Loving the Land

There is such an amazing contrast today, in terms of how Jews of all backgrounds, view the State of Israel. Israel’s Independence Day, is a day of reflection and appreciation.

Part of the celebrations in Israel, involve an air show, sponsored by the IDF. Fighter jets fly over the parks all over the country, where families are enjoying their barbecue picnic. Any Jew who is not moved and filled with a sense of pride, when these jets fly overhead, does not understand Jewish history. It is a clear statement that maybe in the past it was okay to persecute the Jews, but today, “You better not mess with the Jews.” We have come home, and we feel Divine protection both spiritually and physically.

The inability to grasp the miracles that take place daily, and literally seeing the Hand of G-d, means that either that individual is highly ignorant or blind.

Those of us who are blessed with the fulfillment of the Jewish dream, of living in Israel, must never take this for granted. Rabbi David Magence, in his book, “Magen Banim,” tells the story of a Rabbi Binyamin Leon.

Rabbi Leon pointed out that living in Israel is not only the fulfillment of a dream, but it is also the fulfillment of one of the 613 Mitzvot of the Torah. He, therefore, composed a prayer, that he vowed to recite every day, for the remainder of his life. Here is a part of that prayer: “May it be Your will, our G-d and the G-d of our fathers, that You help me to honor Your holy name, and cherish the Land of Israel with all my heart, at all times, at every hour, and every moment. May I be perpetually joyful in dwelling within the Land, with great longing for her, as one who longs for his mother. I express my appreciation that I have been able to enter the place which Moses and Aaron could not enter.”

This prayer demonstrates that their are those who deeply cherish our one and only Jewish homeland. This gap between those who lack this appreciation and those who are passionate in their love for this Land, should no longer exist. Every Jew should wake up and come home and join his 7.15 million Jewish brethren, in our miraculous State of Israel. Chag Atzmaut Sameach!

Acknowledge the Miracle of Israel

It is very difficult to understand how Jews worldwide fail to appreciate the miracle that is the State of Israel. It is even more difficult to understand how many religious Jews lack that same appreciation.

It has been said that when one stands next to a mountain, he is unable to see how high it is. The days of Yom Hazikaron, where we remember our fallen soldiers, and Yom Ha’atzmaut, Israel’s Independence Day, are meant as a time of reflection. We acknowledge the sacrifice that was necessary in the creation of the State. And we should be filled with awe and amazement of what has transpired over the last seventy-five years. We say the Hallel prayer to praise Hashem for making this miracle come into fruition.

Who could have imagined that in such a relatively short time, that out of the ashes of Auschwitz, there could emerge a Jewish homeland of over seven million Jews? Israel has taken its place among the nations, and is a leader in so many areas.

What might be the most amazing, is the return of so many to their Jewish roots. The number of Yeshivot, and the amount of Torah learning, has not been seen since the period of the Second Temple.

This lack of acknowledgement can only be attributed to blindness and a bit of stubbornness. Some dismiss these great fulfillments of prophecy, by rationalizing that the country is still not religious enough. And some feel justified that they will only be convinced that this is part of a Divine plan, when the Mashiach comes.

It is interesting to note that as far back as 1962, Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik, bemoaned the fact that religious Jews in America were not willing to align themselves with Religious Zionism.

In an address at a Mizrachi convention, he made a very direct request of the religious community. He said that it was clear that he was constantly approached with requests to render Halachic decisions, on a wide range of subjects. He said that if he could be trusted to decide difficult matters of Halacha, he should be trusted when he says that all religious Jews should be Zionists and do everything possible to strengthen the State of Israel.

This appears to be, without a doubt, the right thing to do. Israel is an incredible gift from G-d. We longed for it for nearly two thousand years. Now that this dream has come true, we must embrace it and cherish it, and appreciate it with all our hearts.

Proper Speech

When we discuss the illness known as צרעת, or leprosy, it is always connected with the subject of Lashon Hara, evil speech. This is explained as the number one cause of the biblical leprosy.

We must never underestimate the power of speech. A great deal has been written on the subject in the Torah and in Scriptures. The Rabbis also repeatedly warned about guarding our tongue.

The well known phrase, “sticks and stones may break my bones,” is not a Jewish belief. Judaism believes that words can be more harmful in the long term, than being physical harm. The damage from insults and slander can last a lifetime.

The Rambam identifies three categories of forbidden speech. The first is called, רכילות, or gossiping. This refers to things said about another person that are true, but could still be harmful.

The second type of forbidden speech is Lashon Hara. The Rambam defines this type of talk as also being true. But in this case the speech tells of negative things about another individual. This is obviously going to hurt that person.

The final category is known as מוציא שם רע, bringing a bad name. In this case, the things spoken are lies against that person. It becomes difficult to disprove such damaging falsehoods.

One must be careful not to listen to such negative speech. If the slanderer does not have an audience to listen to him, he will not speak so negatively.

If the Torah lets us know how such speech can cause the serious illness of leprosy, we should take greater care with how we speak.

The solution is to realize the value of silence, or not speaking at all. The sign of a wise man, is how carefully, he chooses his words. The sign of a fool, is one who just speaks on and on, and does not think about the consequences of his speech. Every now and then, we need to be reminded about our speech. It is too easy to forget how important this is. We cannot take back our words.

Worried Parents

The Gemara in מסכת נדה, gives an unclear explanation as to why a the Brit of a Jewish boy is on the eighth day.

The intent was for all present at this ceremony to be in a state of joy, but if not for the eighth day, the new parents of the baby would be sad. There is little explanation for this puzzling statement.

Rav Shlomo Mann זצ״ל, gave a fascinating answer as to the intent of the Gemara. He felt that parents may suddenly be struck with great worries after the birth of their new baby. How will they give him a proper Jewish education. How will they be able to adequately provide for him, and would he one day marry a nice Jewish girl.

In order to put these worries to rest, the Torah ordained that one Shabbat must pass, before the baby is circumcised. When the holy Sabbath comes, all worries are put to rest. A person is to enter this day feeling as if all of his work is done.

When Shabbat comes in, we are reminded that we are a people that defy nature. Our relying on Hashem, is all that is necessary for us. We know that such faith can carry us through all difficulties.

This awareness that Shabbat gives us, brings us great joy. We now have the strength to meet any challenge; including raising a little boy to adulthood. This was what the Gemara meant when it said the Brit had to be on the eighth day. Otherwise, they would have been full of sadness and worry. Their Shabbat experience, set them on the right path. Now they were ready to celebrate the miracle and blessing of bringing their son into the covenant of Abraham.

Growing With Difficulties

We are now in the period between Yom Hashoah and Yom Hazikaron. We remember those who perished in the Holocaust, as well as our fallen soldiers. It is certainly a time of reflection in trying to understand why the innocent suffer.

Rabbi Avraham Twerski, זצ״ל, was both a rabbi and psychiatrist. He told the story of when he was a young doctor, that was still a part time synagogue rabbi. He tragically watched a new mother looking after her baby, who was born with terminal illnesses. He did his best to comfort her with prayer, but felt completely impotent.

He went to his father for advise. He asked how it was possible that as both a doctor and a rabbi, he could not help this poor woman. After all, these were the two occupations meant to bring hope and healing to people.

The senior Rabbi Twerski gave the following sage advice. We must remember that as humans, we are not capable of understanding G-d’s ways. We know that G-d is perfection, and there is no being in the world as merciful as Him. Sometimes, it’s difficult for us humans to see that mercy, but it is always there.

He continued by saying that the young mother would never be the same after losing her baby. This is the nature as to how we grow as human beings. We grow by way of difficulties. We do not grow when things are going well. Sometimes, it takes being shaken up a bit, to motivate us. This explains that in the teachings of Chassidut, its disciples learned to embrace the difficulties.

The word, נגע, meaning blemish, has the same letters as the word, ענג, meaning delight. They would see the נגע as a sign that something really good was just around the corner.

If we learn how to adopt this philosophy, we will view life’s challenges from a different light. Rabbeinu Tam, the grandson of Rashi, called this world, נוה תלאות, the dwelling place of difficulties. We are meant to learn how to overcome and grow from these difficulties.

If we acquire the faith and skills in embracing these challenges, we will merit living in the eternal world, also known as עולם האמת, the World of Truth.

Giving Birth

This week, we read of the details involving the purification process of the יולדת, the woman who gives birth. There is a period of separation until she regains her strength, both physically and spiritually.

Part of this process, is the קרבן יולדת, the sacrifice offered by the new mother. It is a bird offering for her required חטאת, sin offering.

The Torah tells us that she may bring a בן יונה, turtle dove, or a תור, translated as a young dove. The Baal Haturim makes a fascinating observation about these birds.

He notes that everywhere in the Torah where these two birds are mentioned, the תור always comes before the בן יונה, except for here.

He explains further that the תור shows loyalty to its mate. Once it has mated with a specific male, it will no longer mate again.The יונה, on the other hand, will mate again in the future.

Loyalty is something to be admired, even in birds. Yet, the world must continue, and it is not good for man to be alone. The Baal Haturim noticed this change in order, and felt there was a message here. He must have seen that the refusal of the תור to mate again, was not necessarily a good trait.

Ideally, we stay with our beloved spouses throughout our lives. But if tragedy occurs, or the marriage fails, we must try again.

The יולדת must not become despondent because of the ordeal of birth. She must regain her strength and determination to bring more children into the world. The sin offering is to atone for things she may have said while going through her painful labor.

Hopefully, she will regret what she said and continue in the way of the יונה, to procreate and bring more G-d fearing Jews into the world.

To Separate

The word, להבדיל, “to separate,” is found only five times in all of Tanach. It appeared twice in Parshat Shemini.

The Book of Bereishit spoke of separating between light and darkness and day and night. The separation mentioned in שמיני as well as in Yechezkel, speaks of a separation between holy and profane. The final separation is between טמא וטהור, the pure and the impure.

The role of the Jewish people was to remain separate in order to achieve holiness. They needed to make a concerted effort to remove themselves from the impure and the profane. The vehicle to achieve this holiness was through the observance of the 613 Mitzvot.

Years ago, we were privileged to have an American Noachide couple, address our students at Machon Meir. They told the students the following: “Our job through the observance of the Seven Noachide Laws, allows us to become righteous. Your job, as Jews, is to become holy.”

This was a profound message, as it summed up the concept of “righteous Gentiles,” and “holy Jews.” ( I later learned that this couple ultimately converted and made Aliya.)

The point here is that everything in this world has its specific purpose. This is why it is forbidden to mix different fruit trees, or crossbreed animals.

We define our role when we recite the Havdalah prayer every Saturday night. Shabbat is a separation between holy and profane, and we mention אור לחושך, light to darkness, and Israel and the nations.

Perhaps the world would be a better place if these defined roles were followed. Each individual would know his place, and everyone would achieve their maximum.

Managing a Home in Temple Times

It is a little more understandable as to why Jews have gone so far astray from their Jewish observance, when we consider what we lost. If we gain a better understanding of what we once had, we will realize how easy it is to abandon something once cherished.

Another aspect of living during Temple times, is the care that was taken in managing one’s home. Keeping kosher was a given because its violation carried strict penalties. People needed to manage their homes with great care. They needed to set aside the various tithes that needed to be given to a Kohein, or brought to Jerusalem for consumption there.

These tithes, known as תרומה and מעשר שני, had their own rules connected with their handling. All of this required being knowledgeable of these details. If such foods are eaten in a state of impurity, or if a non-Kohein ate the Kohein’s Teruma, if done intentionally, there could be מיתה בידי שמים, death by the Heavenly court. If unintentionally, a sin-offering, קרבן חטאת, needed to be offered.

Unlike today, the entire community was aware, and respected the punitive system of the Torah. And unlike today, people were reminded of their Judaism at all times.

It is important to realize the state of holiness and spirituality that was once an integral part of every Jew’s life. If we can achieve this realization, it will create a greater longing for Mashiach and the rebuilding of the Temple.

And perhaps, if we realize that no less than 246 of the 613 Mitzvot of the Torah can only be observed in Eretz Yisrael, it will create a greater longing for the Jewish people to come home to Israel, the only home for its people.

The Temple and Purity

We often speak of the great loss that we have by not having a functioning Beit Hamikdash. The Temple served as a place of inspiration for the entire Jewish nation.

The pilgrimage festivals were very uplifting for the people. They were able to feel G-d’s Presence and closeness.

There is another aspect to the Temple era that is often overlooked. This refers to the care that needed to be taken in terms of טומאה וטהרה, purity and impurity. Every Jew needed to be aware of his personal status at all times.

Aside from the prohibition of entering the Temple in a state of impurity, there were many other situations, where people needed to be aware of their status.

One needed to be in a constant state of awareness regarding contamination. There were necessary quarantines if one had come in contact with the dead, or one who had leprosy. A dead reptile also made a person Tamei.

There was also the problem of food or garments that could be contaminated by having come in contact with certain impurities. The Mikva was needed regularly in order to attain purification for people and vessels.

The point here is that one was not able to stray very far from his Jewishness. There was a constant state of awareness of one’s status. The combination of the existence of the Temple as well as these laws of purity and impurity allowed Jews to live a very spiritual life. How we long for those days!

Sober Kohanim

The consensus opinion regarding the sin of Nadav and Avihu, was that they entered the Holy of Holies in a state of intoxication. We know this because of the command to Aharon, that it is forbidden for the Kohein to perform Temple service after he drank wine.

There is a Gemara that advises modern day Kohanim to remain in a sober state. The Temple might fall from the sky, and sober Kohanim will be needed for immediate service.

Even today, we are careful about Kohanim drinking wine. This is why the priestly blessings are only done in the morning at Shacharit. There is no Duchaning at Mincha because Kohanim may have drunk some wine at lunch. If prayer takes the place of sacrifices, there was a morning and evening sacrifice in the Temple, and there should be a priestly blessing in the evening.

This explains why there is Duchaning at Mincha on a fast day. No wine has been consumed that day.

There is often an argument on Simchat Torah as to whether Kohanim can Duchan for Mussaf. Most synagogues give a Kiddush before Mussaf. If the Kiddush was made on wine, no Duchaning for Mussaf. I once pleaded with the rabbi of the neighborhood to allow me to give the Priestly blessing on Simchat Torah since I was careful to make Kiddush on grape juice. My request was granted.

That Makes Sense

There is a large section in Parshat Shemini that deals with an explanation of the Kashrut laws. This is the source for the requirements of animals, fish, and fowel.

In the case of animals, they must chew their cud and have split hooves. Fish must have fins and scales in the water. (If they fall off, when taken from the water, they are still kosher.) Birds of prey may not be eaten.

On a recent trip to the States, my carry-on was searched by a TSA officer. When he saw my Tefillin, he asked me, “Are you a rabbi or something?” When I told him that I was, he asked me, “What’s the deal with that kosher stuff.” I told him that we are not allowed to eat animals that eat other animals. He was satisfied and said, “That makes sense.” And this whole conversation took place, while I was passing through the security line!

The Rabbis use the expression that food from a non-kosher animal, is מטמטם את הלב, confuses the heart. Our souls are affected by what we put into our bodies.

The soul is the eternal part of man’s being. It is pure and holy. The body and soul are meant to complement one another. The body can be used to do acts of kindness and other Mitzvot. For example, the Tefillin are wrapped on the body, and sanctify it. Placing food that is deemed unclean and impure into the body, causes harm to the soul.

A Jew is expected to act in a way that elevates and sanctifies. All of his actions should be thought out and planned. He must not defile himself in any way. Eating kosher food, helps achieve this goal of sanctity and purification. And as my TSA friend put it, “That makes sense!”

Respect Your Elders

There are many interpretations as to why Nadav and Avihu, the sons of Aharon, deserved to be put to death. The Baal Haturim lists at least five possible reasons, but is more inclined towards one of these reasons.

He said that their fate was sealed because they didn’t listen to rebuking. They decided matters of Jewish Law, disrespecting their teachers, Moshe and Aharon.

They were the younger generation that thought they knew better than the older generation.

This phenomenon is seen very strongly in today’s world. The wisdom and experience of the older generation, is not consulted for direction. The younger people actually believe that they know better.

It is possible that this feeling of superiority comes from the familiarity of the younger crowd, with the technological world. If the older people don’t catch on as well with e-mails and texting, and are not able to remember the various passwords, and unlocking encrypted messages, they must not be very bright. How can they be expected to give sage advice when they don’t know the difference between Tik Tok and Instagram?

Throughout our history, we were taught to respect our elders, and glean from their vast knowledge and experiences. They are missing out on a real treasure, waiting to be taken.

The consolation may come with the understanding that this problem began a long time ago. And an even greater consolation is that the Talmud in Masechet Sota, sees this lack of respect of the youth towards their elders, as a clear sign that Mashiach is on his way.

And Aharon Was Silent

As a Torah educator, it was always my task to show the value of living a life of faith in G-d, along with the observance of the Mitzvot. The question that is often asked is that it is not so obvious that the observant Jew are happier. There are clearly many very fine people who do not strictly observe Shabbat or keeping kosher, and they seem to be pretty happy with their lives.

My answer is that all of that may seem to be true, but the challenge comes during times of tragedy. The man of faith has the tools to deal with such tragedies, better than one without faith.

I know this is a generality that may not always be true. But the proof of my theory is seen in Parshat Shemini, and was witnessed by the conduct of Rabbi Leo Dee, and his incredible faith in handling an unspeakable tragedy.

Aharon needed to deal with the loss of his beloved sons, Nadav and Avihu. This took place on the day of the dedication of the Mishkan. We are told, וידם אהרון, that Aharon remained quiet. He accepted his horrible fate, without questioning in any way.

Rabbi Leo Dee demonstrated incredible courage and faith, in giving comfort to a grieving nation, who all felt the pain of the loss of his beloved wife and daughters. Like Aharon, he accepted his decree without questioning. If this was Hashem’s will, as a believing Jew, he will accept it.

It takes a great deal of study and spiritual application, to get to the level where one achieves this unshakable faith. Clearly, this is a benefit of the man of convictions. He understands his role and purpose in this world.

There are no shortcuts to acquiring contentment and peace of mind. A religious way of life has numerous benefits. Sometimes, it takes a tragedy to come to the realization of our special heritage. The bottom line is that it is very special to be a Jew.

Rejoicing When Enemies Fall

The seventh day of Pesach celebrates the defeat of the Egyptians, with the splitting of the Red Sea. Then Moshe and all of Israel, erupted in song and thanksgiving. They were now truly free.

This celebration is puzzling on two counts. The first is based on a Midrash that describes the rejoicing in Heaven by the angels, when the Egyptians were defeated. Hashem reprimands them, and reminds the angels that the Egyptians are also His children, and there was no place for such rejoicing.

(This is the reason why we only say a full Hallel on the first day of Pesach. Since the seventh day is holy, and we do not say Hallel on that day, it would not be appropriate to give Chol Hamoed more importance, so we do not say a full Hallel on these days, either.)

The second problem comes from a Mishna in Pirkei Avot. It says that we should not be happy when our enemy falls. So, if the angels were reprimanded, and we are not supposed to be happy when our enemies fall, why was the song at the Red Sea, deemed appropriate?

The answer is that we, as Jews, are allowed to give thanks and celebrate when enemies that threaten us, are eliminated. This is what Purim, Chanukah, and Yom Ha’atzmaut, are based upon.

However, the Mishna is speaking of a Jewish adversary, that has been causing us aggravation. If he falls, and is no longer in a position to harm us, we should not celebrate. We should pray that the tormentor should repent, and do Teshuva. There must not be hatred among Jews.

But on a Divine level, all human beings are G-d’s children. He is saddened when they use their free will, to choose to do evil. He is forced to punish them for their wrongdoings. This does not make Him happy.

At the Pesach Seder, we opened the door for Eliyahu and prayed, that Hashem would pour out His wrath on the nations that wish to harm. The ultimate rejoicing will come when our enemies are silenced for all time. This is the time of Mashiach.

Song of Songs

We read Shir Hashirim on Shabbat Chol Hamoed. The connection to the holiday of Pesach, is that it speaks of ultimate redemption for the Jewish people.

The book, known in English as “Song of songs,” was written by Shlomo Hamelech. It was only until the time of Rabbi Akiva, where there was a recognition of the depth and holiness of this book. Rabbi Akiva said that the other twenty-three books of Tanach, are holy, but Shir Hashirim is holy of holies.

He saw that the pure love between a husband and wife, is symbolic of the special love between Hashem and the Jewish people.

There is a story contained within the eight chapters of the book. It speaks of how all those that surrounded the two lovers tried to separate them, and doubted if their love was true. In the end, after a long separation, all realized and appreciated that their love was holy and pure.

The analogy is to Israel and the nations, and our long exile. The reunion of the two lovers symbolizes the ultimate redemption. This is why שיר השירים is read on Pesach.

The Rambam wrote that the goal in achieving absolute love of G-d is aided by having a relationship of absolute love between husband and wife. It is necessary to have a connection of faith, trust, and passion between two individuals, so that they will be able to have these same sentiments in their relationship with Hashem.

This was the deeper message that was seen by Rabbi Akiva, and why he saw Shir Hashirim as so special. It is a message of love, faith, and redemption, that epitomizes the Pesach holiday.

Cheerios and the Omer

The Sefirat Haomer is connected to a significant law that even has applications today. On the second day of Pesach, an Omer sacrifice was made using barley as its main ingredient.

This sacrifice signaled that permission was now granted to use what was called ישן, or, old wheat. This referred to what may have been a winter crop that was harvested before Pesach. The Halacha is that such wheat cannot be used until after the Omer sacrifice is offered. And since there is no such sacrifice today, we wait until after the second day of Pesach.

A few years ago there was an issue raised regarding eating Cheerios in winter. The fear was that the oats were planted in the fall, and harvested in winter. This meant that the Cheerios could have been available for purchase before Pesach. There were those who insisted that this cereal should not be purchased until after Pesach when the Omer sacrifice would have been offered.

It must be that a certain devout Jew was given the information that General Mills did plant winter crops. In any case, these rules called ישן and חדש, definitely apply in Israel. There is some debate as to whether it is also a Torah law outside of Israel.

It is important to be aware that Sefirat Haomer has agricultural rules attached to it. And this explains the apparent contradiction in the Torah that says Matza should be eaten for six or seven days. If we used permissible flour, harvested at the proper time, that would give us seven day Matza. But if we had to wait to use our harvest, when we begin counting the Omer, we would be left with six day Matza. This is an aspect of the Omer, that is not so well known, that needed some clarification.

Jewish Unity

The Haftarah for Shabbat Chol Hamoed, comes from Chapter thirty-seven of the Book of Yechezkel. It speaks of the valley of dry bones.

The prophet describes the miraculous event of seeing lifeless bones, once again arise and become human again. The prophecy can be understood to be speaking of the period of the resurrection of the dead, which is a basic foundation of Judaism.

But it can also refer to a period of time such as ours, where there are countless numbers of Jews that are totally ignorant of their Judaism. Their knowledge of what it means to be a Jew, is very weak. These people that are almost dead to Judaism, will one day be revived, and they will have a Jewish awakening.

It is interesting to note that the continuation of that chapter, speaks of a prerequisite for this miraculous period to take place.

The prophet has a vision of two pieces of wood. One piece of wood has the name, “Efraim” on it, while the other has the name, “Yehuda.”

There will come a time when the two pieces of wood will become one. This represents absolute Jewish Unity, when we truly become one nation.

Divisiveness brings harm to our people from the outside. When the Jews stood as one people at Mount Sinai, they created a wall of protection, where no force on earth could harm them. In these troubled times, we must find a way to create similar Jewish Unity. Not only will we achieve Divine protection, but we might bring back to life our own “valley of dry bones.”

Educating Our Children

The section of the “Four sons” in the Haggadah is really meant for us to understand how serious the issue of educating our children, really is.

The famous verse from Mishlei, חנוך נער לפי דרכו, that we are to educate our youth according to his path, must be taken seriously. It appears that the challenge of the Haggadah, seems to focus on the middle two sons; the simple son, and the one who does not know how to ask.

The wise son doesn’t require much work. He is self motivated and doesn’t need much prodding for him to do the right thing. The wicked son is almost a loss cause. He does not see himself as part of Am Yisrael. Something dramatic must take place, to shake him up, and allow him to mend his ways.

Most likely our own situation involves the simple son, who displays great apathy towards religious practices. The one who does not know how to ask, is already so far away from his Judaism, that he doesn’t even know what to ask.

The book, “Off the Derech,” did a thorough study as to why once observant Jews, choose to separate from religious practices. The basic conclusion as to the major problem in keeping our youth committed to religious practices, was that there are simply too many choices of paths that one might take.

There are numerous lifestyles that might appear to be more attractive and less confining.

It is our task as parents and educators to be aware of this reality. There is a much greater burden placed on us in probably the most important area. That is, that the greatest educational tool that we have, is the example we personally set. Our children and students watch our every move. They are looking for consistency on our part, as well as living according to high ethical standards. If we are not setting such an example, where we show how much our Judaism means to us, we have lost the battle.

The enticements to lure away our children, are out there, and they are many. There are no guarantees as to which of the Passover’s four sons, ours will emulate. But if we have any real chance of influencing them, it will primarily come by the example we set. We may even be able to turn the wicked, apathetic, and ignorant, into the wise son!

Telling the Passover Story

Rabbi David Lau, the chief rabbi of Israel, spoke this past Shabbat about the obligation to tell the Pesach story at the Seder. This, and the Mitzva to eat Matza, are the two Torah laws we fulfill at the Seder.

Rabbi Lau questioned a quote from the Rambam, regarding the obligation to mention יציאת מצרים, the exodus from Egypt, every morning and evening. This is the reason why we read the chapter on Tzizit at night, when there is no obligation to wear Tzizit at night.

The Rambam explained that this chapter is added, because of its ending. We are told to remember that it is Hashem that took you out of Egypt. So we see that Egypt must be mentioned, morning and evening.

If we are obligated to mention Egypt every day of the year, what is this special obligation at the Seder? Rabbi Lau explained that our focus on Seder night is meant to be an affirmation of our faith in G-d.

The foundation of Judaism is based on the acceptance that the events in Egypt and Sinai, are real; they actually happened. We are to re-live these events to affirm our place as part of the Jewish nation. No nation ever began as a people, with signs and wonders, as we witnessed. The goal of a successful Seder, is that we walk away feeling stronger in our faith, and feeling all the more fortunate to be part of Am Yisrael.

Chametz is Unique

There is another unique aspect to the prohibition of eating Chametz on Pesach. The penalty for such eating is “Karet”, which is one of the most severe punishments in the Torah. It is equal to the prohibition of eating on Yom Kippur.

There is a general principle related to Kashrut laws of בטל בששים, that a prohibited item is nullified if it became mixed with sixty times more of a permitted idea. The taste of the forbidden item is no longer felt.

This principle also applies to Chametz until Pesach begins. This is why there are many items that say, “Kosher for Pesach,” if purchased before the holiday. If there was a tiny amount of Chametz, it would be nullified by the sixty to one principle.

However, once Pesach begins, the Rabbis instituted the concept of חמץ אסור במשהו, that Chametz is forbidden with the slightest amount. This is the source of why we are so careful with our cleaning and our purchases.

There are two reasons given for this stringency. One is referred to as לא בדיליה מיניה, that people do not know how to separate from something they are used to using.

The second reason is that Chametz is referred to as a דבר שיש לו מתירין, something that will eventually become permitted. This refers to after the Chag, and items defined in this category are never nullified.

This gives us an idea of why Chametz is so unique, and the great care needed to be taken, to avoid its prohibition.