Achrei Mot 5774

Achrei Mot

Next week during Pesach, we’re going to read from Parashat Emor, Leviticus 23, which always read during Pesach and Sukkot, and which we’ll read again during the week of May 3  in our normal progression through the Torah. This is one of the most oft-read sections of the Torah.

There is one particular verse that stands out (Lev. 23:22):

וּבְקֻצְרְכֶם אֶת-קְצִיר אַרְצְכֶם, לֹא-תְכַלֶּה פְּאַת שָׂדְךָ בְּקֻצְרֶךָ, וְלֶקֶט קְצִירְךָ, לֹא תְלַקֵּט; לֶעָנִי וְלַגֵּר תַּעֲזֹב אֹתָם, אֲנִי ה' אֱ-לֹקיכֶם.

And when you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not wholly reap the corner of your field, neither shall you gather the gleaning of your harvest; you shall leave them for the poor, and for the stranger: I am the LORD your God.

This verse teaches us the mitzvot of peah and leket – that we are commanded to reserve the corner of our field to the poor, and that we are to leave fallen sheaves for those who are less fortunate. Considering that Biblical Israel was a predominantly agrarian society, the Torah is making a demanding claim: that as we all collect the fruits of our labor, that we simultaneously must keep in mind the needs of those who are less fortunate.

The core reason why we read this on Pesach and Sukkot is because it is one of the sections where the Torah describes what we do on the various holidays. But what is interesting is that while this verse is specifically regarding the holiday of Shavuot, we also read it on Pesach and Sukkot. This Torah reading announces to us, during every yom tov (holiday), that while we must spend time and energy on our own celebration – preparing for the seder, cleaning our homes, selling our hametz – we simultaneously MUST ensure that we remember the needs of those who are vulnerable in our community. We cannot solely focus on our own holiday celebration – we must always keep in mind the needs of those who need support in our world.

This time of year, as we recall the freedom of our ancestors, I would like to invite you to join me at ONE Northside’s first inaugural convention, which we are hosting at Anshe Emet. On Sunday, May 4^th, from 2:00 - 4:30 p.m., we will be hosting a full house of 1,200 people to celebrate what ONE Northside has already accomplished – preserving people’s rights to housing, supporting those with mental health issues in our community, and helping to resolve major issues of violence in our neighborhoods. And we will be taking action, working together to continue making our community, helping all of us in our quest for greater civil rights for all. For while we are celebrating our holidays, our freedom, we must simultaneously work towards the freedom of everyone in our world.

Shabbat Shalom and Chag Sameach,

Rabbi David Russo

Tzav 5773

TZAV – SHABBAT HAGADOL – TAL

In this week’s Parasha, Tzav, Moshe is told, “Command (Tzav) Aharon and his sons regarding the law of a Burnt-Offering."  The Kohanim were not to eat of this offering, it was to be burnt whole on the Mizbe’ach all night long until it was ashes. There are also many stories about how the ashes were cleaned from the Mizbe’ach but we will leave that for another time.

This is the Shabbat before Pesach, called the Great Sabbath, or Shabbat HaGadol!  We chant a special Haftarah from the book of Malachi, from which most people think is derived the name of the Shabbat itself.  “Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great (HaGadol) and awesome day of the Lord.” The parallels to Pesach are quite clear: just as the world was created in the month of Nissan; and the people of Israel were freed of Egyptian slavery in the same month, Nissan; so, too, will they be redeemed of their sins in time to come, in the month of Nissan. As Elijah is the one to announce the coming of our redemption, so Passover tradition calls upon us to open the door for Elijah the prophet to enter and join our Seder. Pesach, representing the redemption of our people from Egypt serves as the great redemption in the time of the Messiah to come.

A curious yet very beautiful prayer is recited once a year, on the first morning of Pesach, at the beginning of the Amidah repetition for Mussaf. It is called TAL, or DEW, a prayer for dew, not in our land but in Eretz Yisrael. Pesach heralds the end of the rainy season in Eretz Yisrael. The coming months are long and very hot and yet, plants grow during this season due to the breezes that bring moisture from the Mediterranean Sea which appear as dew each morning. Without this blessing, all of Israel would be mostly arid. Dew is a symbol of reivival. And so, this prayer speaks of our hope for a rebuilt renewed Jerusalem and Land of Israel; a prayer that has actually been answered after thousands of years.

The musical motifs of Tal bring an almost mystical solemnity to the otherwise celebratory prayers of Pesach. It is traditional for the hazzan or shiliach tzibbur to don a white robe as they would do on the High Holy Days. Dew is no small matter and the prayer for it is taken seriously (as is the prayer “GESHEM’ for rain chanted on Shmini Atzeret in the Fall). We have often had the choir join me for the beautiful setting of Tal by Yossele Rosenblatt. This year, we will be davening in the Malkov Chapel and I will be chanting a special solo setting by my revered teacher, Moshe Ganchoff a”h. I hope to see you in the synagogue during the entire holiday, but I personally invite you to join us for the beautiful and elevating prayer, TAL –

May dew fall upon the blessed land. Fill us with heaven’s finest blessings. May a light come out of the darkness to draw Israel to You as a root finds water from….DEW! 

TAL, TAL, TAL TEIN…LIRTZOT ARTZACH. SHITEYNU BRACHAH, BRACHAH B’DITZACH……………..TAL……TAL……BO T’VAREICH MAZON……B’MASHMANEINU, AL YEHI RAZON

More to come on the first morning of Pesach, Tuesday, March 26 at 9:30 a.m.

Shabbat Shalom,

Hazzan Alberto Mizrahi