Weekly Sidra: Nasoh (Lift up)
Torah Portion: Bamidbar / Numbers 4:21-7:89
Haftorah: Shofetim / Judges 13:2-13:25

“There was a certain man from Zorah, of the stock of Dan, whose name was Manoah. His wife was barren and had borne no children. An angel of the Lord appeared to the woman and said to her, "You are barren and have borne no children; but you shall conceive and bear a son. Now be careful not to drink wine or other intoxicant, or to eat anything unclean. For you are going to conceive and bear a son; let no razor touch his head, for the boy is to be a nazirite to God from the womb on. He shall be the first to deliver Israel from the Philistines." (Judges 13:2-5)

This week’s Parashat means to lift up. Among the many topics it deals with is that of the Nazarite vow. The Haftarah portion deals with the birth of Sampson (Shimshon) who was to be a Nazarite from birth. A Nazarite or Nazirite (Nazir in Hebrew) was a Jew who took an ascetic vow as described in Numbers 6:1-21.

The term Nazarite comes from the Hebrew word nazir meaning "consecrated" or "separated." The Nazarite is "holy unto the Lord" (Numbers 6:8) and must keep himself from becoming ritually unclean. The regulations which apply to him actually agree with those for the High Priest and for the priests during worship, as described in Leviticus and in Ezekiel. This vow required the man (and in the Hellenistic period the woman too) to observe the following:

• Abstain from wine, vinegar (which was made from wine), grapes, raisins, and all intoxicants;
• Refrain from cutting one’s hair and beard;
• To avoid corpses, even those of a family member.

The vow was usually for a fixed period of time—30, 90 or even 100 days. At that time, the man would make a sacrifice that included a lamb, a ewe, a ram, and a basket of bread and cakes. There are cases where a parent would make this vow for her or his child, which the child would observe for his entire life.

The question is why a parent would invoke this vow on their children? The simple answer is that Hashem said so, so we do it. Here is the application for us today. Even though Hashem may seem to impose things on us he does so for our good.

Shimshon was given great strength as a result of his obedience to Hashem and he did many mighty acts for Hashem. However, as with anything, we have a choice and in the end Shimshon lost his power due to his lust for women like Delilah. When we go off the path Hashem has given us we can lose many blessings and opportunities.

Shimshon became the laughing stock of the Philistines once they found out the secret of his strength.

There is a silver lining to this dark cloud as we see later on in Judges.

“28 Shimshon called to ADONAI, "Adonai ELOHIM, just this once, please, think of me, and please, give me strength, so that I can take revenge on the P’lishtim for at least one of my two eyes." 29 Shimshon got a good hold on the two middle columns supporting the building and leaned on them, on one with his right hand and on the other with his left. 30 Then, crying, "Let me die with the P’lishtim!" he pushed with all his might; and the building collapsed on the chiefs and on all the people inside. So he killed more at his death than he had killed during his life. (Shofetim 16:28-30)

The ultimate encouragement is that Hashem can still use us for His good despite our sin. Proverbs 16:24 states: ” for though a righteous man falls seven times, he rises again, but the wicked are brought down by calamity.”

If we are righteous we may fall from time to time, but we must remember that Hashem allows us to rise again.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZwV7O7-4Y74

This is a double parsha, made up of parshas Behar and Bechukotai. The seven aliyot of this week’s reading are indicated by special aliyah markings within those two parshas in the Chumash. Parshiyot Behar and Bechukotai are power-packed doubleheaders, this one emphasizing the connection between the Jew and Eretz Yisrael.

The lunisolar Hebrew calendar contains up to 55 weeks, the exact number varying between 50 in common years and 54 or 55 in leap years. In leap years, parshah Bechukotai is read separately. In common years, parshah Bechukotai is combined with the previous parshah, Behar, to help achieve the needed number of weekly readings.

Behar: The thirty-second reading from the Torah and second-to-last reading from the book of Leviticus is called Behar (בהר), which means “On the Mountain.” The name comes from the first words of the first verse of the reading, which could be literally translated to read, “HaShem then spoke to Moses on Mount Sinai” (Leviticus 25:1). This portion from the Torah introduces the laws of the sabbatical years, the jubilee and laws concerning redemption. In most years, synagogues read Behar together with the following portion, Bechukotai.

Bechukotai: The last reading from the book of Leviticus is called Bechukotai (בחקותי), which means “In My Statutes.” The name comes from the first verse of the reading, which begins with the words “If you walk in My statutes …” (Leviticus 26:3). This last reading from Leviticus promises blessings and rewards for Israel if they will keep the Torah, but punishment and curses if they break the commandments of the Torah. The last chapter discusses laws pertaining to vows, valuations and tithes. In most years, synagogues read Bechukotai together with the preceding portion, Behar.

Note: On the Shabbat the Torah Reading is divided into 7 sections. Each section is called an Aliya [literally: Go up] since for each Aliya, one person "goes up" to make a bracha [blessing] on the Torah Reading. Here are this week`s aliyot:

1st Aliya: Parshas BeHar begins with the laws of Shemitah (Sabbatical Year)and Yovel (Jubilee). The land lay fallow every 7th year, and after the 49th year, (7×7) it lay fallow a 2nd year for the 50th as well.

2nd Aliya: Hashem (God) promises (25:21-22) that He will provide for the nation, regardless of the land being fallow. No one will go hungry. The return, at Yovel, of all hereditary lands to their original owners is commanded.

3rd Aliya: The difference between the sale of a property in a walled city vs. an unwalled city is established. Continuing the theme of providing and dependency, we are commanded to provide for our impoverished brethren. Just as Hashem provides for us, we must provide for each other.

4th Aliya: The freeing of all Jewish slaves at the Yovel is detailed. The Torah discusses redeeming a Jewish slave from a non-Jewish owner, and the formula for how much to pay the non-Jewish master. We begin reading Bechukotai. The opening verses describe the wondrous successes awaiting the nation, so long as they follow Hashem’s Mitzvot (commadments).

5th Aliya: This Aliya is called the Tochecha (the rebuke). It is a lengthy description of the terrible punishments awaiting the nation, if they do not follow the Torah. It is customary for the Baal Koreh (Reader) to have this Aliya, and to read it faster and more quietly than the rest of the Parsha.

6th Aliya: The established prices for endowments of individual worth, or that of an animal, are listed.

7th Aliya: The final portion deals with endowments of property to the Bait Hamikdash (Temple).

This is the conclusion of Sefer Vayikra, which began with parshas Vayikra several weeks ago. In that parsha God called Moshe to the Mishkan for the first time after it was built and began the installation of the priests and the laws of their service in the Mishkan. This book of the Torah is also known as Torat Kohanim (Law of the Kohanim) because most of the laws that we’ve seen over the last few weeks have been about the Kohanim either directly or indirectly.

We stand with Israel.

We are Zionist.  What does that mean? Zionism is the national revival movement of the Jewish people who is returning to the land of Israel, the home of the Jewish people. It holds that the Jewish people have the Biblical right to self-determination in their own national home, and the right to develop their national culture.

We stand with the people of Israel, and the Government of Israel, insofar they are keeping the Biblical mandates. We believe that the government of Israel, or any other people are not allowed to give away an inch of the land of Israel.

Zionism today, in its simplest form, is the affirmation and support for the democratic state of Israel as the homeland of the Jewish people.

We believe strongly with the right of Israel to defend itself. We oppose the indifference of the UN, and nations of the world to the continue firing of rockets onto the land of Israel. We also oppose the UN and any other entity when protest against Israel defending. We believe that Israel had to do something harsh against the Islamic Terrorist organizations within Israel and outside Israel, such Hamas, Hezbollah, Fata, etc.

We disagree strongly with the releasing of Muslim terrorist with Jewish blood on their hands (we believe in the death penalty). We oppose with the release of Muslim terrorist to show good faith to the Muslim terrorist who want to defeat us (it is written in their constitution).

We disagree with the government of Israel when abandoning Israeli soldiers to terrorist organizations.

We sopport and encourage Jewish people making aliyah (moving back to their home land). We do like to see Israelies making yeridah (moving away from the land of Israel.)

Doesn’t the occupation prove that Zionism is Evil and Expansionist? No country has ever had its legitimacy called into question because it ran an occupation. Nobody believes the United States should be destroyed because it is occupying Texas, Florida, New Mexico, Arisona, and many others states who were part of Mexico, and taken by USA many years ago. This argument is applied only to Israel. The violence of the Islamic Arabs in Israel (auto named Palestinians) is not a result of the occupation. Rather is their own doing, by attaking a strong historical nation.

Zionism is Racism – True or False? It is shameful to condemn the national liberation movement of one people only as "racism," but the "Zionism is Racism" slogan does just that, because Zionism is the national liberation movement of the Jewish people. If Zionism is racism, then the Italian, Irish American, French, Algerian, and Indian national movements are all "racism."

Do we refeuse of Arabs living Israel? No, we believe that within Israel many others people should be able to call it home. YET, they should live under the laws of the Jewish homeland.

Are You a Zionist? Everyone has to decide for themselves if they are a Zionist. If you believe that the Jewish people are a people, and support the right of the Jewish people to a national home, and you are willing to stand up for that right when it is challenged, then you can call yourself a Zionist, whether or not you belong to any organized Zionist group or accept any "official" definition, and whether or not you live in Israel or plan to live in Israel – and whether or not you are Jewish.

Terminology. The word "Zionism" itself is derived from the word Zion (Hebrew: Tzi-yon‎). This name originally referred to Mount Zion, a mountain near Jerusalem, and to the Fortress of Zion on it. Later, under King David, the term "Zion" became a synecdoche referring to the entire city of Jerusalem and the Land of Israel.

There is no such thing as "palestinian lands" it all belongs to israel.We have nothing against Arabs in Israel, but we have a problem with those who support terrorism in Israel.

If Muslim Terrorist want to live in the middle east, they have plenty of Arab countries, where Islamic law is practiced. Israel is the Jewish state whether they like it or not. Israel is here to stay.

Islamic Terrorist and its supporters bear sole responsibility for any harm to civilians in their own towns. Islamic Terrorist could have easily changed Israeli policies merely by renouncing Islamic terrorism. But it choses war instead. Israel is here to stay. Israel seeks peace.

We believe that when Mashiach comes he will deal with them severely unless they repent.

Zechariah 14:12 Now this will be the plague with which the Eternal one will strike all the peoples who have gone to war against Jerusalem; their flesh will rot while they stand on their feet, and their eyes will rot in their sockets, and their tongue will rot in their mouth.

That is the road map of Mashiach, repent or else.

Learn more:

Wikipidia on Zionism
Religious Zionism
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1l8Sp7GPgXc

Kedar in al-Jazeera about Jerusalem & Islam

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VHpMhAzj-Tk

Now Aaron’s sons Nadab and Abihu each took his fire pan, put fire in it, and laid incense on it; and they offered before HaShem alien fire, which He had not enjoined upon them. 2 And fire came forth from HaShem and consumed them; thus they died at the instance of HaShem. [Vayikra 10:1-3]

This weeks Torah reading deals in part with the death of Aaron’s two sons Nadab & Abihu after they disobeyed the commandment of HaShem and offered a strange fire to Him.  It also deals with the Laws of Kashrut, this is which animals were and were not to be eaten.

The Torah is truth and the fact is Hashem wants us to obey all of his commandments (Mitzvot).  What does one have to do with the other?

We can see that God was so angry at Aaron’s sons that He killed them. Why?  This is because they were in a position of Leadership. When one is in a position of leadership one is expected to follow God.  Think about this if the leaders were not taking HaShem seriously why would anyone else.

This leads me to another point Vayikra Chapter 11:1-8 begins the dietary laws “HaShem spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying to them: Speak to the Israelite people thus: These are the creatures that you may eat from among all the land animals: any animal that has true hoofs, with clefts through the hoofs, and that chews the cud — such you may eat. The following, however, of those that either chew the cud or have true hoofs, you shall not eat: the camel — although it chews the cud, it has no true hoofs: it is unclean for you; the daman — although it chews the cud, it has no true hoofs: it is unclean for you; the hare — although it chews the cud, it has no true hoofs: it is unclean for you; and the swine — although it has true hoofs, with the hoofs cleft through, it does not chew the cud: it is unclean for you. You shall not eat of their flesh or touch their carcasses; they are unclean for you.” [Emphasis Mine]

As I said before HaShem wants us to obey all mitzvot (commandments) because He loves us and has our best interests at heart.  This is for everyone including leaders. 

So when I hear someone say that they can eat Pork or worship on Sunday, the fact is you cannot do so without breaking the mitzvot of Hashem. 

People think they can get away with picking and choosing which parts of the Torah to keep, or worse they feel they can offer strange fire to HaShem by eating whatever they want or by violating the Shabbat (Sabbath).

Remember the old saying if you play with fire you’re going to get burned.

Parashat: Sheminì (L’ottavo)
Parashà: Wayqrà’ (Levitico) 9,1-11,47
Haftarà: 1 Samuél (1 Samuele) 20, 18-42

L’ottavo giorno, dopo i sette giorni della loro inaugurazione, Aronne ed i suoi figli cominciano ad officiare come kohanim (sacerdoti), e la presenza divina va a dimorare nel Santuario.

Aaron ed i suoi due figli maggiori, Nadav e Avihu, offrono a D-o un "fuoco estraneo” che Hashem non comandò loro di accendere: Aaron è in silenzio di fronte alla sua tragedia. Mosè e Aronne poi non sono d’accordo su un punto di legge per quanto riguarda le offerte, ma viene stabilito che Aaron abbia ragione.

D-o comanda le leggi kosher, individuando le specie animali ammissibili e quelle proibite per il loro consumo. Gli animali possono essere mangiati solo se hanno gli zoccoli divisi in due ed a condizione che siano ruminanti; il pesce deve avere pinne e squame; vengono poi elencati gli uccelli non kosher, ed un elenco di insetti kosher (quattro tipi di cavallette).

Anche in Shmini vi sono alcune delle leggi di purezza rituale, ivi incluso il potere purificante del bagno rituale e la sorgente. Viene quindi imposto al popolo di Israele di "distinguere tra il puro e l’impuro".

Abbiamo visto che si parla della discsa Divinia: l’integrazione della Divinità nel mondo fisico richiede due dinamiche complementari ed essenziali: in primo luogo, devozione deve "scendere" nel mondo, il che significa che deve essere espressa in modo che possa entrare in realtà create, che non è intrinsecamente ricettivo alla pietà. In secondo luogo, il mondo deve "salire" alla nozione della Divinità, il che significa che deve essere di fatto ricettivo ad esso. L’agente per la prima dinamica è stato senza dubbio Mosè. Il mondo spirituale è più in alto rispetto a questo mondo, e quindi Moshe è stato particolarmente adatto alla trasmissione della Torah di D-o al popolo. L’agente della seconda dinamica è Aaron. Aaron ha lavorato per promuovere la pace tra amici e coniugi, rendendo la società più ricettiai alla pietà, ed ha anche lavorato direttamente per ispirare le persone alla vita spirituale.

Anche se entrambe le dinamiche sono essenziali, lo scopo ultimo di infondere nel mondo la Divinità è la nostra ascesa verso livelli superiori di coscienza divina. Così, in questo contesto, è stato il coinvolgimento di Aaron nei riti di consacrazione che hanno reso possibile, per così dire, a D-o di completare quel processo preparatorio già avviato da Moshe di rivelare la Sua presenza nel Tabernacolo. In quest’ottica, tutti abbiamo il desiderio di sentire la presenza di D-o nella nostra vita: una preparazione necessaria, quindi, è quella di seguire i saggi, di seguire l’insegnamento di Aronne; infondere la pace, l’amore e di portare gli altri vicino alla Torah . In questo modo non si fa solo il bene per gli altri, ma la presenza di Dio si farà sentire nella nostra stessa vita.

La coscienza innata della nostra anima divina è la sua consapevolezza di essere legati a Dio, essere uno con Lui. Normalmente, questa consapevolezza è offuscata dalla consapevolezza delle nostre anime umane, imperfette. Quando questo senso di unità con Dio supera sufficientemente la nostra mente cosciente, otteniamo una conoscenza intuitiva della volontà di Dio. A questo livello di coscienza, non c’è bisogno che Hashem ci richiami esplicitamente ai Suoi Comandamenti, dal momento che sappiamo già quello che Lui vuole da noi.

E’ stato a questo livello di coscienza divina che Nadav e Avihu ascesero l’ottavo giorno dei riti di installazione. Così, la loro offerta dell’incenso, fu una di quegli imperativi "che Egli non aveva comandato", ma intuirono la necessità prima ancora che D-o la rivelasse, e costituì l’espressione della loro unificazione cosciente con Dio. L’incenso è offerto sull’altare interiore, che affianca la dimensione interiore del cuore, cioè, la nostra anima divina, che viene costantemente legato alla sua divina sorgente e serve a rivelare e intensificare questo legame. Al contrario, i sacrifici offerti sull’altare esterno sono progettati per elevare la dimensione esterna del cuore, la nostra Divinità umano-animale. Così, la parola ebraica "sacrificio" (קרבן) significa "avvicinarsi", il che implica che l’offerente non è ancora vicino, e che è attraverso il sacrificio che si avvicina, ma non necessariamente diventerà uno con D-o. Al contrario, la parola ebraica "incenso" (קטרת) significa "legato" cioè che attraverso l’incenso, l’offerente si impegna con la sua fonte divina, diventando uno con Lui.

Offrendo incenso figlio di Aronne ha quindi compiuto i riti eseguiti da Mosè e Aronne e santificato il Tabernacolo. Anche se la Presenza Divina era già scesa sul Tabernacolo, non l’ha permeato; il Tabernacolo e la Presenza Divina erano rimaste due entità separate. Questa dicotomia riflette la coscienza divina che Aaron aveva manifestato nello svolgimento suoi riti: aveva fatto tutto quello che gli era stato comandato, ma si era fermato prima di salire al livello in cui i comandamenti diventano superflui.

Questa dualità di cercare ispirazione da trascendere i limiti del mondo fisico e poi applicare l’ispirazione acquisita per elevare il mondo fisico non è che un riflesso della oscillazione che caratterizza tutta la vita. Nelle parole del profeta Ezechiele, "gli esseri viventi correvano e ritornavano": in termini spirituali, la salute dell’anima richiede la giusta periodica oscillazione tra il mondo fisico e quello del ritorno cioè la dedizione alla nostra missione divina.

Poiché lo scopo della creazione è quello di rendere il mondo fisico nella casa di D-o, ci è stato comandato di compiere la "corsa", la nostra partenza temporanea alle occupazioni mondane per rinnovare la nostra ispirazione, espressamente allo scopo di migliorare il nostro "ritorno.

La Torah è oggettiva e immutabile verità, mentre gli esseri umani sono soggettivi e in continuo mutamento. Pertanto, Mosè vede la verità della Torah come uniformemente applicabile in tutte le situazioni, in contrapposizione ad Aronne, che si rende conto che ogni situazione deve essere valutata singolarmente per sapere come applicare la verità immutabile della Torah in modo efficace. Aaron vede che un sacrificio ad hoc è diverso da uno permanente, che la verità di Dio può essere riflessa in modo diverso a diversi livelli.

Quanto poi agli animali permessi: uno dei motivi volti al precetto di astenersi dal mangiare certi animali è per non internalizzare i loro tratti comportamentali deleteri. Il primo segno di un animale kosher è il suo zoccolo diviso. Il piede, essendo la parte dell’animale che tocca per terra, significa il nostro contatto con il mondo fisico. La divisione del piede in due completamente separati "sub-piedi" indica che il nostro contatto con il mondo fisico deve essere duplice. Proprio come il piede è il nostro punto di contatto con il mondo fisico, è anche la nostra separazione da esso. In questo contesto, il fatto che il piede deve essere diviso indica che ci deve essere un’apertura in questa barriera, il che significa che dobbiamo farsi che la luce della santità permei anche negli aspetti più banali della creazione, assicurandoci di mantenere la coscienza divina, anche quando siamo coinvolti in questi meri aspetti mondani.
D-o poi ci comanda di non consumare animali non kosher in quanto originari del regno della spiritualità che va oltre la nostra capacità di elevarci mangiandoli.

Nel Talmud si legge che "Quando Rabbi Yochanan vide un cormorano, esclamò [rivolgendosi a D-o e citando il versetto del Salmo 26]: ‘La giustizia è effettuate anche nelle profondità del mare”. Rashi spiega che Rabbi Yochanan si riferiva a come" D-o giudica anche i pesci del mare.

Occorre, al proposito, notare come la parola ebraica "natura" (טבע) è legata al verbo "sommergere" (לטבוע), il che implica che la vitalità divina, che è la vera fonte di tutta la vita, è nascosta alla nostra percezione (vale a dire "sommersa dentro”). L’intimo coinvolgimento di Hashem in tutto ciò che avviene è nascosto a noi dal funzionamento apparentemente indipendente dalle leggi della natura.

Allegoricamente, "contaminazione" è la distanza da D-o, il contrario di "santità", ossia la vicinanza a D-o. Uno degli assiomi della “teologia” ebraica è che più ci avviciniamo a D-o, tanto maggiore è il pericolo di "contaminazione", cioè, di cadere dalle altezze della spiritualità nelle profondità dell’allontanamento o della depressione. Nelle parole dei Rabbanim, maggiore è la vicinanza a D-o, e maggiore è la sua inclinazione al male.

Pertanto, al fine di adempiere al mandato del versetto finale della parashat, ci viene ordinato di attingere dalla lezione del suo primo versetto: l’ottavo giorno. Il numero otto indica la Divinità trascendente, che è al di là del normale ciclo naturale di sette.

Shabbat Shalom!

Rav Daniel – רב דניאל

Unisciti a noi accettando la Torah nel tuo cuore e praticandola nella tua vita quotidiana.

We have the culmination of the Mishkan (Taberncle) creation and beginning of use, doubled with the beginning Aaron and his sons being set aside as high priests occurring this week in the portion Shemini. Aaron loses two of his sons to the Most High’s fire and HaShem gives us the kosher dietary laws, kashrut. This parsha has quite the storyline to follow and see how it fits together.

When we last left Moshe he was setting up the Mishkan daily. This day, the eighth day it was left standing. The eighth day is a new beginning differing from the past seven days, though unlike creation the count did not begin at one again. The week centers around Shabbat, and the rest of the days’ names are numbers in Hebrew. The eighth day marked a changing of the guard. Moshe was formally inaugurating the Mishkan. Unless their camp moved from this point forward the Mishkan stayed up. Aaron and his sons were set apart for their holy work in the Mishkan and assuming their duties fully.

Aaron’s two eldest sons died as they brought their fire to the altar, strange fire. We learn they died from Most High’s fire, but they were recognizable and their clothes survived as well. There are differing opinions among rabbis as to why this occurred. They had too much to drink, or they decided to instruct their teacher Moshe are two primary lines of reasoning. What is common is that they did not perform their service to HaShem in the Mishkan as the Most High expected.

The laws of kashrut with lists of animals, birds, fish and characteristics or names to identify them with that are still in effect today. We don’t have the Mishkan or a standing temple today. Records of the families of the High Priests were saved to aid in identifying those qualifying in that role when a third temple is prepared.

The connections are there. The people and the High Priest’s family shared the standard and customs of eating kosher, as we can do today. Though we do not have the temple we have the connection to this time and HaShem’s plans through the observing of kashrut. Keeping the dietary laws set apart the people from the other cultures as HaShem had set apart Aaron’s family to serve the people. The people’s service was being a light to the nations.

Aarons’s eldest sons had a direct consequence how they performed what they were expected in their role. Today we may not see, with our eyes, a consequence for keeping the dietary laws. Lack of visible feedback from the Most High from either not keeping kosher and/or being a light to the nations doesn’t mean there is no consequence. Aaron and his remaining sons could not observe mourning. They remained in the Mishkan serving HaShem. Who remains serving HaShem today?

The other foods we eat have blessings before and afterward. The mammals, fowl and fish have their status of kosher. The Most High could have fed us in any fashion desired. Eating is a time that we briefly set aside our physical need of hunger and thank HaShem for provision. There were approximately 1300 years before a siddur was formalized with the blessings while there was kashrut. The people’s contact with HaShem was through spontaneous prayer or hitboudut. Recognizing that even the food in drought or plenty comes from the Most High would have been a likely topic. Today we have the blessings so that connection to our food and HaShem’s provision isn’t lost.

How has the Most High set you apart as a light where you are? Have any questions about the how to’s of living this set apart life, or living life on "mission impossible" If we accept the mission, it isn’t impossible we begin with the simple questions and learn how, baby steps. Everyone and everything has a beginning, even the Mishkan and the service of the High Priests. Today, it looks different, yet service to HaShem is service where we are being who we are, today,

Ruth Etalka

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hUv8Qy4pKNs

What is Hitbodedut? Hitbodedut is the ultimate expression of Emunah (faith) in Hashem! By defination it is unstructured personal prayer; Talking with HaShem as one would talk to a good personal friend. The Height of Hitboidut-meditation is when, because of your great longing to unite with HaShem you feel your soul bound to your body by no more than a single strand. Is there anything better than this to strive for in this life?(L.M. II:99)

The Hebrew Letter Resh (Heb. רֵשׁ ;ר), the twentieth letter of the Hebrew alphabet; its numerical value is 200 It is symbolic of wickedness as well as higher consciousness. However, the Hebrew Letter Resh is the 20th letter in the order of the Alef Bet, the number 20 seems to be a number or time of waiting (enduring) in scripture. Maybe this has to do with its double , 40, which is also a time of testing. Isaac waited 20 years for a child, Jacob served Laban for 20 years, the Israelites waited 20 years for the deliverance of Deborah the Judge, and they waited 20 years for the Ark to return to them from Kirjath-jearim.

The letter Resh alludes to the word ‘rosh’ (head). The head is the most significant of all the parts of the body. It is the source of intellect, reason and wisdom. 

Tibdit: The Hebrew Letter Resh means Head, chief, or first fruits. Rosh means head, chief, top-part,

The letter Resh symbolises a bowed head. This is said to depict the poor man (raash), in acknowledgment of his state of servitude. According to the Talmud (Oral Law), the letter Resh denotes the wordrashah, meaning ‘a wicked person’.

Tidbits: The Greek rho seems to indicate that the Canaanite name of the letter was rosh, while resh = "head" in Aramaic.

As an abbreviation: Resh as an abbreviation can stand for Rabbi (or Rav, Rebbe, Rabban, Rabbenu, and other similar constructions). Resh may be found after a person’s name on a gravestone to indicate that they were a Rabbi or to indicate the other use of Rav, as a generic term for a teacher or a personal spiritual guide.

The Hebrew Letter Resh ר is one of the letters in the Hebrew alphabet that initiates or begins, that starts something.

• First: ראשון
• First of all, firstly, origin, beginning, starting point: ראשית
• Increase: רבה

Factoid: Each verse of this portion Tehillim / Psalm 119:153-160 begins with the letter Resh. All the verses of this section begin with the 20th letter of the Hebrew alphabet; but each verse with a different word. 153 (Resh) Look at my distress, and rescue me, for I do not forget your Torah. 154 Plead my cause, and redeem me; in keeping with your promise, revive me. 155 Salvation is far away from the wicked, because they don’t seek your laws. 156 Great is your compassion, HaShem; in keeping with your rulings, revive me. 157 Although my persecutors and foes are many, I have not turned away from your instruction. 158 I look at traitors with disgust, because they don’t keep your word. 159 See how I love your precepts, HaShem; in keeping with your grace, revive me. 160 The main thing about your word is that it’s true; and all your just rulings last forever.

Most Israelis pronounce it like a softer version of the French R, in the back of the mouth where the tongue meets the throat. Sephardic Jews (from Spanish or Arab speaking countries) pronounce it like the Spanish R, which is how the equivalent letter sounds in Arabic.

In all the Hebrew Bible, the key phrase reshit chochmah appears in one and only one other verse – Kohelet / Proverbs 4:7 where reshit is translated as principle thing and linked with rosh as head: Wisdom is the principal thing (reshit chochmah); therefore get wisdom: and with all you getting get understanding. Exalt her, and she shall promote you: she shall bring you to hon-our, when thou dost embrace her. She shall give to thine head (rosh) an ornament of grace: a crown of glory shall she deliver to you.

Reishit chochma yirat HaShem / The beginning of wisdom is awe of HaShem; which means that we acknowledge there is an area beyond our comprehension, but what comes immediately after the acknowledgement is Chochma, wisdom.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9d6M8Latfp4

Parashat: Pésach (Pasqua)
Parashà: Shemot (Esodo) 33:12-34:26 (I Sefer)
Maftir: Bamidbar (Numeri) 28:19-25 (
Haftarà: Yechezkel / Ezechiele 37:1 – 14

Questa lettura si conclude con l’esortazione relativa al dovere di Israele di restare fedele a D-o. Israele deve ad HaShem sia la sua esistenza e sia la libertà, la liberazione dalla schiavitù. La Parashat sottolinea l’importanza di Pesach e delle osservanze rituali. Richiama la nostra attenzione alla liberazione dalla schiavitù ed alla nostra spirituale e fisica rinascita como popolo di Israele. La Parashat comprende il tentativo di Mosè di vedere D-o faccia a faccia e la consegna della seconda serie delle Tavole. E’ dopo questo incontro che il volto di Mosè assume il bagliore strano che lo costringerà a portare il velo.

La fedeltà ad HaShem è il perno principale di tutta la Torah, attorno al quale ruotano sia i fatti storici, che l’oggetto stesso della vita spirituale di Israele, del suo popolo che viene riscattato dalla schiavitù, che viene liberato al fine di essere servitore di quel D-o presente in ogni azione del popolo e che chiede soltanto di essere servito al fine di liberare il popolo da un’altra schiavitù: quella del peccato.

La consegna delle altre Tavole è sintomatico di una volontà di HaShem di indicare definitivamente i comportamenti da seguire, non al fine di essere puramente e semplicmente onorato o rispettato, ma al fine di dettare delle regole che sono espressione della redenzione.

Il sacro servizio ad HaShem altro non è che l’espressione tangibile della redenzione, della necessità di sconfiggere il peccato, di vivere secondo una Legge eterna ed immodificabile. Non a torto, lo stesso Pirqé Avot ci insegna lo studio della Torah quale via di redenzione e di sconfitta del peccato.

Ma le Tavole non servono quale base per sconfiggere il peccato in senso relativo, ma – al contrario – in senso assoluto, nel proprio cuore, nei propri comportamenti. Per questo HaShem chiama costantemente Moshé, lo incita a far comprendere che ha concesso al Suo popolo quella redenzione, quella Legge, quel Patto che lega a Lui il Suo popolo indissolubilmente.

Per altro, proprio Pesach è la festa del ricordo, dell’Esodo, ma anche – e soprattutto – della liberazione, della redenzione, dell’osservanza. E laddove è scritto : “Poiché io sono il Signore che ti porta fuori”, no troviamo scritto: “Ti ho portato fuori", proprio perché no si tratta di un mero fatto storico, tant’è che Rashi spiega questo intendendo “per ottenere l’elevazione spirituale”. E questa elevazione spirituale è l’espressione del servizio ad HaShem.

Shabbat Shalom!

Rav Daniel – רב דניאל

Unisciti a noi accettando la Torah nel tuo cuore e praticandola nella tua vita quotidiana.

Galut or Golus (Hebrew: גלות‎), means literally exile. Galut or Golus classically refers to the exile of the Jewish people from the Land of Israel. There were altogether four such exiles. These are said to be alluded to in Abraham’s biblical vision of the future of his descendants according to Bereishit Rabba (44:17): "And behold, a great, dark fear fell upon him." "’Fear’ refers to Babylonia … ‘dark’ refers to Media. … ‘great’ refers to Greece…. ‘fell upon him’ refers to Edom.’"

The present galut is referred to as "Galut Edom – the Edomite Exile," because the Romans – who brought about the present galut with their destruction of the Holy Temple – were mostly descendants of Edom. This galut is generally divided into two eras, governed by two kinds of chieftains-leaders, as mentioned in the verse cited: The first is "Chieftain Magdiel." This name signifies, and is an expression of, "he magnified himself (yitgadel) above every god" (Daniel 11:36).

In this first era of the Edomite galut, the Roman empire expanded throughout the world, seeking to overpower Judaism and to make it difficult for Jews to observe Torah and mitzvot. The second one is "Chieftain Iram." This name, the Midrash notes, is an expression of "he is destined to amass (le’erom) treasures for the royal Mashiach."

This refers to the second era of the Edomite galut, the one close to the Messianic days. In that time Rome will cease to subdue Israel and will itself submit to holiness. Moreover, it will even assist Mashiach. Rome will be transformed to realize the sacred meaning of its name: Romi as an expression of hitromemut – exaltation, i.e., the exaltation of holiness.

Galut, an Eternal obsession: We Jews engage in formal prayer three times daily. The core of each of these services is a silent prayer which is recited standing, and hence is referred to as the Amidah (from the word omed which means to stand). During weekdays, the Amidah consists of nineteen benedictions, no less than seven of which are directly and explicitly related to the messianic redemption.

The duration of the galut is comparable to the fetus’ nine months of incubation in the mother’s womb. The redemption of Mashiach represents the moment of birth. While in the womb, the fetus possesses all of its organs and limbs, but their function is diminished or non-existent. The body and potential which formed and developed throughout the pregnancy is infused with the breath of life only upon its emergence into the light of day. – Rabbi Schneur Zalman of Liadi (Torah Or, p. 109).

The term has also become a Hebrew synonym for the Jewish diaspora, and the term "galut mentality" is used among Jewish nationalists to derisively refer to residents of the Jewish diaspora who do not support, or may even oppose, the reconstitution and reinstitution of Israel and its central socioreligious institutions due to ethnic or religious reasons. Rabbi Tzvi Freeman said: "It is not so much that we need to be taken out of exile. It is that the exile must be taken out of us."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mW_RKNpzWlo

Techiyat hameitim means the resurrection of the dead. Rambam stated: "I believe with perfect faith that the dead will be brought back to life when God wills it to happen." (This is the 13th and last of Rambam’s Principles of Faith) Is there no hope for the dead? Is our life simply finished — over — when we die? No, not at all. Notice the words of the Rav Shaul. "If in this life only we have hope in Mashiach, we are of all men most miserable. But now is Mashiach risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept. For since by man came death, by man came also the RESURRECTION of the dead" (I Cor. 15:19-21). There is the TRUE HOPE of the believer! The Hebrew Scriptures teaches a resurrection from the dead — not a cycle of misery and suffering in the wheel of reincarnation!

Yeshua HaMashiach said: Yochanan 11:25 “… "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will still live, even if he dies.  Whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?”  What we have here is a clear testimony from our Rabbi Maran Yeshua HaMashiach about who he is.  His statement means that he is the answer to man’s search for eternal life and the need of man to be resurrected.  The issue is more than just believing in the fact of the resurrection; but believing and living in Messiah Yeshua as our assurance of eternal life.  How do we “live in” Yeshua haMashiach? Well, we must be in the Messiah to do this; we are joined to him through our faith in his word.  Messiah himself immerses us in the Ruach HaKodesh by which means we are made to share in the life of Messiah.  In Luke 3:16 Yochanan the Immerser, the forerunner of Mashiach testifies“…saying unto [them] all, I indeed immerse you with water; but one mightier than I cometh, the latchet of whose shoes I am not worthy to unloose: he shall immerse you with  the Ruach HaKodesh and with fire:”

So it is Messiah who does the immersing.  But we also inherit eternal life because we partake of his death and resurrection.  Romim 6:3-5 “Or don’t you know that all we who were immersed into Messiah Yeshua were immersed into his death?  We were buried therefore with him through immersion to death, that just like Messiah was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we also might walk in newness of life. For if we have become united with him in the likeness of his death, we will also be part of his resurrection.” The resurrection is the true hope of mankind. Nowhere does the Tanach teach reincarnation.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9QTAAgyzGWQ

Seder traditions for us are an collection of practices that are Sephardic in origin, but for many of us these practices have grown and changed because they were practiced underground in either maranno or crypto-Jewish households.

Remember: Sephardic Passover customs and traditions can vary from region to region, country to country, city to city, community to community, and family to family.

The most basic difference between Sephardim and Ashkenazim pertains to kitniyot, which are eaten by Sephardim but not by Ashkenazi Jews. The literal translation of the word is "legumes," but the term is a catch-all for several varieties of grain or meal that are not actually chametz. These include rice, corn, millet, string beans, green peas and various kinds of dried beans, such as lentils, split peas, soybeans and chickpeas.

The following is a selected list of Sephardic Passover customs and traditions:

Kitniyot (Rice and Legumes at Passover) is considered kosher for Pesach by Sephardi Jews. It was a tradition among Egyptian Jews to purchase all the Pesach rice one month before the holiday. For some families that meant buying about 40 pounds of rice. The rice would be placed in the middle of the table and the family would sift and wash the rice then divide it into eight portions for the eight days of Pesach. Rice is part of a group of legumes known in Hebrew as “kitniyot.” These foods are considered kosher for Passover by Sephardi Jews and include corn, millet, string beans, green peas, lentils, split peas, soybeans and chickpeas.

It is the Ashkenazi custom to avoid rice, millet, corn, legumes (e.g., beans, peas, lentils), sesame and sunflower seeds at Passover. These foods are classified askitniyot and are in a separate category from chametz (leaven), which can only come from the five grains: wheat, barley, oats, spelt, and rye. Strict Ashkenazi custom also avoids any product of kitniyot, including things like sunflower oil.

Different Sephardic Traditions:

The Seder Plate in Southern Italy, Sicily and Morocco - The Seder plate is brought to the Seder table with great ceremony. It would be covered with a beautiful scarf and the family would sing as the plate arrived at the table. Before it was set down, the Seder plate would be placed on a child’s head and then rotated for everyone to see.

The Seder Plate in Tunisia, Sicily and Sardinia – As the plate arrives at the table, the Seder leader sets it on the head of the Seder leader. The plate is then passed from person to person around the table – held for a moment on each head by a family member. The Seder begins in this manner to demonstrate that we were once slaves in Egypt and carried heavy burdens on our heads.

The Matzah – At the point in the Haggadah where the matzah is described as “the bread of affliction,” Italian and Moroccan Jews would have ready three pieces of matzah tied up in a napkin, like a little sack. The sack would be passed around the table, shoulder to shoulder like this: First the sack would be held on the person’s right shoulder and the leader would ask her/him, “Where are you from?” The person with the shoulder sack would reply, “I am from Egypt.” The leader then asks the same person, “Where are you going?” Then the person with the sack would shift it to the left shoulder and say, “I am going to Yerushalayim. Will you come with me?” The sack is then passed to the next person at that table who says, “Yes.” And the process repeats around the table.

Pan de Semita – or “semitic bread,” is Passover bread made and eaten first by the Jews in pre-Inquisition Spain and later on by Mexicans and Mexican Americans along the Texas border. (Note: There are some historians who believe that the entire Caucasian population of Mexican is of Jewish origin, having escaped the Inquisition and fled to what is now Mexico. In the remote villages of Mexico many peasants observe Jewish traditions and customs without knowing the what or why of their practice!). Pan de semita is always eaten around Passover season, even when families don’t understand their Jewish connection. It is always unleavened and is made by combining two cups of flour, one half cup of water, a few tablespoons of olive oil and baked unleavened. Mexicans says that pork lard is prohibited, hence the name, “semetic.” Only olive oil may be used. The same recipe is used in Calabria, the deep south of Italy and is called “pane azimo.”

The Ten Plagues – This custom is Italian but also is done by Yemenite Jews and as such has become “minhag” for many of us. As each plague is said aloud, the Seder leader would pour a little bit of wine from his cup into a tin can. When all the plagues have been repeated, the matriarch of the family would take the tin can out into the farthest part of the yard, pour the wine into the ground and say in a loud whisper, “May this go to all of our enemies and haters. May they create no suffering for us or for themselves. Amen!” Those at the table remain very quiet, so that the loud whisper can be heard. In Greece this same ceremony is done with vinegar poured into a can as each plague is said.

Another Sephardic tradition is that there is no dipping of fingers in wine. The mother would walk up to the father with a large bowl and a glass of water. He would recite the plagues one by one, and for each plague he would pour a bit of wine in the bowl from a special large wineglass, and the mother would pour a bit of the water. It is all done under the table – nobody is supposed to look at the "plagues" for fear of being "contaminated"! Then the mother, without looking directly at the bowl, and with everyone else looking in another direction, would go to the bathroom and flush the "plagues" down the toilet. The wine represents justice and the water mercy.

Singing “Dayenu,” – In Italy the Seder table is set with a green onion (with long stems), one for each person. When it is time to sing Dayenu, each person takes an onion and wields it like a whip. At the chorus, each person takes the onion and whips the wrist of the person next to her/him. The sound of the onion stems represents the sounds of the whips of our slave masters. In Iran, Afghanistan and Iraq the onions are gathered in a bunch and one person “whips” the person next to her/him, then passes the onion bunch along. Incidentally, this ritual is performed while singing Dayenu because Dayenu is the song of miracles, so the whipping reminds us that it was a miracle that we were freed from the lash of oppression.

The Charoset – is one of the most popular and well-remembered Seder foods. It is part of the ritual food on the Seder plate, chosen to remind us of our lives as slaves where we had to mix mortar to make the bricks for Pharaoh’s buildings. Sephardi charoset is often made with dates as the staple (in Ashkenazi homes the staple is apple) because the color of the dates is similar to the color of mortar. Other Charoset ingredients include a variety of nuts, apricots, cinnamon and wine. The dates are crushed, boiled and pureed, then sprinkled with crushed dried nuts. The result looked exactly like mortar, as it is supposed to!

Charoset for Anousim or Oppressed Jews – In Cuba where Jews have had difficulty practicing their religion, traditional fruits are often not available. Apples and nuts and dried fruit were impossible to find. So Cuban Jews created a recipe called “Charoset of the Oppressed.” The mixture is basic and includes only matzah, honey, cinnamon and wine. Using this charoset at your Seder table will remind your family, especially the children, of the plight of Cuban Jews and all oppressed people around the world.

The Four Cups – In the Sephardi Seder blessings are said over the first and third cup of wine only. According to Sephardic halachah, rabbis believe that the blessings over the first cup for the Kiddush and the third cup after the Grace After Meals covers these cups as well.

Seder Dress – It is traditional for everyone to wear white to the Seder. In Italian and Spanish homes, the leader will always dress in a white caftan or robe, even if the guests do not. It is also a custom to have a crown present and to select someone as “Pharaoh.” The Pharaoh wears the crown and during the singing of Dayenu and the “whipping” with the onions, the Pharaoh moves from table to table, supervising the whipping!

Mimouna – (“mee-moh-oo-na) Celebration for the end of Pesach – There are several ways to celebrate the crossing of the Sea of Reeds and our path to freedom. In Sephardi synagogues in Mediterranean countries, the synagogue is opened at one minute after midnight (the end of the eighth night). The Torah is taken from the ark and the Song of Songs is read while congregants dance in the aisles. Following the Torah reading, the Mimouna festival begins. (Mimouna can also be done on the evening of the ninth day with visiting of neighbors and friends.) The Mimouna celebration honors Rabbi Maimon, the father of Moses Maimonides who was the beloved leader of the Moroccan Jews. Traditional Mimouna foods include pita bread, cut into pieces and eaten by dipping a piece into honey. The meaning behind this tradition is that the pita and honey will glue the family together and slavery and oppression will never again separate us.

Sephardim use balsamic vinegar instead of salt water. The Zeroah is not a chicken wing it is a large shank bone.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Pwe9-oiF2Y

Korban Pesach (Hebrew: קרבן פסח "sacrifice of Passover") also known as the "Paschal Lamb" is the sacrifice that the Torah mandates to be brought on the eve of Passover, and eaten on the first night of the holiday with bitter herbs and matzo. According to the Torah, it was first offered on the night of the Israelites’ Exodus from Egypt. Although practiced by Jews in ancient times, the ritual is no longer performed today.

The blood of this sacrifice sprinkled on the door-posts of the Israelites was to be a sign to the angel of death, when passing through the land to slay the first-born of the Egyptians that night, that he should pass by the houses of the Israelites.[1] This is called in the Mishnah the "Egyptian Passover sacrifice" ("Pesaḥ Miẓrayim"; Pes. ix. 5). It was ordained, furthermore (Ex. xii. 24-27), that this observance should be repeated annually for all time once the Israelites entered into their promised land. Ex. xii. 25 "It will come to pass when you come to the land which the Lord will give you, just as He promised, that you shall keep this service (NKJV). This so-called "Pesaḥ Dorot," the Passover of succeeding generations (Pes. l.c.), differs in many respects from the Pesaḥ Miẓrayim. In the pre-exilic period, however, Pesaḥ was rarely sacrificed in accordance with the legal prescriptions (comp. II Chron. xxxv. 18). According to Rashi, only once during their forty years of wandering in the wilderness, one year after the Exodus, was the sacrifice offered.

For the next 39 years there was no offering, according to Rashi, as God stipulated that it could only be offered after the Children of Israel had entered the Land of Israel. In fact, the bringing of the Pesach sacrifice resumed only after the Israelites had taken possession of the land, and then the sacrifice was made annually until during the times when Solomon’s Temple and the Second Temple stood and functioned. During this time there was a definite ritual for the offering, in addition to the regulations prescribed by the Law.

The following is a brief summary of the principal ordinances and of the ritual accompanying the sacrifice.

The sacrificial animal, which was either a lamb or kid, was necessarily a male, one year old, and without blemish. Each family or society offered one animal together, which did not require the "semikah" (laying on of hands), although it was obligatory to determine who were to take part in the sacrifice that the killing might take place with the proper intentions. Only those who were circumcised and clean before the Law might participate, and they were forbidden to have leavened food in their possession during the act of killing the paschal lamb. The animal was slain on the eve of the Passover, on the afternoon of the 14th of Nisan, after the Tamid sacrifice had been killed, i.e., at three o’clock, or, in case the eve of the Passover fell on Friday, at two.

The killing took place in the court of the Temple at Jerusalem, and might be performed by a layman, although the blood had to be caught by a priest, and rows of priests with gold or silver cups in their hands stood in line from the Temple court to the altar, where the blood was sprinkled. These cups were rounded on the bottom, so that they could not be set down; for in that case the blood might coagulate. The priest who caught the blood as it dropped from the victim then handed the cup to the priest next to him, receiving from him an empty one, and the full cup was passed along the line until it reached the last priest, who sprinkled its contents on the altar. The lamb was then hung upon special hooks or sticks and skinned; but if the eve of the Passover fell on a Sabbath, the skin was removed down to the breast only. The abdomen was then cut open, and the fatty portions intended for the altar were taken out, placed in a vessel, salted, and offered by the priest on the altar, while the remaining entrails likewise were taken out and cleansed.

While the required quorum for most activities requiring a quorum is usually ten, the Korban Pesach must be offered before a quorum of 30. (It must be performed in front of kahal adat yisrael, the assembly of the congregation of Israel. Ten are needed for the assembly, ten for the congregation, and ten for Israel.) According to some Talmudic authorities, women counted in the minyan for offering the Korban Pesach.

Even if the eve of the Passover fell on a Sabbath, the paschal lamb was killed in the manner described above, the blood was sprinkled on the altar, the entrails removed and cleansed, and the fat offered on the altar; for these four ceremonies in the case of the paschal lamb, and these alone, were exempt from the prohibition against working on the Sabbath. This regulation, that the Sabbath yielded the precedence to the Passover, was not definitely determined until the time of Hillel, who established it as a law and was in return elevated to the dignity of nasi by the Bene Bathyra.

The people taking part in the sacrifice were divided into three groups. The first of these filled the court of the Temple, so that the gates had to be closed, and while they were killing and offering their paschal lambs the Levites on the platform ("dukan") recited the "Hallel" (Psalms 113-118), accompanied by instruments of brass. If the Levites finished their recitation before the priests had completed the sacrifice, they repeated the "Hallel," although it never happened that they had to repeat it twice. As soon as the first group had offered their sacrifice, the gates were opened to let them out, and their places were taken by the second and third groups successively.

All three groups offered their sacrifice in the manner described, while the "Hallel" was recited; but the third group was so small that it had always finished before the Levites reached Psalm 116. It was called the "group of the lazy" because it came last. Even if the majority of the people were ritually unclean on the eve of the Passover, the sacrifice was offered on the 14th of Nisan. Other sacrifices, on the contrary, called "ḥagigah," which were offered together with the paschal lamb, were omitted if the eve of the Passover fell on a Sabbath, or if the sacrifice was offered in a state of uncleanness, or if the number of participants was so small that they could not consume all the meat. When the sacrifice was completed and the animal was ready for roasting, each one present carried his lamb home, except when the eve of the Passover fell on a Sabbath, in which case it might not be taken away.

The first group stationed itself on the mount of the Temple in Jerusalem, the second group in the "ḥel," the space between the Temple wall and the Temple hall, while the third group remained in the Temple court, thus awaiting the evening, when they took their lambs home and roasted them on a spit of pomegranate-wood. No bones might be broken either during the cooking or during the eating. The lamb was set on the table at the evening banquet (see Passover Seder), and was eaten by the assembled company after all had satisfied their appetites with the ḥagigah or other food. The sacrifice had to be consumed entirely that same evening, nothing being allowed to remain overnight. While eating it, the entire company of those who partook was obliged to remain together, and every participant had to take a piece of the lamb at least as large as an olive. Women and girls also might take part in the banquet and eat of the sacrifice. The following benediction was pronounced before eating the lamb: "Blessed be Thou, the Eternal, our God, the King of the world, who hast sanctified us by Thy commands, and hast ordained that we should eat the Passover." The "Hallel" was recited during the meal, and when the lamb had been eaten the meaning of the custom was explained, and the story of the Exodus was told.

The paschal sacrifice belongs to the "shelamim," thus forming one of the sacrifices in which the meal is the principal part and indicates the community between God and man. It is really a house or family sacrifice, and each household is regarded as constituting a small community in itself, not only because the lamb is eaten at home, but also because every member of the family is obliged to partake of the meal, on pain of karet (ritual excommunication), although each man must be circumcised and all must be ritually clean. The fact that the paschal lamb might be killed only at the central sanctuary of Jerusalem, on the other hand, implies that each household was but a member of the larger community; this is indicated also by the national character of the sacrifice, which kept alive in the memory of the nation the preservation and liberation of the entire people.

In 2007, a group of rabbis led by Adin Steinsalz and supported by the Temple Mount Faithful and the New Sanhedrin Council identified a Kohen who was a butcher, made plans for conducting a passover sacrifice on the Temple Mount, and petitioned the Israeli High Court of Justice for permission. The Court sided with the government and rejected the request, holding that such an event would inflame religious tensions and would threaten security. The incident was a successor to a series of earlier attempts by various groups to perform such a sacrifice, either openly or by subterfuge.

In 2008 animal rights group Tnoo Lachayot Lichyot ("Let the Animals Live") sued the Temple Institute, claiming its conduct of a practice passover sacrifice demonstration would constitute animal cruelty. An Israeli court rejected the claim.

Parashat: Tzav (Ordine)
Parashà: Vayikra / Levitico 6:1 – 8:36
Haftarà: Yermiyahu / Geremia 7:21 – 8:3; 9:22

La Parashat inizia con un comando: (“E il Signore parlò a Mosè, dicendo: לֵּאמֹר משֶׁה אֶל יְהֹוָה וַיְדַבֵּר”), e comandò ad Aaron ed ai suoi figli, dicendo: “Questa è la legge dell’olocausto: Questo è l’olocausto che brucia sull’altare per tutta la notte fino al mattino, e il fuoco dell’altare brucerà con esso”.

צַו: comandò ad Aaron. L’espressione צַו, che per altro da il nome lla presente Parashat, sta per “sollecitare”, “comandare”, “ordinare” (di adempiere un comandamento particolare, specifico, prontamente e meticolosamente) per il presente e per le generazioni future. In Torath Kohanim 6:1, Rabbi Simeon ha detto che la Scrittura ha bisogno soprattutto per esortare la gente a compiere (precetti, comandamenti) in cui vi è perdita monetaria.

“Questa è la legge del l’olocausto”: Questo passo viene per insegnarci che la combustione dei grassi [sacrificali] [e parti di un animale] è valida per tutta la notte [successivo alla data di offerta] [Meg. 21a] e ci insegna altresì le regole riguardo ai sacrifici non validi.

Questo è l’olocausto: הִוא הַָעֹלָה [Mentre le parole תּוֹרַת הַָעֹלָה includono offerte non valide, le parole הִוא הַָעֹלָה indicano “venire”] per escludere il caso di animali che hanno vissuto con un essere umano, se l’animale è stato parte attiva o passiva della trasgressione.

E il Kohen deve indossare la tunica ed i pantaloni di lino, estrarre la cenere in cui il fuoco ha consumato l’olocausto sull’altare, e metterli accanto all’altare. Ed altre specificazioni sempre relative agli olocausti.
Il fuoco sull’altare deve essere sempre tenuto acceso ed in esso vengono bruciate le offerte.

E’ interessante notare come lo Shabbat che precede la festa di Pesach è chiamato, dalla tradizione rabbinica, con l’appellativo di Shabbat haGadol, anche se non è un sabato fra quelli chiamati “segnalati”, ed anche se non vi è un secondo sefer da leggere con un brano inerente allo specifico Shabbat. L’aggettivo “gadol”, grande, è tratto da un versetto della Haftarà del Profeta Malakhì cap.3 vv.4-24, in cui si parla del “Giorno del Signore” in cui verrà fatta giustizia di coloro che soffrono e verso coloro che li opprimono. Questo sarà il giorno in cui trionferà la giustizia divina, che sarà preceduto dalla venuta del Profeta Elia, il quale secondo la tradizione biblica, non sarebbe morto ma rapito da un carro di fuoco, per poi tornare ad annunciare la Redenzione finale proprio durante la celebrazione del Seder la sera di Pesach.

Il brano si conclude con le parole: “ …ecco sta arrivando il giorno del Signore grande e terribile”; il termine grande, quindi, non è riferito allo Shabbat, in quanto nella lingua ebraica è femminile, ma al giorno della giustizia divina; per cui l’appellativo di Shabbat Ha Gadol può essere tradotto con “il sabato del Grande” ossia del grande evento che sarà la redenzione completa del popolo di Israele.

Lo Shibbolè ha Leket di Rabbi Zidkijau ben Avraham ha Rofè da Roma) racconta in “regole per il sabato che precede la festa di Pesach chiamato Shabbat ha Gadol”: “Ho trovato nell’opera PARDES di Rabbenu Shelomò che, il sabato che precede Pesach si usa chiamarlo Shabbat ha Gadol ed il motivo è che dato che, nel mese di Nissan, dell’anno in cui sono usciti dall’Egitto i figli di Israele, Pesach cadde di Giovedì perché così è detto nell’ordine delle cose. Il prelevamento del capretto per il sacrificio ( Es. cap. 12 VV. 26 e seg.) al decimo giorno del mese, era di sabato e gli Ebrei ebbero paura di rimanere vittime degli egiziani che consideravano sacri quegli animali (‘…ecco come possiamo sacrificare ciò che gli egizi considerano sacro, per questo non ci lapideranno?’). Il Santo Benedetto Egli sia disse al popolo che ciò non sarebbe avvenuto perché a causa dei loro gravi problemi di salute (Il midrash racconta che furono colpiti da una pestilenza che gli impedì di uscire dalle loro case mentre sentivano belare i capretti che erano tenuti in serbo dagli ebrei) non avrebbero potuto interferire con quello che gli ebrei stavano facendo”. Questo fu un grande miracolo, avvenuto proprio lo Shabbat precedente l’uscita dall’Egitto (Shibbolè ha leket cap. 205 )

Un altro motivo per cui si chiama Shabbat haGadol è che durante la preghiera mattutina di quello shabbat, si ascoltava il sermone del Rabbino che si protraeva per spiegare le minuziose regole della festa fino a dopo mezzogiorno; essendo quindi molto lunga la durata della tefillà era come se fosse un sabato molto più lungo dei sabati regolari e fu definito sabato del grande.

E’ per questo motivo che in tutte le Sinagoghe del mondo, si è mantenuto questa usanza e durante le preghiere del mattino di questo shabbat è uso che il Rabbino tenga una particolare derashà riguardante le minuziose regole della festa di Pesach, delle regole sull’eliminazione del chamez, considerato il divieto più rigoroso di questa festività, e le regole per la celebrazione del seder che deve iniziare ad essere preparato da subito dopo il bi’ur chamez – la bruciatura del chamez.

Spiegano i Maestri della Mishnà a proposito di ciò: “al tikrè chamez ellà chamas” (“non leggere chamez che significa lievito ma leggi chamas che vuol dire violenza”).

La violenza è un sentimento dell’uomo che gli impedisce di aver rispetto per il prossimo, ma gli impedisce anche di ragionare sulle cose; lo rende quindi schiavo del suo istinto animalesco.

Il divieto di cibarsi di chamez quindi, è l’invito all’uomo di considerarsi alla stregua del suo prossimo dandogli la facoltà ed il diritto di esprimere la propria opinione, rispettandolo come se stesso.

E’ per questo che la Mazzà che se D-o vorrà, inizieremo a mangiare da lunedì sera per otto sere, chiamata “lechem ‘oni” “il pane dell’umiltà” deve essere il monito a chiunque la mangi di ricordasi che essendo stati schiavi in Egitto per oltre quattrocento anni, nessuno come gli Ebrei sa apprezzare la Libertà, che non vuole significare Anarchia, ma rispetto di se stesso, delle leggi che lo rendono uguale al prossimo, senza differenza di ceto sociale.

Shabbat Shalom!

Rav Daniel – רב דניאל

Unisciti a noi accettando la Torah nel tuo cuore e praticandola nella tua vita quotidiana.

The Korban Todah (offering of thanksgiving) of a Nation.

The special laws of the korban Pesach (offering of Passover) can be understood in a similar manner, for it too is an offering of thanksgiving – not for a personal case of redemption, but rather for our national redemption.

Let’s review the special laws of the korban Pesach to show how they help to create a special environment in which we can thank the one who took us from Egypt to the promise land.

a) First of all, in the time of the Bet HaMikdash (Temple), everyone was obligated to gather in Jerusalem and offer their korbanot in the Bet HaMikdash while the Leviim sang the Hallel (Psalms 113–118). [That in itself is a 'national thanksgiving.']

b) Eating the korban Pesach was by ‘invitation only.’ In other words, it was necessary to know ahead of time (before the korban is offered) who would be eating it. The purpose of this law is not to limit the amount of participants, but rather to make sure that everyone will attend [just like invitations for a wedding or any other important event.]!

c) The korban must be eaten with matzot and marror. The primary reason for eating the korban Pesach with matza is similar to the reason for eating the korban Todah with matza; that is, to ensure that everyone ‘sits down’ to a meal.

d) Marror can be explained in a similar manner. Its primary purpose is to make the meal of the korban Pesach more ‘formal’ (and tasty – a little ‘salad with the shawarma’), but once we are adding herbs to our ‘sandwich,’ we take a bitter herb to remind us of our affliction in Egypt [l'havdil - sort of like food at a 'theme party'].

e) Using only roasted meat, not cooked but not raw (see 12:9-10) also ensures that it will be an enjoyable meal for all.

f) No leftovers – ensures that everyone will enjoy the meal and not think about ‘saving’ the meat for later.

However, the primary reason for offering the korban Pesach is in order that we say magid – i.e. we tell the story of Yetziat Mitzrayim and then sing the Hallel once again. This aspect is the most similar to our explanation of the korban Todah, for in order to properly thank HaShem for our national redemption, we must tell the story in such a way ‘that we ourselves feel as though we had been redeemed from Egypt,’ just as the individual who offers the korban Todah tells his personal story of redemption to his guests.

Today, even though we are unable to offer the korban Pesach, we accomplish the same goal at the seder. Our custom of sitting down to a festive meal with family and guests while reading the haggadah, telling its story and singing its songs, achieves this same goal. May we be "zocheh / worthy" to fulfill it ‘next year in Jerusalem.’

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zCTUIz98weo

We mark the passage of time between Pesach (Passover) and Shavuot (Pentecost) by the “counting of the omer.” A period of seven weeks is observed in which each day is counted off for 49 days ending on the fiftieth day known as Shavuot /Pentecost (Pentecost-means 50). It is the number of days from the barley harvest to the wheat harvest.

The counting of the days of the Omer is a biblical commandment incumbent upon every believer. Traditionally, the period of the Omer count is to be a time of spiritual introspection as the counters prepare themselves for Shavuot. Because it begins during Passover and concludes at Shavuot, the counting of the Omer remembers the journey from Egypt to Mount Sinai.

The symbolism is strong. Just as the first omer of barley was brought as a first fruits of the whole harvest, so too Messiah’s resurrection was a first fruits of the resurrection of the dead. This is the imagery Paul invokes with the words, "Messiah has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who are asleep."[2] Just as the first fruits of the barley made all the rest of the harvest kosher for harvest, so too the resurrection of Messiah makes the resurrection of the dead possible.

According to Jewish tradition, the counting is done in the following prescribed manner. After the evening prayers each day, the counter recites a blessing: "Blessed are You, HaShem Our G-d, King of the Universe, Who has sanctified us with his commandments and commanded us to count the Omer." Then the counter simply states, "Today is X days of the Omer." The person counting follows his formal declaration of the omer day with a recitation of Psalm 67 and a few short petitions for spiritual cleansing and renewal. Tradition prescribes the recitation of Psalm 67 because it is composed of exactly 49 Hebrew words which correspond to the 49 days of the omer count. The Psalm is seasonally appropriate because of its harvest motif. It is spiritually appropriate because it speaks clearly of God’s salvation (Yeshua) being made known over all the earth.

During the Temple times, an elaborate ceremony developed of bringing an offering representing the earliest harvest, a sheaf of barley, as a thanksgiving tithe to G-d. The priest would meet the worshipers on the edge of the city and lead them up to the Temple mount with music, praise psalms and dance. On arriving at the Temple, the priest would take the sheaves of grain and lift some of them in the air, waving them in every direction, thus acknowledging God’s provision and sovereignty over all the earth.

Yeshua rose from the dead on the 1st day of the Omer. Paul (Shaul) wrote "But the truth is, Messiah was raised to life- the first fruits of the harvest of the dead." 1st Corinthians 15:20 This festival is called "bikkurim"- first fruits. Is just a coincidence?

The "Omer" Controversy. In modern-day Judaism, the First Day of the Omer is always 16th Nisan, the day after Passover, so that Pentecost is on 6th Sivan. However, at the time of Yeshua there was a debate going on between the Pharisees and Sadducees. The Pharisees interpreted "the morrow after the Sabbath" in Lev. 23:15 to be the day after Passover, since any non-working day is considered to be a Sabbath. The Sadducees interpreted it literally to mean the day after the first weekly Sabbath after Passover. History shows that in first century Judaism the majority view regarding the counting of the omer was according the Pharisees and that this is what has survived to this day in the majority of Judaism.

Understanding this history is vital to understanding one more foundational scripture when considering this subject of how we are to count the forty-nine days, which lead to the fiftieth day, the day of Shavuot (Pentecost). Because Yeshua’s talmidim celebrated Shavuot during the same time as the majority view in Judaism we can also conclude that they started counting the omer, the forty-nine days leading to the fiftieth day of Shavuot on the day after the High Holy Day of the first day of Chag HaMatzah (Feast of Unleavened Bread).   Part of being a talmid (disciple) of Yeshua our Rabbi means that we will seek to do the same.   We should seek to be unified with Israel in as much as we can.

The Mishnah (Menahot 66) goes to great detail explaining the ceremony that was performed to gather the Omer. Since the Omer was brought to the Temple on the second day of Passover, its harvesting over rode the laws of Shabbat. It was reaped at night of the sixteenth of Nisan irregardless if it was a weekday or the Shabbat.

The counting of the Omer is likened to a bride and groom who are waiting for the day of their wedding. They have set the date and are now counting to the big event. For us, we are counting to the time on which the Torah was given on Mount Sinai; a day to which G-d revealed Himself in a manner never before revealed to man. It was a time to which our ancestors looked forward to and indeed so do we.  Let’s work together this year as we keep the mitzvah of Counting the Omer. Let’s express the resurrected life within us by doing more mitzvot and spreading more joy.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mg_5NE7hg8w