What We Missed:

* The formal beginning of Jewish worship, as conducted by the Kohanim (priests) begins here. With the community elders assembled alongside them, Aaron and sons made their first official offering as religious leaders. In a dramatic fashion, Moses called Aaron forward to make sacrifice on behalf of himself and the people. As we have discussed several times, the Torah highlights ritual ceremonies which honor both the spiritual leaders and the public. These ceremonies call attention to the role of the the Kohanim as public servants; rather than being distant and detached, the Kohaynim immersed themselves in the lives of B'nai Yisrael.

* The tragic deaths of Nadav and Avihu. Just as the people celebrated one of the highlights of their wilderness experience, tragedy strikes Aaron's family. His two sons, Nadav and Avihu are mysteriously killed for offering “alien fire.” The Torah offers no details: Perhaps they acted irresponsibly and thereby abused their lofty status? In reaction to losing his sons, Aaron was silent. Again the Torah offers no details: Was Aaron dumbfounded and incapable of speech? Did he accept “God's decree” because he knew his sons acted irresponsibly? Was he too angry for words?

Our Triennial Reading:

• After the tragedy to Nadav and Avihu, Moses guides Aaron and Aaron’s two other sons (Eleazar and Itamar) about specific rules for the Priesthood. Moses is still a little shaken by the tragedy to his two nephews; he does not exhibit much patience with Eleazar and Itamar.

• Rules of Kashrut: Chapter eleven of Shemini introduces us to the central features of Kashrut. In great detail, the Torah describes Kosher animals and fish. We might expect some type of rationale for Kashrut: Health, discipline, etc. Yet the Torah simply states: I am Adonay who brought you up from the land of Egypt to be your God: you shall be holy, for I am holy.

Nowhere in the text does the Torah define what holy actually means. Perhaps holiness refers to our living as God's partners in the world: We seek Tikkun Olam (world repair); a goal which demands human initiative in making the world a better place in which to live. Through Kashrut, the Torah teaches us that what we eat and how we eat can enhance human character. Living in a materialistic society that believes in entitlements and privileges, Kashrut disciplines us to practice moderation in our lives; to be satisfied without living a life of greed.

In my early twenties, I led several USY on WHEELS summer programs for teenagers. Sponsored by United Synagogue Youth (the youth movement of Conservative Judaism), WHEELS was a six and a half week tour through designated regions of the U.S. In addition to sightseeing, we kept kosher and celebrated Shabbat. The program included study sessions as well; such as discussions about Kashrut and its various purposes. During one of my WHEELS summers, we visited Cody, Wyoming. Cody was certainly not a top ten favorite of teen travelers, but it was a convenient night stop on the way to or from Yellowstone. Cody had one distinct feature: The rodeo. Naturally therefore, we took our group to an evening rodeo. By the end of the rodeo no one in our group remained inside the stadium. Everyone was repulsed by the way each animal was treated. Part of our group’s revulsion was due to our discussions about kashrut; how eating animals was acceptable but only under specific conditions. Kashrut actually conveys a respect for animals; a respect which led so many of our students to run out of the rodeo in disgust!

Question To Consider:

- Kashrut is associated with the word holy. In what ways do we/should we incorporate a sense of holiness into our lives?

Shabbat HaChodesh Maftir, Exodus 12:1-20 (pages 380-385)

Today, we recognize the new Hebrew month of Nisan; to be observed this Tuesday. Nisan is the month of Passover. In anticipation of our upcoming festival, we read the Exodus chapter which introduces the first Passover in Egypt. The Torah introduces Passover with the phrase “HaChodesh hazeh lachem rosh chodashim – This month shall be for you the beginning of months.” The month of Nisan was considered the first month of the year in biblical times, because Passover represented the formal establishment of Am Yisrael as a nation. From the word “HaChodesh  – the month,” we refer to this Shabbat as Shabbat HaChodesh (the Sabbath in which we celebrate THE month). HaChodesh reminds us that with Passover approaching, we begin our physical and spiritual preparations. It is interesting how the Jews in Egypt prepared for that initial Passover, a Passover that focused on a sacrifice, in addition to matzah and bitter herbs. Over the centuries, Passover has certainly evolved; our greatness as a religion lay in that ability to evolve, to adapt and to discover new ways to celebrate an ancient holiday!

Haftarah HaChodesh: Ezekiel 45:16-46:18 (pages 1291-1294)

In honor of Shabbat HaChodesh we read about Ezekiel’s vision of the Passover the Israelites will observed when they return to Israel from exile. Ezekiel foresees the restoration of all the biblical Passover rituals. It is not the details which matter as much as the spirit and passion behind his words.

I spent my junior year of college studying in Israel. Before Passover we were taken to the community where biblical observance of Passover still took place. Even though the community leaders loyally and literally observed the exact details of the Passover sacrifice, we looked at them askance; our Passover of today has its origins in the Torah but no longer resembles anything like the ancient Torah ritual. Passover today, reflects our generation and our behaviors and rituals.