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Drash
for Shabbat Pesach This Passover parsha is gleaned from two sections of Torah. The first is from Leviticus 22:26-23:44, the opening section of Emor deals with the laws of the priesthood-bodily wholeness. Just as the priest must be physically without blemish, so too must the animals be free of defect. The outline for ritual sacrifices includes the human feeling and understanding that Jewish Law forbids unnecessary cruelty towards animals. The Torah flows naturally from a consideration of the sacrifices of the Temple to the calendar of sacred times-holy days and festivals-which mark the key moments in the history of God's covenant with the people Israel. Several times we read: "the Eternal One spoke to Moshe": Emor-"speak to the Israelite people". "To the Israelite people, as the festival laws are addressed to the entire people." I can recall many conversations during Sunday School Day's about how time is different for the human than it is for God. For example, we know that scientifically life has existed for billions of years on Terra-Earth. Perhaps not human life, but that of micro-cosmic organisms and we have evidence of prehistoric life-dinosaurs fossils, etc. Perhaps it makes for good questions and debate to think about 1000 of our years being equal to 1 day for God in reference to the creation cycle, but our Torah tells us "These are the set times of the Eternal" (Lev. 23:4) and what matters is that we are to celebrate the festivals, "each at its appointed time." The significance of the "set times of the Eternal" are established first in order, the holiest day: the Sabbath. The Torah repeats the prohibition on work during the entire period of the Sabbath, proceeding to the other sacred occasions of the year: Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread, Sefirat ha-Omer (counting the new barley grains each night for forty-nine nights), Shavuot (the Festival of Weeks), the first day of the seventh month (now celebrated as Rosh Ha-Shanah-the New Year), Yom Kippur (the Day of Atonement), and Sukkot (the Festival of Booths). Many of us seek to be recognized for our differences, our own uniqueness as our American culture glories in individuality. As a first-born child I can reflect on that meaning historically. I know that had I been living during World War II, I might have perished with the millions of others in the Shoah. Yet, we learn that on Pesach, our house and all who had entered would have been passed over. This week seems to me to be one of the most binding times of the Jewish people... regardless of one's religious affiliation or commitment, we Jews across the world share in the remembering of the Pesach events as we do in the shared memories of receiving the Torah. The additional reading for Passover is from Numbers 28:16-25 which gives us the specific outline for honoring the Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread. The "Passover week" as these two events blended together over time as our story is relived in the telling-and retold from generation to generation; we can see the bonds formed in the union of family, friends and our shared community. Rashi recognized a message about human responsibility and belonging: "The wicked bring shame on themselves, their parents, and on their tribe." Similarly, the righteous earn "praise for themselves, praise for their parents, and for their tribe." Rabbi Artson notes that while "we may think we act alone…we touch more lives than we know, and our deeds have the power to taint or adorn the lives of those who love us." Chag Sameiach and Shabbat Shalom.
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