Entries for March 2013

Dear Evan, At 1:30 this morning -- the 18^th day of Nisan, the fourth day of Pesach, the third day of counting the omer, in the 64^th year since the reestablishment of Jewish sovereignty in our national homeland, and (according to our tradition) the 5,773th year since creation, corresponding to March 29, 2013 -- you were delivered from Mitzrayim (literally “the narrow places”) and entered the world. ...

This week’s Torah portion, Tsav, is one of several describing our ancient animal sacrificial rites.  These are certainly not rituals that most of us would care to witness, nor even contemplate.  In fact, just reading the Torah text can prompt a salad for dinner! But I suspect that in Temple times, when most people were likely personally familiar with slaughtering, they found the ceremonies spiritually meaningful. “Free-will” and “thanksgiving” offerings were probably especially so as means of ritualized emotional expression.

Debbie told her co-worker Susan that Debbie intended to leave her job soon.  Debbie didn’t act as if this was confidential and did not ask Susan to keep it so.  Susan assumed that Debbie had told others, including Debbie’s boss. When Susan’s boss asked her to work with Debbie on a new project, Susan mentioned Debbie’s expected departure.  But Debbie had not told her boss of her plan, nor was it common knowledge.  Susan’s boss informed Debbie’s boss, who questioned Debbie and identified Susan as the information source.  Debbie was furious at Susan for revealing her “confidence” and complained bitterly to their acquaintances.  ...

NEW ADULT EDUCATION CLASS FOR PASSOVER Thursdays, March 14 & 21, 7:00-8:30 p.m. at Temple Beth Tikvah, Fullerton, CA.  How have Jews understood the Passover narrative? Since “The Torah has seventy faces,” (Bamidbar Rabbah 13:15), there’s no “correct” interpretation. Even so, various approaches have dominated at different times in our history, reflecting the circumstances in which we have found ourselves. We will sample such major genres as: Midrash, P’shat (rational/contextual), PaRDeS, and Kabbalah. Enrich your Passover Seder(s), future Bible (Torah/Tan”akh) study, and your understanding of Jewish history and cultural traditions! Please call Temple office at (714) 871-3535 or email tbtaa@sbcglobal.net to RSVP. 

You’re hosting this year’s big family seder and it’s Erev Pesach morning.  The phone rings … “Oy!”, you think, “Who’s not coming?”  It’s your mother, who promised to bring four dozen hard-boiled eggs, but has a migraine!!!  ... 

“V’shamru v’nai Yisrael et haShabbat, la’asot et haShabbat l’dorotam b’rit olam….” The Israelite people shall keep the Sabbath, observing the Sabbath throughout the ages as a covenant for all time:  Ex. 31:16  This familiar Saturday morning Kiddush verse comes from this week’s Torah portion, Ki Tissa.  But the Torah says relatively little about how the Sabbath is to be observed. ...