The Passover Seder... with the Four Sons

Fresh off the presses (or, really, YouTube) from the folks at g-dcast.com.. presenting, the Passover Seder with the Four Sons!

Becoming Priestly

Parshat Tzav

Leviticus 6:1 - 8:36

Tzav repeats the description and procedure for the sacrifices discussed in the previous portion. Directed to Aaron and his sons, the procedures for the sacrifices and the explanation of the priestly portions are given in detail. The priests are here commanded to keep the fire on the altar burning perpetually.

God commands Moses to prepare Aaron, the Tabernacle, and Aaron's sons for the new priesthood. This includes washing Aaron and his sons, dressing them in ritual garments, and anointing Aaron and the Tabernacle with oil. During this ordination ceremony, a sin offering and a burnt offering are brought. Then a ram of ordination is slaughtered. Some of the blood is put on the right ear, thumb, and big toe of Aaron and his sons. Then Moses dashes the blood against each side of the altar. Specified parts of the ram, along with one cake of unleavened bread, one cake of oil bread, and one wafer are placed in the palms of Aaron and of his sons. This is a wave offering, which is then burned with the burnt offering.

Moses takes the best of the ram as a wave offering before God. Moses takes anointing oil and some blood from the altar and sprinkles it upon Aaron and his sons. He then directs Aaron and his sons to boil the flesh of the ram and eat it with the unleavened bread at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting. Moses explains that the period of ordination will last seven days and all that has been sacrificed and done that day is to be repeated on each of the following seven days.

Synopsis courtesy of Teaching Torah, by Sorel Goldberg Loeb and Barbara Binder Kadden

For your Shabbat table:

• Although many people think that a mitzvah is a good deed, the word really means "commandment." The title of this week's parsha is Tzav, which has the same root in Hebrew as the word mitzvah. List the things that you do that you consider to be mitzvot. Are there any modern observances that you keep, not only because they are good deeds, but because they are God's commandments?
• Part of this week's parsha talks about the special attired reserved for the priests. When is a dress code important?
• How does wearing a costume make you feel? Think of other times that you get dressed up and why you dress up for those occasions. How does dressing up for a holiday or going to services make you feel different or change your attitude about what you are doing?
• During this portion, the priests are commanded to keep the fire on the altar burning perpetually. Keeping the fire burning was a big task - can you think of anything you have to take care of like that? Why are you willing to make such an effort?
• The priests understood that every part of their job was dignified. What are some things that you have to do that you don't want to because you think they are gross or dirty? What are some household tasks that causes people in your family to complain when it is their turn to do it? What are some new ways you can approach that chore with a different attitude?
• In order to officially become a priest, Aaron and his sons (and all future priests) had to go through an ordination ceremony that lasted seven days. Have you ever been part of a group that had a special ceremony and code of behavior? Was there anything special you had to learn?

And now.. this week's parsha in cartoon form - courtesy of g-dcast.com:

Passover Web Resources

There are a plethora of Jewish resources on the web, including a large number of holiday (and therefore, Passover!) related sites and games. Here are some great places to help make sure you're ready for Passover.

• Want a quick list of what you need for a complete seder table? Jewish Treats (a great blog with daily learning opportunities on a wide range of topics) posted this list today.
• For anyone who loved the hand-eye coordination challenges of the classic game Simon, here is a Passover version! This can be a fun game for kids - courtesy of the Elijah Rocks page from Behrman House - find the link here.
• If you don't have an Apple device on which to download the Mah Nishtanah application with which to learn the Four Questions, here is another place to practice. Here is another page with additional blessings to practice.
• Another Elijah Rocks page, here is a Passover-themed word puzzle to quiz yourself (or your little ones) on their knowledge of holiday themes and people.
• Babaganewz, which was once a Jewish monthly magazine for kids, now only has a website, which happens to be filled with many great games, tools, and learning opportunities. Here is the link to their page on Passover - many different types of activities.
• Want to see what YouTube has available in the way of Passover videos? Here is a page with links to 123 such videos - enjoy! My favorites? Definitely Matzo Man, the Jib Jab Rap (rated PG), and the inspirational Why Passover is Different this Year, from the Jewish Federations of North America. (later this week we'll post more on ways in which to bring tikkun olam into your celebration this year)
• Create your own Jewpardy trivia game - need help? The Jewish Trivia site has a database of trivia on a host of different Jewish topics, including Passover.
• My Jewish Learning is a wonderful resource for any Jewish topic - here is the main page for a number of articles about Passover - you can find anything from "How to Lead a Seder" to an assortment of matzah ball recipes.
• The Union of Reform Judaism (URJ) is also a great repository of helpful information - here is their main page of Passover information.
• Make your own Passover mix - oySongs is the iTunes of Jewish music - here is their collection of Pesach music.
  
• Just found this google document that has a number of shared resources on adding creative elements to your seder (including some fun ideas on setting the stage).
• The Partnership for Jewish Life and Learning has a Passover resource page filled with activities and links - check it out here.

We will continue to add links to this posting as additional resources are identified. If you have any questions about how to use a resource, feel free to leave a note in the comments field (with email address if you like) so we can get the information to you.

How to Choose a Haggadah

While it seems like Passover centers primarily around food (the kinds we eat and those we don't), the Seder, our festive meal held during the first two evenings of Passover, could not happen without a haggadah. The Haggadah, from the Hebrew verb "to tell," is the book containing the passages dealing with the theme of the Exodus recited at the Passover seder; it is your guide through the traditional (and sometimes not-so-traditional) readings of the holiday, as well as through the various tasks we participate in during the seder itself. The reading of the Haggadah is based on the verse, "You shall tell your son on that day: it is because of what the Lord did for me when I came forth out of Egypt" (Exodus 13:8). Even though the main purpose of the haggadah is the same regardless of which copy your family uses, no two haggadahs are alike - how then do you choose which to use?

For many families, it is tradition (and, perhaps, law?) to use the perennial favorite, the Passover Haggadah, brought to you by the Maxwell House Family of Coffees. There is nothing wrong with this choice - it is straightforward and has all of the required elements necessary for your seder table.

And if the Maxwell House seder isn't for you? Maybe you want something a little... more modern or innovative? Here are a number of newer haggadot that might help you to help enliven your seder experience. Note: when getting ready to lead any seder, take a look through yourhaggadah first to decide what you want to include and what to omit - many seder leaders even supplement from outside sources if not pleased 100% with the haggadah you have in hand - no one resource is perfect or complete in itself.

The Family Haggadah by Shoshana Silberman is a great basic haggadah - it includes all of the seder highlights, while also making available a number of interesting readings and open-ended questions that are sure to involve your family and friends. There is also a second version (entitled the Family Haggadah II) that has many additional offerings for that tough crowd, the teenage sect.

Other good haggadot to consider are Elie Wiesel's Passover Haggadah and the

Family Haggadah : A Seder for All Generations by Elie M. Gindi - both contain all of the necessary elements of a seder while including interesting and thought-provoking readings and questions.

If you want a great resource of materials with which to supplement your haggadah, one fantastic option is Night to Remember: The Haggadah of Contemporary Voices by Noam and Mishael Zion (who also wrote A Different Night: The Family Participation Haggadah, as well as some other great holiday resources). While Night to Remember is a haggadah in its own right, it tends to be a rather cumbersome book - it's larger than most haggadot, and it is so full of wonderful readings, poems, meditations, and thought-provoking questions, that the essential elements of the seder can get lost. This book is very contemporary in its look and quite colorful as well - a discerning seder leader can find some great additions to a standard haggadah here. While you can find this haggadah on any of the major book-selling websites, they are currently out of stock. You can order one directly from their publishing website at www.haggadahsrus.com.

Another possible resource for haggadah supplements - check out this article on My Jewish Learning - it includes links to a number of different supplements already put together. Maybe one fits your needs!

If you're not quite ready to embark on your own seder quite yet, but perhaps are willing to consider it for next year, one brand new option comes to us courtesy of Behrman House Publishers. Through their interactive website (found here), you can customize your very own family's version of the aforementioned Family Haggadah : A Seder for All Generations by Elie M. Gindi by including your own family photos and memories. The publishing window has closed on this opportunity for Pesach 5770, but this can be a very nice and meaningful option for Pesach 5771.

Whether you are hosting your own seder or visiting another home for this festival holiday tradition, may your Pesach this year be meaningful.

Prepping for Passover

Passover is only days away, and many all over the world are starting (if they haven't already done so!) their preparations for this holiday. For many, this centers primarily around shopping lists, grocery stores, and menus - after all, food, in many ways, is the centerpiece of the holiday, both in terms of what we cannot eat (all of that delicious chametz!) and in terms of what we DO eat (extravagant, delicious seder meals).

This week, JFL will publish several posts surrounding preparations for Passover, including everything from which haggadah will be used to guide your seder experience to how to engage and include your children in this holiday. We hope you will find something new and exciting to enrich your Pesach experience!

For the very first suggestion, we go to the world of technology. There have been many great (and, unfortunately, a few lackluster) innovations in Jewish Education that have to do with the wide array of technological devices at our finger tips. One such example comes to us from Behrman House Publishers and Booksellers, one of the largest suppliers of Jewish educational material to many synagogues across North America. They even have a part of their website for families, including resources for holidays and Jewish learning.

This year they have launched an iPhone (and iTouch) application to help students of all ages and backgrounds learn and perfect the Four Questions. iMah Nishtanah is a new iPhone (and iTouch) app that lets you read and listen to the Four Questions whenever and wherever. At just $0.99, the app provides Hebrew and transliteration. It also allows you to record your practice sessions for immediate assessment. You can review the song, word-by-word or line-by-line. This helps you work your way up to full mastery by listening, reading, and singing along.

Whether you are a teacher, a parent, or just worried about being the youngest person at the table, pick up iMah Nishtanah at the Apple apps store [http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/imahnishtanah/id354124579?mt=8] and start preparing for a night unlike any other.

So... get practicing!

Redefining Normal

I have been taken lately by the new television show Parenthood. Found on NBC and inspired by the film of the same name, Parenthood introduces audiences to the complex world of the very large, very colorful, and very imperfect Braverman family. I'm not 100% sure why the show has grown on me so quickly (I'm not underestimating the appeal of its Berkeley setting to this California-born girl), but I do know which storyline has caught my attention more than any other. One of the characters, a young boy named Max, is diagnosed with Asperger's syndrome, and his entire family begins to struggle with what this diagnosis will mean for him, for them, and for the notion of what "normal" means.

I bring this up not to laud NBC for addressing this topic through what will might become a hit show, but to highlight one of the blogs I follow (you can see the list of my blogroll down on the lower right side of the page). Chutz Mizeh, or "otherwise" in English, is the blog of a college friend who serves as a rabbi in North Carolina. His most recent blog post, entitled "Redefining Success," can be found here, and addresses his own family's struggle with an Asperger's diagnosis, especially within a Jewish context. I highly suggest checking out his blog, for this post and other very insightful offerings.

All Sacrifices All the Time

Parshat Vayikra

Leviticus 1:1 - 5:26

Vayikra begins with God instructing Moses to describe the various sacrifices to the Israelites. The five types of sacrifies are: a burnt offering (olah), the meal offering (mincha), the sacrifice of well-being (zevach shelamim), the sin offering (chatat), and the guilt offering (asham).

Olah, literally meaning "that which goes up," is characterized by burning the entire animal upon the altar except for the hide. The mincha offering consists of unleavened choice flour. A portion of it was to be burned on the altar and the remainder given to Aaron and his sons. All mincha offerings must contain salt.

An unblemished cow, sheep, or goat could serve as the offering for the sacrifice of zevach shelamim. An ordinance states that all the fat on the sacrificial animal belonged to God. Additionally, a prohibition against eating any fat or blood is included here.

These three types of sacrifices are voluntary and not brought for atonement. The chatat and the asham are both obligatory upon guilty individuals.

The chatat is to be brought by an individual or community which, unintentionally, commits a sin regarding any of the commandments. The specific offering to be brought was determined by one's economic condition. An anointed priest and the community are both directed to sacrifice unblemished bulls for the chatat. A chieftain sometimes referred to as a tribal chief is to bring a goat. A person from among the populace is to offer a goat or a sheep.

Four additional transgressions are described as requiring a chatat offering: (1) failure to come forward to testify, (2) touching an unclean animal or carcass, (3) coming in contact with human uncleaness, and (4) failure to fulfill an oath. For these transgressions, the offering, depending on the financial means of the transgressor, can be: a female sheep, a goat, two birds, or choice flour.

The asham offering is to be brought by an individual who had sinned by committing robbery or fraud. The penalty for such a crime is to restore the owner the item stolen, plus an additional one-fifth of its value, and then to bring a ram or its equivalent in money as a sacrifice. The asham also applies to the individual who has unwittingly sinned regarding God's sacred things.

The text describes the procedures for the people and the priests to follow for each of these sacrifices and the part of the sacrifice which is to go to Aaron and his sons.

Synopsis courtesy of Teaching Torah, by Sorel Goldberg Loeb and Barbara Binder Kadden

For your Shabbat table:

• All of the sacrifices described in this parsha are sacrifices that were performed only through the time in which we had both of the Holy Temples in Jerusalem - once the second Temple was destroyed in 70 CE, Jews could no longer perform these sacrifices. The rabbis decreed that prayer, Torah study and acts of loving kindness replace sacrifices. When have you participated in prayer? In Torah Study? In acts of loving kindness? How do these things move you closer to God?
• Some of the offerings were given when the Israelites did not do their best, or when they made a big mistake - giving the animal to God was a way of saying they would do better next time. Think of a time when you hurt someone’s feelings or did something wrong. What did you do in order to ask for forgiveness? Did you have to give something back? Did you have to replace something? How did you earn forgiveness?
• There is an old saying "Finders keepers, losers weepers." According to this Torah portion who would be doing the "weeping" if a person did not attempt to return an item that s/he found? Why?
• Do you pray to God? What kinds of things do you tell God in your prayers?
• While it is possible to pray anywhere, what advantages do you think there are to attending services at a synagogue?
• Since a synagogue service has a fixed order of prayers, how is it possible to use your own words and thoughts to talk to God?
• When do you feel thankful to God? What do you do when you feel that way?

Your weekly g-dcast animated bit of Torah:

Wrapping up Exodus

Parshiyot Vayakhel (Exodus 35:1 - 38:20) and Pikuday (Exodus 38:21 - 40:38)

This Shabbat, we read TWO sections of the Torah (parshiyot, the plural of parsha, which is what we call the weekly reading). Why is this, you might ask. Our Torah, the five books of Moses, is divided into 54 parshiyot, which is curious when one realized that there are only 52 Shabbats and weeks in the year. In order to make everything work, some parshiyot are combined, and this Shabbat we read one of those combinations: Vayakhel-Pikuday. Since these two portions close out the book of Exodus/Shmot, you will encounter a bit of restating events that happened in previous parshiyot.

Synopsis: Parshat Vayakhel

Moses assembles the Israelites and reminds them of the commandment to observe the Sabbath as a day of rest. He further instructs them to kindle no light on Shabbat.

Then Moses reviews God's instructions concerning the building of the Tabernacle and calls upon the people to bring gifts to be used in its construction. He appoints Bezalel and Oholiab to be the chief artisans in the work of constructing the Tabernacle and to supervise the other skilled crafts people who will contribute to the building.

The Israelites respond to Moses' call for gifts, bringing so many riches that Moses has to proclaim that enough materials has been donated.

The skilled artisans make the cloth covering and the goat's hair tent over the Tabernacle, and they make the curtain, as well as the screen for the entrance to the Tabernacle.

Bezalel makes the gold covered Ark of acacia wood and the cherubim on the Ark cover. He makes the table for the bread of display and the seven branched menorah. Bezalel also makes the altars and the copper washbowl and stand.

Synopsis: Parshat Pikuday

Pikuday begins with an account of the materials used in the making of the Tabernacle. Bezalel and Oholiab create robes for the priests and special vestments for Aaron: the ephod, the breastplate, the robe for the ephod, and the frontlet, according to the pattern and the command of God to Moses.

When Moses sees that the work of the Tabernacle is complete, he blesses the congregation. Then God tells Moses to erect the Tabernacle of the Tent of Meeting on the first day of the first month and to place in it all of its specially crafted furnishings. Moses then anoints Aaron and his four sons as God commanded him.

When Moses has finished the work, the cloud of God fills the Tabernacle. When the cloud is lifted from the Tabernacle, it is a signal to the Israelites to break camp and begin to travel. But if the cloud is not lifted, they would not set out. Throughout the journeys of the Israelites, a cloud of Adonai is present by day and a fire by night.

Synopses are courtesy of Teaching Torah, by Sorel Goldberg Loeb and Barbara Binder Kadden

For your Shabbat table:

• During the exodus from Egypt and the subsequent wandering in the desert, God often appears to the Israelites as a cloud - this happens again during Pikuday when a "cloud of God" fills the Tabernacle. What do you think a cloud of God would look like? When you try to imagine God, what does God look like?
• The first of our double portion of Torah, Vayakhel, describes the two talented artisans charged with constructing the Tabernacle, Bezalel and Oholiab. In order to be chosen for this very esteemed task, they must have been quite skilled in their craft. In what areas are you talented?
• In Parshat Vayakhel, Moses gathers together the Israelites and reminds them of the commandment to observe Shabbat. How do you observe Shabbat in your family?

Enjoy your double dose of g-dcast:

It's Gonna be a Good Night!

In honor of Shabbat Across America/Canada, the 14th annual such occurrence, the National Jewish Outreach Program (creator of such wonderful web-based Jewish resources as Jewish Treats, has put out the following video. I think it's much better than the original song! Please to enjoy, and Shabbat Shalom!

The Gold Standard?

Parshat Ki Tissa
Exodus 30:11 - 34:35

Moses is commanded to take a census of the Israelites with each person paying half a shekel as an offering to God. The money is to be used for the service of the Tent of Meeting.

God also tells Moses to make a copper washbowl and stand for the priests to use when they enter the Tent of Meeting, and to make a special oil for anointing the Tent, the Ark, Aaron, and his sons.

Bezalel and Ohaliab are made the chief artisans of the Tabernacle, the Ark, and the priestly vestments. Then Moses is told to remind the Israelites to keep the Sabbath forever as a sign of the covenant between God and the people. All this God says to Moses on Mount Sinai.

When God has finished speaking to Moses on Mount Sinai, God gives Moses the two tablets on which are inscribed the laws.

But the people waiting below have been impatient because Moses was so long in coming down from the mountain. They ask Aaron to make them a god to lead them. Aaron takes the gold jewelry of the people and casts a Golden Calf. The next day, he declares a festival and the people offer sacrifices to the calf as they dance before it.

On the mountain, God tells Moses that the Israelites have turned away from the laws and that God will destroy them and make the descendants of Moses a great nation. Moses pleads with God to remember the promise made to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob and to spare the people. God agrees.

Then Moses descends from the mountain, and, in his anger at seeing the gold idol, smashes the tablets of the law.

After the people have been punished and have repented, Moses must again plead with God not to forsake the covenant. god tells Moses to carve two new tablets of stone for God to inscribe again with the words of the law.

Moses ascends Mount Sinai with the tablets and God appears to him in a cloud and renews the covenant with the Israelites. Moses remains on the mountain for 40 days and 40 nights.

When Moses descends from Mount Sinai the second time, his face is radiant because he has spoken with god. The Israelites are frightened by the radiance. Because of this, Moses wears a veil over his face except when he is speaking to God or speaking God's words to the Israelites.

Synopsis courtesy of Teaching Torah by Sorel Goldberg Loeb and Barbara Binder Kadden

For your Shabbat table:

• The people knew that they were not supposed to worship idols, and yet, when Moses went up the mountain and was gone for a very long time, they built the Golden Calf. Why did they do something they knew was wrong?
• Bezalel and Oholiab are made the chief artisans of the people in this parsha. Not surprisingly, one of the most famous and prestigious art schools in all of Israel is the Bezalel Academy of Art and Design. Where else do you see examples of Biblical names being used today? Why do you think we sometimes use biblical names even today in such a modern age?
• While many Jewish holy spaces (like synagogue sanctuaries) do not contain images of human beings, many do include a wide variety of artistic pieces - either through the architecture of the space, tapestries, pieces of arts, and even the ways in which we dress and adorn our Torah scrolls. Take a tour (or think about) your sacred space - in what ways does it include works of art? How do they enhance your prayer experience? (or does it enhance it - maybe it detracts from it)

Your weekly g-dcast cartoon: