- Rabbi’s message
Shavua tov to my dear TAS community that is already getting ready for the upcoming festival of Passover, Pesah, in just a very few weeks!!
In just three weeks from today, we will already be at the time to ‘sell’ all of our non-Passover food, chametz, that we intend to keep in our homes…but not eat during the festival. I was shopping in a Smart and Final store, my new best place to shop, a few days ago, and they were already putting boxes of matzah and other kosher l’Pesah items on the shelves. Of course, we can always find kosher items for Passover at Ralphs and Costco and other local stores, or take a ride over to Cambridge Farms in Valley Village where almost the entire store will be kosher for Pesah in the next week or so.
We know that we’re getting closer and closer to the next major festival because this Shabbat is called Shabbat Ha-Chodesh, the Sabbath of The Month. The Jewish calendar can be a bit confusing sometimes. How can it be that this month is the first month in the Jewish year, but we do not celebrate the Jewish New Year, Rosh Ha-Shanah, until the 7th month of the year, Tishrei? Hmmm…I guess it keeps us on our toes!! We will be saying the blessing for the new month of Nissan this Shabbat, and Nissan will begin next week. This will be the 4th and final of the special Sabbaths leading up to Passover.
The reading for maftir will again be from a second Torah scroll and the reading itself will be from earlier in the book of Exodus. It begins with the words, “The Lord said to Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt. This month shall mark for you the beginning of the months; it shall be the first of the months of the year for you.” It continues with many of the specific traditions and rituals that we continue to include in our own Pesah seders to this very day.
This week’s Torah portions will bring to conclusion the Book of Exodus, we have two weekly portions, Va-Yakhel and P’kudei. There are two portions because we need to complete Exodus before Passover and since this is NOT a Jewish leap year with 13 months, we combine certain portions together to keep us on track throughout the year.
Here are a few insights into the reading that we will be doing on Shabbat from Parashat Va-Yakhel. “This relatively brief parashah is almost entirely a recapitulation of the instructions for fashioning the tabernacle and its furnishings. This is puzzling to commentators, who are accustomed to the Torah being sparing in its use of words. One commentator suggests that God so loved the idea of having a permanent home amid the Israelites that the details were repeated. Another suggests that the earlier version of the instructions represents God’s commands, reflecting the enthusiasm descending from on high for this link with God; and that this version represents Israel’s carrying out those commands; showing the corresponding enthusiasm welling up from below.”
We will continue to discuss this week’s Torah portion, maftir reading and haftarah on Shabbat morning.
Amazingly, according to my computer stats, this is my 200th Shofar Blast article!! I am blown away with how much I enjoy sharing my perspectives and information about the coming Shabbat and Torah readings and other rituals that we enjoy celebrating together with this wonderful TAS community!!
Cantor Mike will have the honor of leading our Friday night services this week on Zoom and both Cantor Mike and I will be with you in person and on Zoom on Shabbat morning. We look forward to seeing many of you on Zoom and in person as we celebrate Shabbat together!! Wishing everyone a wonderful, peaceful and not too rainy week ahead and an early Shabbat Shalom, Rabbi Ralph Resnick
- Friday, March 17, 7 pm – Shabbat service on Zoom led by Cantor Mike. Candle lighting 6:44 pm.
- Saturday, March 18, 10 am – Shabbat service led by Rabbi Ralph and Cantor Mike. Please join us for a kiddush lunch after the service.
- Friday, March 24, 7 pm – Shabbat service on Zoom led by Rabbi Ralph. Candle lighting 6:49 pm.
- Saturday, March 25, 10 am – Shabbat service led by Rabbi Ralph and Cantor Mike. Please join us for a kiddush lunch after the service.
- Wednesday, March 29, 7 pm – Cantor Mike’s end of the month concert.
- Friday, March 31, 7 pm – Shabbat service on Zoom led by Cantor Mike. Candle lighting 6:54 pm.
- Dear beloved Ami Shalom friends,
I want to thank you all so much for your generous contributions to my Jewish hospital staff Purim fund. I spent the last two days distributing gorgeous gift bags, featuring cookies, candy, juice, tea, nuts, and a letter with a teaching about the holiday. The staffers that received them were so delighted! It was really meaningful for them.
I received far more than I needed for this project. So I’m currently planning a Passover event for our Jewish staff, and we’ll see where it goes from there.
With much gratitude,
Rabbi Avivah