Kedoshim: Differences

We separate things milk and meat.   Sometimes, however, they come together, like in a cow.  The animal itself is meat while what it produces is milk.  Still, when we ingest them, as Jews we make distinctions between the two.  One is life-giving and the other represents death.

We also separate light from darkness (God actually first does this in the opening verses in Genesis).  Traditionally we state that a new day begins once the sun has set.  Unlike most other cultures that say that a day begins at midnight, we think otherwise.

Jews are oriented toward drawing lines of distinction between the holy and profane.  Think, for example, of Havdalah, the ending ceremony of Shabbat.  

The word itself - l’havdil- is often used in Hebrew when we want to be absolutely sure that lines are not blurred, or God forbid, crossed. Think also of the words “tamey” and “tahor” (they indicate acceptable parameters of what is spiritually safe and unsafe).

Did you know that there is a law, which forbids a man from dressing in clothes like a woman?  A woman is likewise forbidden from dressing as a man.  Lines must be maintained.

The Psalms indicate, “The heavens are the realm of God while the earth is the domain of humankind.”  As if referring to the Tower of Babel and the great sin that occurred there we are warned not to blur the differences between God and man.

The Torah also states elsewhere that we are not permitted to mix wool and linen fibers (19:19).  The first comes from an animal and the second from the earth.  Again, distinctions.

The word “kodesh” means “holy.”  It has an earlier, root meaning, though.  “Kodesh” means “other.”  Put another way, “kodesh” is something that needs to be kept separate from all else.

Thought: Does God want us to be “kodesh?”  If so, how?  Are there problems or obstacles with being “kodesh?”

                                Ideas for Thought and Discussion

Kedoshim in the same of this parasha.  According to what we read in the Torah we are to be “kodesh.”  Why?  You may want to look at 19:2.

Torah says you shall “fear” your parents.  Why does it not say “love” them?

“Do not hate your kinsmen in your heart.” 19:17  Instead of despising them we are supposed to tell them what they are doing wrong.  How difficult is this mitzvah?  What do most people do?

Tetsaveh: Holy, Holy, Holy

Tetsaveh contains all the elements of kedusha (holiness) that B'nai Israel needed to become a nation standing in awe of the Almighty.

The Kohen Gadol exuded kedusha, holiness.  It emanated from his being, his carriage.  Robed in a great white tunic he appeared almost as an apparition in the glinting sunlight before the people.  Breastplate splayed over his chest there were twelve stones, one representing each tribe.  Then there was the Urim and Tumim, detectors of truth that glowed bright indicating the direction of the Israelite nation.

“You shall be a Holy Nation, a Nation of Kohanim,” declares God in the sacred text.  It was almost as if the very luminescence that radiated out of the Kohen Gadol attached itself to every Jew standing awed before Him. 

Following God’s mitzvot (commandments) leads to inner and external transformation.  When we act in harmony with God we become sparks of His Holy Essence.  Holiness is catching.

 Question: Whom would you call “kodesh”?

At the center of the world rests a rock.  It is where Abraham nearly drove a knife into the heart of Isaac.  That is the same place where Solomon built his Temple to HaKadosh Baruch Hu, God.  We call it the Beit HaMikdash (note the root word, kodesh).  Massive walls of limestone glow a hue of gold in the sunlight around the Kodesh Kodashim (Holy of Holies).  Only the Kohen Gadol could enter that sacred space, and then, only after purifying himself in the quiescent waters of the Mikveh.

 Question: If places can also be holy, how do they become that way?

God’s gift to His people is Shabbat.  As the Torah declares, Shabbat is called Yom Shabbat l’kodsho (The Day of Shabbat to His Holiness).  When we pray we endow the Shabbat with holiness.  We consider who we are and whom we can become.  Further, we study on Shabbat to craft an even greater crown on this day.  We declare Shabbat holy when we make Kiddush (again, there is that root word, kodesh), studying and praying.  Implicit in these actions is when we ignore Shabbat we strip it of kedusha.  “My children are abandoning My holy gift,” the Master weeps when we turn our backs in favor the mundane.  On the other hand, God says, “When you, My children, light the Shabbat wicks, I will provide the sacred fire for the Holy Altar in Jerusalem.”

Thought: The marriage ceremony is called kedushin, See Leviticus 19:23, 36.  Can you guess why?

Kedusha happens whenever we bind ourselves to HaKadosh Baruch Hu.  Another example is kashrut.  When we eat in accord with His wishes we draw closer to Him.

“If you make yourselves holy, distinct, from other peoples, then you belong to Me.  If not, you belong to Nebuchadnezzar and his lot.”  -Sifra 93D

Naso: Vows of Holiness

The passage of the Nazir contains one of the most meaningful, profound and obscure ideas of the Torah. First the story in brief: A Nazir is someone who vows to abstain from all ritual impurity, cutting their hair and drinking alcohol for a specified period. Who would take such a vow?

This is what the Torah says about a Nazir: "All the days of his separation, he is kodesh, holy, to Hashem." 6:8

In other words, his abstinence makes him a holy vessel. A Nazir is a person who yearns to be close with God. Their vow-taking is a symbol of a deep desire to rid themselves of earthly pleasures so they can be more intent on God’s Will, not theirs. They want to be mentally focused, undistracted from ungodly desires.

The exact wording of the Torah states, "when a person wants to separate themselves…" Ibn Ezra reveals the inner meaning of the word separate, yaflee. He tells us that it indicates he, the Nazir, is about to do something wonderful.

Two of the three things that a Nazir vows to not touch are earthly pleasures. Who does not want to get a haircut? It makes us feel good, look good and is a bit like a mini-spa. On the other side, remember when Judaism demands that we refrain from a hair cut? We do not trim hair when in mourning. That is the clearest indication that a haircut is viewed as a pleasurable activity that distracts us from the more immediate pain.

What about alcohol? With the exception of addiction, alcohol is associated with goodness and celebration. In our faith we bless Shabbat with alcohol. Think of it: the Kiddush ends with the words mikadesh HaShabbat, "Who makes holy the Shabbat." We say this berakha over wine. Purim is also a celebration with spirits. A Nazir is someone who wants to deny themselves the pleasure of drinking.

What about contact with impurity? How is this related? Torah says that if a Nazir becomes impure he must bring two sacrifices, an asham and a hatat. The first sacrifice is because he broke his vow. The reason for the second sacrifice is less clear. We are told the Nazir brings this animal for his "soul." His soul has become somehow tainted. How?

Rashi suggests the Nazir brings this sacrifice because once he has touched the dead body he needs to begin the process of his vow from the beginning. In other words, if the Nazir took a vow to not cut his hair, drink wine, and remain pure for say, one year, and then comes into contact with the dead, the year starts from day one. Rashi declares that this is reason he brings a second sacrifice….there is another span of time when he will have to deny himself pleasure. Yet, why does the Torah consider the Nazir to be tainted?

The brilliant Rambam writes that the reason the Nazir must bring two offerings is because God does not want us to deny ourselves His gifts, our pleasures. The Holy One surely wants us to deny things which are forbidden but not things that are allowed! In fact, we are directed to use pleasures like alcohol for the sake of God---which is exactly what we do each Friday night! The taint of the Nazir is that the time he needs to refrain from enjoying the bounty of God for a longer stretch of time.

What does this all mean to us?
1. The Holy One, blessed be He, created a universe for our pleasure. Each gift has a use a vehicle back to our Maker.
2. There may be times when we desire to place personal restrictions on our self in order to rid ourselves of spiritual toxins. Torah allows for this…for a limited period.
3. Vows taken are holy. They must not be broken or made on a whim.
4. Someone who makes a personal vow for the sake of God becomes a holy vessel. Desire for devekute, proximity to the Lord, is a holy endeavor.



Haftarah Insight:
The power of words is paramount in Judaism. Manoah refuses to believe his wife. Why does he not trust her? Later when convinced that the vision really happened and the angel actually appeared, Manoah and his wife swear that their child-to-be-born will be a Nazirite. He will become the warrior feared by the Philistines, Samson. Yet, because the young Samson abandoned the vows his parents took for him he is shorn of his strength.
A Matter of Law:
Several important ideas emerge from this parasha. One of them is the word, "Amen". Meaning -faith - when a person utters the word "Amen" it is so powerful that it is equivalent to saying the intial statement. For example, said after a blessing, "Amen" is the same as having said the blessing. Since Judaism places great importance on words we must be circumspect before responding "Amen" to any statement.

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D'var Aher

We need a hero.

We are always looking for them.  

How many movies have you seen lately that are about superheroes with great powers that come to save the earth or galaxy or some small subset of either?  They are plentiful from the Avengers, to Wonder Woman to the Hulk and that does not even include the various series on television!

We are looking for a hero to take away of our fears.  Having fear is nothing new In our age as we are barraged daily about war,  economic devastation or global destruction.  In past years our concerns revolved mainly about war and natural disasters.  But even then we were seeking heroes to deliver us.  You have probably read how the early Superman comics and the like were attempts by Jewish boys to invent heroes who would deliver us.  At that time the enemy was growing anti-Semitism and the rise of Nazism.  

Before that we had Samson, the hero of our haftarah.

Samson was destined to be a Nazir, an ascetic.  Samson was powerful, endowed with superhuman strength.  He fought off the dreadful and evil Philistines and gave his people hope as he was a one-man army. 

The concept of a Nazir comes from our Torah portion today.  

A Nazir was one who took a personal vow that he would drink no liquor or anything made from grapes; he would refrain from cutting his hair; he would keep far from contact with the dead to maintain his ritual purity and refrain from intimate relations. All this was supposed to elevate the person spiritually from a state doubt to feeling connected to God in a deeply spiritual way.  The Nazir ‘s vows usually lasted a specific span of time. Afterward, he would return back to his normal routine.

During the time of being a Nazir this was to be a time of reflection and devotion.  It would be when he refined his character and felt better about his life and self.

Samson’s exploits are recorded in the Tanakh where he defeats legions of Philistine, battles a lion and unfortunately succumbs to the wiles of Delilah.  I guess being a Nazir with all the rules and regulations was a bit too ambitious for this hero.  In the end he lost his prodigious strength and was captured and killed by the Philistines. 

The Talmud sadly records,” Samson rebelled against God through his eyes, therefore the Philistines put out his eyes.” 

We are in need of heroes; people who will shine and rise as defenders of the weak and needy.  There is so much pain in the world that we sometimes feel like weeping out of futility.  Yet, God did send a hero - one who can deliver us from the machinations of the worst despots and evil-doers.  He sent you.

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D'var Aher

Nasso, the name of this week’s parasha, means “lift up.” Yet it usually is translated as “ to take a count.”  Now that we are immersed in the Book of Numbers it should come as no surprise that translators look to taking an account of the numbers of Jews in the desert when determining the translation of the text.  

In our faith we shy away from counting people. People are not commodities to be tallied and evaluated.  Each person is a self-contained universe of infinite potential value.  Therefore the actual Torah text tells us to “lift up” each Jew.

Our task is to help one another realize our gift. G-d forbid, we should inhibit another person’s growth and potential by ridiculing them, dismissing them as marginal or invisible or engaging in gossip.  Such things can reduce a person to a fraction of what they might become.

We all have been wounded by thoughtless comments or  abuse.  We know the price of that pain.  It diminishes us.

That is why the Torah portion this week  includes a blessing.  It begins with elevating our brothers and sisters and in the midst of mentioning the names of the tribal leaders inserts this stirring blessing:

May G-d bless you and protect you.

May G-d show His countenance to you and be gracious.

May G-d lift up His face to you and grant you peace.

And the best part is that we say this blessing to each other.

  

Emor

                                                    The Law

Torah is a blueprint.  And like all blueprints, it contains only the broad outlines of the building to be erected.  What kind of doors, décor, and ceiling will be determined later.

That same definition applies to our reading this week, Emor.

We will hear, “a wound for a wound, a tooth for a tooth, an eye for an eye.”  This passage is often understood to mean just what it states. It was never interpreted that way in Judaism.  

A society that carries out such a practice (a similar law can be found in Hammurabi’s code) will be largely toothless and blind.

Our faith system is one that is based on the Oral Law and Written Law.  The latter is the Torah as we read it each week.  The former is an oral tradition that dates back to Mt Sinai.  Handed down from generation to generation it fills in the needed gaps to explain the meaning of the Torah.  Known as the Mishna (literally “that which is repeated”) it is the source for understanding the terse scripture.  

In our passage, the Oral Law understands that a person who has been maliciously wounded requires compensation.  How much should she be compensated?  The court needs to assess the utility and value of the aggrieved.  “An eye for an eye” means the court needs to place a value for the life-long disability of that particular person, shame the person suffers along with medical costs. 

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davar acher                                            


                                         The Way of the Holy

How do we become holy?

There is an avalanche of hundreds of books promising a holy, elevated life cropping up everywhere. People are hungry to learn the path to holiness. Each religious group has its own book and manual to point the way. What is the Jewish response? What is the authentic Jewish way of holiness?

Torah portions in Leviticus are filled with examples of holiness. Emor is no exception. Here are some samples:

-Kohanim must remain holy by conducting the sacrifices in a proper way, not making
intentional scars in their flesh and remaining pure. 21:6
-Those who touched blood, or who are exposed to death, may not come near the
Sanctuary. 22:1-8
-Laws of martyrdom are given to remain holy even in death. 22:32
-Days of meeting God are finely detailed as a means of becoming holy. 23:1
-The Festivals must be remembered and observed. 23:4-44

There are numerous examples of ways in which holiness can be accessed. A single strand of thought runs through them all, intention.

Unlike deep, mysterious and mystical texts, the Torah is deliberate in laying out the foundation of a holy life. Holiness is not, as we might suspect, meditating out in the wilderness or an obscure coded text that needs to be deciphered.

Chaim Vital, Kabbalist of 16th century Safed wrote a small introduction to prayer. “Before one begins one’s prayer, one must say, ‘Behold, I accept upon myself the commandment of you shall love your neighbor like yourself.’”

Holiness begins when we take seriously our relationship to God and world. Reaching out to God through prayer is not abstract; prayer is not a magical incantation. The petitioner does not utter some lofty words in a vacuum. Real prayer does not exist outside of physical action! Our mouth is an echo to the path that our feet tread. Prayer is not entirely in the hands or feet either. The heart, head, mouth and hands have to work together.

Vital teaches that prayers commence with a concrete statement of responsibility towards other people. “Behold, I accept upon myself the commandment…” That is why holy men and women in Judaism do not live in hermitages. Their thoughts have to correlate to their actions; they must translate them into deeds.

That is why a holy life begins with intention. By the way, the word intention in Hebrew translates as kavanah, which we often think of as fervency in prayer. It is not. Kavanah is simply intention. It is will and focus. With a serious attitude that translates into an act, we become holy.

When the kohen refrains from becoming tamey, impure, because that is what God wants, the kohen becomes holy. That is kavanah. When he refuses to mark his flesh as the other peoples do, he stays holy (the modern equivalent would be tattoos. Much in vogue now people see tattoos as marks of beauty.) Yet, Torah deliberately forbids such markings of the flesh. So, in the instance where a person desires to adorn their body with a tattoo but does not because they are following God’s dicta, they are holy. This too, is kavanah. Again, it is doing the Will of the Almighty with a heart that is invested in the work of the hands.

It is not enough to mourn the loss the Jew must also care for the dead. It is not enough to know that lashon ha-ra is evil we must fight against it. While it may be enticing to eat trafe the way of the holy is to refrain from eating forbidden things. Kavanah is the beginning of holiness.

The power of the next Holy Day, Shavuot is remarkable. Ruth, the heroine of the story, is a Moabite. The Moabites were the enemy. First mentioned in Genesis 19: 32-38 the Moabites remained irritants of the Jewish nation for centuries. Numbers 25 specifically regulates the interaction with them. Yet, a member of that tribe, Ruth, not only married a Jewish man but would ultimately bring about the greatest king in the history of Israel, David.

What is the moral of the story? We can become anything, even holy. We can rise above our inclinations. We can overcome our past; we can transcend our baggage. The reason why Ruth is such a powerful book and story is read on the anniversary of the Giving of the Torah is because even this Moabite woman, who had everything against her, came under the wings of God and changed the story of the Jewish people forever.

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Davar Achar

Emor, VaYikra (Leviticus) 21

                                         The Dark Side

Star Wars is big. The next installment comes out in a few weeks. The Web and fans have been flooded by speculation on the movie. Pages of every newspaper and magazine the world over are devoted to it. Some think it will be the best, most profitable film of all time. What makes the Star Wars movies so attractive? Why will millions of people see it? It speaks of the most basic human principles.

All students of Judaism have learned about the Yetsers: the yetser haTov and the Yetser haRa. They are two opposing forces that exist in all. The Yetser haTov is the urge to do good. It is the part of us, which beckons to do mitzvot, and acts of Hesed. The Yetser haTov is what makes someone you do not know suddenly come to your defense as the playground bully pushes you around or the office nasty puts out more venom. It is what makes us do things that may not help us but definitely are good for someone else.

  >Idea: Think of someone who once helped you.
What does this make you feel now?

Now the Yetser HaRa, on the other hand, is the oppositional force. It is like an animal that wants to run wild and knows no boundary. We have all had experience with this one. It screams uncontrollably. It hurts. And wants revenge. The Yetser HaRa tramples on feelings. It’s in them and us.

The Yetser HaTov and HaRa are opposing forces. They vie for domination. Here comes the Star Wars part. Both the Dark Side and the Force are the Yetsers in us. They are potential. While each of us is born with them in us, we are called upon to bring them out. More importantly, we must recognize their existence.

There are things in this world that do not belong to us. That does not mean that we cannot own them, but we are not supposed to have them. HaShem asks us to keep separate good and evil, light and dark. Like in Star Wars, both are powerful forces. Yet one is good, the other evil. Our job is to recognize that they are distinct.

These are some of the other radical differences in the world wih which this Sidra is concerned. For example.
A kohen must be distant from contamination
>What is contamination? Why is important for a kohen to be separate from
contamination?
Lesson? Don’t confuse holy with things un-holy.
For example.
A person with tzaarat (a disease) must be kept separate from the community.
Lesson? Things must be kept apart. Healthy and unhealthy.

It is important to keep things separate, which are opposites. Otherwise we might not know the difference between good and evil. And, as we all learned from the Shoah, that is when terrible things occur. 

Kedoshim, Holiness

Two principle ideas are noteworthy in this parasha.

“With righteousness shall you judge your neighbor.”  When we look at others we make judgments about their behaviors based on what we know about them (this is called prejudice) or what we judge them as doing at the moment.  In the latter instance, we are directed to be fair.  Being fair means not rushing to condemn or be harsh.  We are told not to magnify faults or look for the worst in them.  Rather, Torah tells us to look for the best.

"Love your neighbor as you love yourself."Rabbi Akiva called this the cardinal principal of Torah, while Hillel said, "This is the entire Torah, the rest is commentary." 

The word for love in Hebrew is "ahava."  “Ahava” in gematria, the numerical value of the letters is 13.  When that love is amplified (in other words we love ourselves and extend that love to others) we get the number 26.  Twenty-six is the gematria of God’s name.  Through loving one another and ourselves we achieve “kedoshim,” the name of our parasha, which means holiness. 

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D'Var Aher

In confronting Moses, Korah declares, “All Israel is holy.” 1 There is no contesting the truth of the claim of Korah. The people are holy, as Rashi explains, because they each heard the Word of God when they stood at Sinai. That moment transformed them forever


The Torah reading this week called kedoshim seems to say something different. It states, “You shall be holy.” Were they holy? Or were they to become holy? Was the Israelite nation that saw and heard God kodesh, holy, because of the encounter? Or did holiness come to them because of some other event?

Rav Soleitchik observed that every Jew has an innate kedusha. There exists inside of us a soul, a kernel of holiness, that we always carry. Yes, each one of us is holy tells Rav Soleitchik. Yet, Korah was exaggerating in one not-so-obvious way.

There are levels of holiness. The degree of holiness depends upon the realization and accessing of that soul-gift. True, our soul is innately holy but if the soul is ignored or squashed, its voice can go unheard. It is almost as if it does not exist. At any moment the soul could awaken and break through the barriers that have kept it contained but until then it passes unseen, unacknowledged, as if it did not exist.

When the soul-voice is heard the physical actions of the person can allow it to ascend making the person more holy. In other words, holiness is not an absolute; it happens in degrees. There is less and more holy. This is the meaning of this Torah reading where God declares, “You shall be holy.” The people obviously had holiness within them but they could still spiritually grow. Rashi again helps us when he reveals that when a Jewish person resists the temptation to give in to the sitra achra, the dark side, they rise in holiness. That is why the Torah uses the future tense, shall, which tells us that the path to holiness is always open. One can aspire to greater holiness.

In the same verse, Leviticus 18:1, God adds that we can become holy because He, God, is holy. This is not a platitude. The Safat Emet explains that the holiness of the One God is limitless. There is not end to His kedusha. There is no point when a person can declare - as Korah seems to do - that they have already reached the highest level of holiness. They can never say that there is no need to do anything more. On the contrary, our potential for growth and holiness is without end.

Rabbi Levi Yitzchak of Berdichev goes even further by saying that every time we observe mitzvot and grow in holiness God also increases in holiness. We are inseparably connected to God and our actions inflate the holiness of the Master. Is this true? Can it possibly be that we make God more holy?

What Levi Yitzchak means is that the more we grow in holiness the greater our awareness of holiness becomes. At first our vision is limited by our understanding. We see little and we understand little. As our understanding of things holy expands, we begin to see more and more of the radiance of haKadosh Barukh Hu everywhere. Our limitations no longer hold us back from seeing the grandeur of God. The expansiveness of God seems to grow.

The Talmud 2 explains that holiness hangs on the way we connect with God and Torah. In fact, the word for holy, kodesh, really means separating. When we take the time to categorize our speech, behavior and observance in terms of mitzvot, we separate or infuse our behavior with holiness. The simple act of thinking about what we do and asking, “Is this what God wants from me?” fills every space with kedusha.

Sanctified living is about the small matters of life. Looking at the world through the lens of what God wants of us means weighing our words very carefully before speaking. It means thinking about how we conduct business. It involves considering how we dress and our mode of sexual behavior. Even eating is a part of our identity. Each nuance of living can be guided by holiness. This is what the Torah means when it expresses the thought “You shall be holy.” Do not stop growing. Walk with God.

1 Bamidbar 16:3
2 Yevamot 20a

Pesach

In the Pesach seder we read each year, “In every generation a person should see themselves as if they were personally liberated from Egypt.” This is a powerful phrase and idea on many levels.

1.  Pathos.  A Jews we should never be so callous as to dismiss the pain others have experienced. When we become inured to the cries of the hopeless we are the ones lost.

2.   The Nation. We are not alone but part of the nation of Israel.  All across the globe Jews were breaking the middle matzah, saying the same blessings and reminding themselves that they are part of a single fabric of which we all form an integral part.  We see ourselves as kin, redeemed at the same moment.  We breathe life into one another.

3.  The Individual.  It is up to us to be aware that Egypt and slavery and ultimately redemption are the goals of Pesach.  As Jews, we feel with our soul the timelessness of the pain and suffering of the past.   It is said that every soul was enslaved, redeemed and present at Mt Sinai.  It is part of our collective unconscious.  You were there.

4.  Redemption.  Our lives cry out for liberation from personal enslavement.  Perhaps we are in the grip of addiction, or ignoring those who are addicted; maybe we need release from holding others as hostages to our ego; perhaps we are guilty of hoarding and not sharing what God has given us. Perhaps we are ashamed of what we have become.  This day is an opening, an opportunity for liberation.

In this, the last day of Pesach I wish you the strength and determination to make you and your ancestors proud and God beam with naches.  May this be His will. Amen.

D'var Aher

"Once, when Joshua was near Jericho, he looked up and saw a man standing before him, drawn sword in hand. Joshua went up to him [not realizing he was an angel] and asked: 'Are you one of us or are you for the enemies?' 

He replied: 'No, I am the captain of the Lord's host. Now I have come ' Joshua threw himself face down to the ground, and prostrating himself, said to him: 'What does my Lord command his servant?' The captain of the Lord's host answered Joshua: 'Remove your sandals from your feet, for the place where you stand is holy ' And Joshua did so." (5:13-15)

On Pesach we tell of rabbis debating past late at night and into the early hours in Bene Brak. We tell of four children with significantly different attitudes.  We bring together disparate ideas about necessity of making peace while recalling the Angel of Death.

Most tellingly, we gather together to strangers, friends and family to reconvene and remind ourselves that no matter our ideas about politics, Israel, and personal preferences about life, that we are one people.

Not everyone with whom we disagree is an enemy.  They may even be an agent of God.  In fact, there are tzaddikim (and even regular folks!) who believe that everyone is part of the woven tapestry that God holds as precious.  Each of us is a thread in that great tapestry.  We are different colors and striations.  Each thread is necessary.  Take one out and the entire picture undone.  

That is why Pesach is such a vital holy day. Besides celebrating our freedom and God’s deliverance we come together as one extended family.  

Sit down. Lean left.  Remove your shoes.  This is holy ground.  And God smiles.

D'var Aher

It is abundantly clear from the Haggadda: Every person is obligated to view themselves "as if" they had gone from Egypt.

How often in the Torah are we asked to imagine, “as if”? Can you think of any instances? One of the few times in Torah that the term is used is when God tells Abram that he gives the patriarch the great land of Israel. 1 Rashi, knowing that the gift would not be actually given to Abram until many, many years later, interprets the words of God “as if” the land were his now. In other words, Abram was supposed to imagine his gift, even though it had not yet arrived.

Few are the places where Judaism ever commands us to 'feel' anything. Mitzvot tend to regulate behavior, not thoughts and mind-sets. Laws are needed for the governance of a society. It does not really matter whether we agree with them or not. What is important is that we have laws. That is why Rabbi Hanina, of the second century, said that without laws, people would each other alive. 2 But what about feeling? Is this really necessary for a society to function? Does it matter at all what a person feels as long as they follow the law?

There is an argument in the Talmud over which idea ought to take precedence when teaching people: action or study. 3 Which of the two ideas is greater? If a person can only choose one of them, study or observance, which should they choose? In the ultimate analysis, the Sages decide that study takes precedence over action because it can lead to action while the reverse may not be true.

Then why is so little emphasis placed on feeling? If the rabbis believed that study is greater, why would they not also take the position that feeling is also a powerful spur to action? Isn't feeling also a powerful incentive to practice mitzvot?

Sure, we are commanded by the Torah to 'love' God. Love is an emotion, a feeling. What about the other feelings that should accompany our actions? Shouldn't we be expected to invest emotional energy into our performance of mitzvot?

Could it be that actions, mitzvot, leads to feelings? And not the other way around? Or perhaps were the Sages concerned that if we placed too much importance on the way people feel they would probably place the emphasis on intent over the Word of the Holy One? Maybe they would be prone to dismiss the power of observance in favor of feeling? That would be tragic.

Pesach is an exception. Here we are commanded to feel. Rambam goes so far as to instruct us that we must experience the immediate sensation of fleeing from the clutches of slavery. 4 The seder is not a bland ceremony, the master tells us, but an emotional call to feel the shame of the slavery, the power of deliverance, and the majesty of the miraculous departure.


Whenever we recite the Hallel psalms in a religious setting they are introduced with a blessing. The only exception is the Pesach seder. During the seder we simply sing as we segue from the words of the Haggadda to the inspiring words of King David. So why do we not say a blessing? Why do we just burst into song?

Teaches Rav Hai Gaon, we do not say a blessing for this Hallel because we throw ourselves soulfully into the joy of song. Pesach is meant to be an inspired moment. We sing to God of deliverance. We sing to God of rescue. We sing to God in amazement that the slavery has ended and we are free.

Perhaps after we have realized the fundamental principles of Pesach, after the long hours of scrubbing, covering, cooking, and entertaining we can open our hearts and simply sing. That would be a great thing. At that moment our souls can reach the highest levels of spirituality. "As if" becomes the reality of liberation. More, it becomes the nexus that brings us true freedom. Each Jew must feel "as if" they had been personally delivered from bondage.

Albert Einstein said, “Imagination is more important than knowledge.” For us, on Pesach, feeling is the ultimate triumph.


1 Genesis 15:18
2 Pirkay Avot 3:2
3 Yevamot 109b
4 Hilchot Hametz U’Matzah