceptance of an external authority greater than ourselves. Intrinsic to that acceptance is a humbling awareness that we are not all that powerful or in control of every aspect of life. Of course, as our son hears me explain that the less she reminds him, the greater the chance that he will eventually choose and then obligate himself. Of course, by obligating himself he is ultimately establishing a relationship with God and obligating himself to God and not his mother nor me. It is part of the growing up process. For me, watching my son grow up to wholeheartedly accept and fulfill these ritual obligations brings me comfort that his mother and I have done something right. Growing up to be a mentsch, a kind, and decent person is perhaps the greatest kindness that our son and his three sisters could bestow upon their mother and me.

Peace,
Rav Yitz

Truckin' Like The Doodah Man; Once Told Me "Gotta Play Your Hand (Robert Hunter, Jerry Garcia, Bob Weir & Phil Leshe - "Truckin'"

           Chanukah conveniently coincided with the Christmas and New Years holiday this year. Lights were lit both in the Jewish and Christian world at the same time. It also turned out that our children had off for all of Chanukah. We decided to spend it visiting family and friends in the New York Metropolitan area. Normally we drive. Normally we spend the night at the grandparents in Rochester, and then leave first thing the next morning. This time the plans were different. Our son was sick so we delayed our departure by a day. Then on the morning we were going to leave, the roads and iced over and we had to wait for the weather to turn a bit warmer, which it did. The problem was that ice was forecast on the very route that we were taking to New York. However, as the day would progress, the temperatures were supposed to rise. I watched the weather, studied the forecast, loaded the car and family and began our drive. The weather was fine until we arrived at the grandparents. We spend about an hour there, ate a late lunch. I looked at the weather forecast again. One route which was a bit longer, safer, with more rest stops, was expecting cold temperatures and ice. The alternative route which was less lit, through the mountains with fewer stops was expecting warmer temperatures and rain instead of ice.  So as I drove, and heard one last forecast, I opted for the the mountain route through Pennsylvania and New Jersey. The weather was cold, damp, and remained between 33-38 Fahrenheit the whole drive.  As the temperature inched lower and grew more nervous, more concerned about skidding as I crossed mountain over passes, more concerned as trucks were slowing down mountain descents, and more concerned about having to suddenly stop. Needless to say it was far from a relaxing drive.  At one point our daughter who is taking driving lesson, commented that she didn’t recall me ever appearing worried during a drive.  I explained that because I am driving, I always worry since I felt responsible for everyone. I asked her why she noticed my worrying this time. She said that maybe because she is now taking driving lessons, she has started to understand and appreciate the responsibility involved in driving a car.

         This week we read from Parsha Mikeitz. The Parsha always coincides with Shabbat of Chanukah. While there is nothing in the Parsha that explicitly mentions or implicitly suggests Chanukah; we could look at the entire Parsha as embodying miracles. Two years after Joseph correctly interprets the dreams of the Wine Steward and the Baker, the Wine Steward informs Pharaoh of the Hebrew prisoner that interprets dreams. Pharaoh has a dream, and only Joseph is able to interpret it. Pharaoh promotes Joseph from prisoner to Prime Minister. Joseph becomes second in command, devises a plan that saves Egypt from the impending seven-year famine. He is given an Egyptian name, an Egyptian wife, and had two sons: Ephraim and Menashe. After seven plentiful years, the famine begins. The famine is particularly devastating outside Egypt where no preparations occurred. Jacob sends his sons to Egypt for food. However, they have no idea that the person that they meet, the person to whom they make their request for food is their brother Joseph. Joseph recognizes the immediately. Joseph devises a plan to ascertain whether or not the brothers have finally done some type of Teshuva (some type of repentance for what they had done to him years before. For Joseph, he must try to manipulate events in order to get the brothers to bring Benjamin, Jacob’s youngest son born from Rachel, to Egypt as well as convince Jacob to come to Egypt. The Parsha concludes, with Joseph forcing the brothers to leave Benjamin in Egypt and return to Jacob with the news.

          There are two moments when Jacob and family suffer because of the famine. There are two moments when, on two separate occasions, two sons, Reuven and Judah, attempt to convince Jacob to allow the to bring Benjamin to Egypt in return for more food. When Reuven, the first born son, attempts to convince Jacob that he will be responsible for looking after Benjamin, Jacob disapproves of the suggestion. The family continues to suffer from a lack of food. When Judah attempts to convince his father that he will assume responsibility for Benjamin, Jacob accepts and assigns Judah responsibility. Why does Jacob allow the fourth eldest to assume responsibility and not the eldest? Reuven’s idea of responsibility is Et Shnei Vanai Tamit Im Lo Avienu Eilecha T’na Oto  Al Yadi V’Ani Ashivenu Eilecha – You may slay my two sons if I fail to bring him back to you. Put him in my care and I will return him to you (Gen. 42:37). Rashi quoting a midrash that Jacob heard Reuven and thought to himself that his eldest son is a fool. Jacob had already lost a son (Joseph) and one is being held in Egypt.  If Reuven fails and now Jacob would lose two grandsons? Jacob hears Reuven’s offer and realizes that he is shifting the blame. If, God forbid, something was to happen to Benjamin, two other sons would suffer as well as a father and a grandfather. To Jacob, Reuven’s offer hardly sounds like someone assuming responsibility.  Judah’s idea of responsibility is: Anochi E’Ervenu MiYadi T’Vakshenu Im Lo Havi’otiv Eilecha V’Hitzagtiv Lefanecha V’Chatati Lecha Kol Hayamim – I will personally guarantee him; of my own hand you can demand him. If I do not bring him back to you and stand him before you, then I will have sinned to you for all time. ( 43:9). Judah “guarantees” Benjamin’s welfare. Judah explains to his father that he will put his life on the line for his brother.  Judah knows what it is to lose a son. He has lost two sons. He, more than any of the other brothers, including Reuven, understands what is is to have lost a child and to take responsibility for his deeds. (Gen. 39). Judah won’t punish anyone else but himself if he fails to care for Benjamin. Yaakov believes that this is the language of responsibility, so he acquiesces and allows Judah to assume responsibility for Benjamin. Symbolically, Judah has now assumed the mantle of responsibility for the welfare of the whole family and ultimately the nation.  Judah is the ancestor to King David. Judah is blessed by Jacob as being the ancestor to the God’s anointed (Moshiach).

          As I continued the drive, our sixteen-year-old, began to understand what it meant to assume responsibility. She asked if I thought about waiting a day and driving when we knew the weather would have been nicer?  Yes, I thought about it and I told her so. She acknowledged that she would have been disappointed but she added that she now understood my reasoning. Before driving lessons, she thought that if I chose to delay the drive, the weather was merely an excuse; she thought that I just didn’t want to be in New York visiting family and friends. Now that she takes driving lessons, she can “appreciate the fact that assuming responsibility means putting feelings aside and doing the smart thoughtful thing even if means “not doing what you want.” Because of the driving lessons. I realize that she is able to empathize with me.  As a result, she now realizes that my trust and a deep understanding of responsibility for her decisions and judgment  accompanies her drivers license and my car. I guess it was an educational drive after all.

Peace,

Rav Yitz

His Job Is To Shed Light, And Not To Master (Robert Hunter & Jerry Garcia -"Lady With the Fan/Terrapin Station"

There has been a strange sort of energy in our home over the last few days and it has grown progressively stronger. Each and every morning and again, each and every evening, our son has been giving us two countdowns. One countdown is in preparation for Chanukah which began on Tuesday night and will culminate on next Tuesday night when the entire Chanukiya is all aglow.  The second countdown is in preparation for winter vacation. However as I listen to this countdown,  I have sensed that there is something more to it than just the anticipation of Chanukah or the anticipation of winter break.  Hidden within that countdown and anticipation is a sense of physical fatigue, a spiritual weariness with the mundane the mundane, and a sense of needing a spark. In a sense, all of our children, like the candles that get lit, burn brightly for a brief time, eventually begin to diminish and ultimately extinguish. Our kids are just burnt out. The countdown is a desire to have a spark rekindle their physical and spiritual energy.

This Shabbat we read from Parsha Mikeitz. It is also the Parsha that is always corresponds to Chanukah. Despite the fact that there is no explicit mention of Chanukah in the Parsha, there are several ideas, and themes that implicitly hint at the fact that Parsha Mikeitz and Chanukah are connected. This is Yosef’s coming out party. He is released from prison in order to interpret Pharaoh’s dreams. First he informs Pharaoh that God has given him this gift, and then he successfully interprets the two dreams. Pharaoh is so impressed, and so trusting of Yosef, that he makes Yosef his right hand man. He becomes responsible for preparing Egypt for the famine that will occur. When the famine struck Egypt, it also affected Canaan where Yosef’s brothers and father lived. They go down to Egypt seeking relief. Yosef recognizes them, but he does not reveal his identity. Rather he tests their moral growth; he purposefully frames the youngest brother, Benjamin in order to determine whether the brothers would finally protect one of their own. After many years in prison, Yosef finally has the opportunity to exhibit the moral growth of his character, and can evaluate the moral character of others. This Parsha demonstrates the effect that his moral character has upon others.

Chanukah is otherwise known as the Chag Urim, the Festival of Lights. The Parsha begins with Yosef in the darkness of prison, waiting and hoping that he will be released.  Finally two years after he interpreted the dream of Pharoah’s Wine Steward, word gets to Pharaoh that there is someone who can interpret dreams. Very quickly and almost suddenly, Yosef is  VaYaritzuhu Min HaBor  rushed from the dungeon (pit) changed his clothes, shaved, and brought before Pharaoh (Gen41:14-15). A pit, or a dungeon is usually thought of a place with very little if any light. Now Yosef has been brought into the light.  Pharoah’s dreams are oriented around the number 7: 7 fat cows, 7 skinny cows, 7 healthy ears of corn and 7 dried out ears of corn. Both dreams occur by the River, by the Nile. In Egyptian culture, the Nile is the source of all life. When its banks overflow, Egyptian agriculture is self-sustaining and plentiful. When the Nile banks do not overflow, the Egyptian agriculture suffers. Pharoah’s dream, and the number 7 are oriented around the physical world. None of Pharoah’s advisors, or Magicians are able to interpret the dreams as they are unable to spiritual conceive of the number 8, symbolic of “other worldliness”, beyond the physical and entering the spiritual world.  Yosef makes it very clear that when he interprets dreams BilADaYi Elohim YaANeH et Shlome Paroh – That is beyond me; it is God who will respond with Pharoah’s welfare ( 41:16). Light uncovers the darkness and God creates the light. Yosef is subtly explaining to Pharaoh that all things are attributable to God, a being and place beyond the realm of the physical; beyond the realm of 7. Finally, in Pharoah’s dream, the weak overcome the strong, the “unhealthy” overcome the healthy. The story of the Chanukah is the story of the seemingly physically weak and outnumbered Jews overcoming and ultimately defeating the seemingly stronger physically oriented Hellenistic culture of the Assyrians.

As our children continue their countdown and they seek to recharge their batteries one thing will be quite evident. There will be two moments during Chanukah when I can watch my children’s spiritual battery recharge before my eyes. First will be the night when we light the Chanukiya and the Shabbat candles, the spiritual light of Chanukah and Shabbat is palpable as the candle flames are reflected in my children’s eyes. The second moment will be on the last night of Chanukah when the eight branches and the holder are all lit. The light of these candles dancing in the eyes of my children, the serenity upon their faces allows them to face whatever darkness they may have to contend with when vacation concludes and school resumes.

Peace,

Rav Yitz

And Seasons Will End In Tumbled Rhyme (Bob Weir & Eric Anderson -"Weather Report Suite I")

I am due for a few days off next week, my “Summer Holiday”. Except for me, no one in my family seems to care. My wife is busy working at summer camp, three children are busy having a great time at the same summer camp, our eldest daughter is busy making New York City safer, and my parents are busy in retirement. The only “Holyday” they can seem to focus upon are the more “public” “national” and "religious" holidays. Our eldest daughter told me that she planned upon coming in for Festival of Sukkot rather than Rosh Hashanah.  I have to worry about plane reservations for her in the third week of September. My mother asked me about plans for American Thanksgiving which occurs the last Thursday in November and coincides with the first days of Chanukah. While Chanukah is important to American Jewry, Thanksgiving is a very important and a very big deal for Americans, including American Jews, much to the amazement of Canadian Jewry. My mother also wanted to know what we were doing in terms of Pesach festival which is celebrated in April. My wife and younger daughters and son asked about Christmas Vacation and whether we will be able to visit family out in Los Angeles at the end of December. 

This Shabbat we read from Parsha Reeh. Moshe continues his discourse. He has already explained the Mitzvot, and he continues to do that. Moshe has alluded to the blessings of life if B'nai Yisroel follows God's commandments. He has and continues to allude to the curses that will befall B'nai Yisroel if they violate the most important commandment-idolatry. "See I present before you today a blessing and a curse" (Deut.11:26). V'haklalah Im Lo Tishm'u el Mitzvot Adonai Eloheichem V'sartem Min Ha'Derech Asher Anochi M'taveh Etchem ha'yom La'lechet Acharei Elohim Acheirim Asher Lo Y'Datem-"And the curse: if you do not hearken to the commandments of the Lord your God, and you stray from the path that I command you today, to follow gods of others, that you did know." (Deut. 11:28) Moshe presents B'nai Yisroel with two pictures, a world when B'nai Yisroel lives up to it covenant with God and one in which they don't.  He reminds Bnai Yisroel of the sanctity of Eretz Yisroel (the Land of Israel), the consumption of foods that are consecrated to the Kohanim and he warns Bnai Yisroel to avoid imitating the Rituals and Rites of the Egyptians and the Canaanites. Moshe reminds Bnai Yisroel to be careful of false prophets, avoiding non-kosher foods, not living in wayward cities, forgiving loans after seven years, and caring for the less fortunate.

The parsha concludes with Moshe mentioning, for the third time, the commandments for celebrating the three pilgrimage festivals of Pesach, Shavuot, and Sukkot. Twice before, the Torah provided instructions regarding these Festivals. The first time occurs in VaYikra (Leviticus 23) order to present them in their due order; meaning Pesach occurs in the spring with the Barley (Winter Wheat) Harvest; Shavuot occurs six weeks later to coincide with the harvest of the First Fruits; and Sukkot occurs in the fall as part of the autumn harvest.  The second time these Festivals are mentioned occurs in Bemidbar (Numbers 28-29) in order to teach us what offerings needed to be made at the Mishkan (the mobile sacrificial altar) and later the Holy Temple in Jerusalem. The third time occurs in Parsha Reeh in order for the benefit of the public. Remember, this new generation, this generation born in freedom heard these laws declared in public for the first time. Sure they may have learned them during their 40 years of wandering. Now, however, Moshe was declaring for the public benefit what they had learned. Rashi, the 11^th century French vintner and great commentator clarifies his understanding of “public benefit”. For Rashi, “public benefit” means everyone needs to know when the holidays occur. So when the Moshe tells Bnai Yisroel to Shamor et Chodesh Aviv v’Asita Pesach L’Adoshem Elokecha Ki BaChodesh HaAviv Hotziacha Adoshem Elokecha Mitzrayim Laila – You shall observe the month of springtime, and perform the Pesach offering for Hashem, your God, for in the month of springtime Hashem, your God, took you out of Egypt at night, Rashi explains that Bnai Yisroel must understand that this holiday must be celebrated in Spring. Rashi comments Mikodem Bo’o Shamor, Sh’yehei Ra’u L’Aviv L’Hakriv BO Et Minchat Ha’Omer, V’Im Lav, Abeir et HaShana- Before its arrival (the month of Aviv) take care that it should be fit for first ripened produce in order to offer in it the meal offering of the omer. And if not late enough to harvest the omer add a month to the year. Since the Jewish calendar is Lunar and  seasons follow the Solar calendar, according to Rashi, Moshe is teaching Bnai Yisroel that for the public benefit, that is to say, to make sure everyone is celebrating at the right time, it will become necessary to make sure that two calendars are regulated and intercalated properly.  

Individuals and individual families can worry about their own family vacations, or summer vacations.  Maybe those vacations and the plans for those vacations just don’t seem to require the same type of preparation since it really just involves getting in a car and driving.  Indeed, the “public” holidays, religious holidays and festivals are so well known that we worry about them months and months in advance. We worry about the airline tickets, the traffic, the food shopping and the menu. Meanwhile, I have ten days off and I haven’t thought about packing, where I am going or when I am getting to wherever I am going.