Shavua tov…when the Jewish calendar was developed and codified in the Torah, this time of year between Passover and Shavuot was a quiet time. We count the days, one day at a time with the Omer, 49 days between the two festivals. For many, many years the only pause in those 7 weeks was the day of Lag B’Omer, the 33rd day in the counting. The Rabbis commented that during times in Jewish history our people were forbidden from studying Torah and so their teachers would take a scroll, put it in a sheaf of arrows and walk with their students out into the country to study while the authorities thought they were ‘hunting’. There are other connections between Lag B’Omer, this year on May 12th, and the observant communities of the Middle Ages. We are permitted to do certain activities on this special day that we are supposed to refrain from during the other days of the counting…we can get haircuts, not this year, and marriages are permitted, also not this year.
At this time in Jewish history, these weeks are full of special days of Remembrance and Celebration. Last week, we all remembered the horrific and dark times of the Holocaust on Yom Ha-Shoah, Holocaust Remembrance Day. We light a yahrtzeit candle in memory of all of our people who were lost during the darkest time in our history. We remember those who have no family to remember them.
This week, we also have two very special days…today, it is still Yom Ha-Zikaron, Memorial Day in Israel, even though it’s already tomorrow in Israel. It is a day when Israelis, and Jews around the world, remember all of the Israeli soldiers who have been killed during the wars between Israel and its enemies since the War of Independence in 1948 until this very day. But it is not only a day to remember the heroic soldiers of Israel, it is also a day to keep in our hearts all Israelis who were killed by acts of terrorism. It is very similar to our own Memorial Day here in the United States. In Israel it is a day that includes the sounding of alarms throughout the country at 10 o’clock in the morning. They sound for 2 minutes…all cars and buses and trucks and trains stop for those 2 minutes. The drivers get out of their cars and stand quietly with all other Israelis to remember those who died defending their country and those citizens who were killed just for being Jewish and Israeli.
The very next day, in Israel, is Yom Ha-Atzmaut, Independence Day. Normally, it is a day of celebration, beginning the night before like all Jewish holidays, with music and dancing in all Israeli cities and towns. The celebration carries over through all the next day at the beaches, city squares and small towns around the country. It is a celebration of life and vigor which symbolizes the life of Israel. And even though we live a long distance from our wonderful homeland, we remember the sad times and celebrate the joy with our brothers and sisters and family and friends who live in Eretz Yisrael, the Land of Israel. Unfortunately, Israel is living under many of the same restrictions in their daily lives just as we are. They will remember and celebrate these days at home with their families.
And now to this week’s Torah portions. Yes, portions, we again have 2 Torah portions, Acharei Mot and K’doshim. Each of these portions contain very important laws and rituals that we observe and remember to this day. In the first parasha, Acharei Mot, we read about one of the most important ceremonies in the ancient Tabernacle and the Beyt Ha-Mikdash, the Temple in Jerusalem. It tells us about the purification of the High Priest as he prepares to make the three sacrifices on Yom Kippur. The High Priest offers a sacrifice for his own family, another for all of the priests and their families and finally, for all of the people of Israel. We, all Jews, reenact these same ‘sacrifices’ during the Yom Kippur Avodah service, during the musaf, additional service on Yom Kippur day. It is the only time during the year that we are permitted to actually bow down completely and lay with our faces to the floor three times, exactly what the people of Israel did in the Holy Temple in Jerusalem on Yom Kippur.
K’doshim, the second parasha, is full of many, many mitzvot, commandments. Here are just a few of the mitzvot from this parasha…from the very beginning, “The Lord spoke to Moses saying, Speak to the whole Israelite community and say to them; you shall be holy, for I, your God am holy.” “You shall each revere his mother and father and keep My sabbaths: I the Lord and your God.” “You shall not steal, you shall not deal deceitfully or falsely with one another. You shall not swear falsely by My name, profaning the name of you God, I am the Lord.” “You shall not defraud your fellow. You shall not commit robbery. The wages of a laborer shall not remain with you until morning.” “You shall not insult the deaf, or place a stumbling block before the blind. You shall fear your God: I am the Lord”
These are only a small number of the wealth of mitzvot, commandments, in K’doshim. In some ways these mitzvot are almost like an addendum to the 10 Commandments. They go into very specific details about how to treat to each other, what we should and should not do to those who work for or us and with us. How to deal with the strangers in our midst and how to deal with our own family and children. We will discuss more of these mitzvot on Shabbat and I look forward to sharing that discussion with all of you.
One more thing….please try to join us on Friday night and Shabbat morning. Our Zoom services provide a very important outlet during these very challenging times. To be able to spend time praying, singing, laughing and waving or chatting with each other is so comforting while we are mostly staying in our homes with our families. I wish you all a very early Shabbat shalom!!