Kosher animals?
Cloven hoofed mammals are fine
If they chew their cud

Camels, rabbits?  Treif
Each of them brings up its cud
But lacks cloven hooves

And pigs? Not kosher
Yes, it has a cloven hoof
But cud chewer? No.

Leviticus 11:3-4,6-7 – Among mammals, you may eat [any one] that has true hooves that are cloven and that brings up its cud. However, among the cud-chewing,  hoofed animals, these are the ones that you may not eat: The camel shall be unclean to you although it brings up its cud, since it does not have a true hoof  … The hare shall be unclean to you although it brings up its cud, since it does not have a true hoof. The pig shall be unclean to you although it has a  true hoof which is cloven, since it does not chew its cud.

Red hair turned to white
Full of life at eighty one
Then suddenly … gone

My mom died suddenly on Monday. This was something I needed to do. I hope she likes it.

Torah says seven
Diaspora Jews do eight
Is it still Pesach?

The Torah commands us (Exodus 12:15) to eat matzah for seven days of the Passover Festival. That is generally the practice in Israel and for Reform Jews. More traditional Jews in the Diaspora add an eighth day to continue the tradition dating back to Temple times when the beginning of the holiday was based on physical observation of the new moon rather than reference to a set calendar as we do today.

This year, with the eighth day falling on Shabbat, there are issues surrounding Torah reading for those who observe only seven days. In communities where the holiday lasts eight days, there is a special reading for the second Shabbat of Passover. In the Reform Movement in North America, according to the URJ Torah Portion Schedule, we will read the first part of the portion Sh’mini this week and the remainder of that portion next week.

Do you know what practice your congregation will follow this Shabbat? What is your personal practice?

First seder – Shabbat
Second seder – Havdalah
A special Pesach

For the offerings
Burnt, meal, sin and well being
The rules are all here

Chapters 6 and 7 of Leviticus (the first part of this week’s portion) list the detailed rules for various types of offerings. This section concludes, “This then is the law of the burnt offering, the meal offering, the sin offering, the inauguration offering, and the peace offering, which G-d gave to Moses on Mount Sinai. [It was given] on the day that He commanded the Israelites to offer their sacrifices to G-d in the Sinai Desert” (Lev 7:37-38)

Lev 1:1 - Lev 5:26

Today we use prayer
Sacrifices of the heart
Offerings to G-d

Street side tzedakah box in Jerusalem - "Charity to support the synagogue"

Mishkan building fund
Moses asks, the people give
More than is needed

Centuries later
Many synagogues struggle
To fill budget holes

Impatient people
Worshiping a Golden Calf
Offensive to G-d

HaShem tells Moshe:
It’s time to unleash my wrath
I will destroy them

Moshe tells HaShem:
That’s not a good idea
Adonai relents

Exodus 32:10-12,14
‘Now do not try to stop Me when I unleash my wrath against them to destroy them. I will then make you into a great nation.’ Moses began to plead before G-d, saying, ‘O G-d, why unleash Your wrath against Your people, whom you brought out of Egypt with great power and a show of force? Why should Egypt be able to say that You took them out with evil intentions, to kill them in the hill country and wipe them out from the face of the earth. Withdraw Your display of anger, and refrain from doing evil to Your people … G-d refrained from doing the evil that He planned for His people.

A Purim question
What flavor hamentashen
Do you like the best?

Choc’late or poppy
Apricot or raspberry
So many choices!

I think fruit is nice
But dessert hamentashen?
Must include cocoa

 
 
Click here to get the recipe for the double chocolate treat pictured above.
 
 
 

Among the details
G-d says to use olive oil
For the ner tamid