NaNach

a Nach Nachma Nachman M'Uman
What is Na Nach Nachmu Nachman Me-Uman?

'Na Nach Nachmu Nachman Me-Uman' is the name of our holy leader Rabbi Nachman of Breslov. (born in 1774) Through a note he sent (In 1922) in a miraculous manner to Rabbi Israel Dov Odesser(called 'Saba' or 'Saba Israel'), Rabbi Nachman revealed that his name (meaning his soul and teachings) is the Song that is Single (Na - נ), Doubled (Nach - נח), Tripled (Nachmu - נחמ), and Quadrupled (Nachman - נחמן).

Great tzadikim (holy sages) preceding Rabbi Nachman's time spoke of the Song that will be revealed in the future, among them Rabbi Yonason ben Uziel (in his translation of Shir Hashirim – the Song of Songs, in the first verse) and Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai (Master of the Zohar and Tikunay Zohar). These tzadikim explained that before the coming of the Messiah, there will be revealed a song that is Single, Doubled, Tripled, and Quadrupled, and that through this Song the true faith and belief in God will be restored in the world as God will renew the world in His wondrous ways. All of this will occur before the coming of the Messiah. The Messiah himself will sing this song and redeem the Jewish People and bring the Knowledge of God, peace, and compassion to the whole world.

Rabbi Nachman of Breslov taught (Likutay Moharan 64) that every Wisdom and Intellect has it's own specific tune and melody. It is from the melody that the wisdom is produced and extended (as can be discerned in Psalms (47) 'sing enlighten'). Even the the wisdom of heresy has it's own specific tune and melody unique to the wisdom of heresy.

[This is what our Sages of the Talmud (Chagiga 15) attributed the deviation of 'Achair' (Elisha, the teacher of Rabbi Meir) stating that it was caused because of Greek melody that was always with him, and that when he would rise from the Tora study hall books of heresy would fall from his lap, because these two things are dependent on one another. The Greek melody that was always on his mouth was the cause for his having the books of heresy that would fall from his lap, for this particular melody was specific to the heresy that he had.]

Also according to the ascending level of the wisdom so too the tune and melody will be of higher distinction. This is true on every level higher and higher even up to the beginning point of all of creation which is called "the start of Emanation", there is nothing higher than it, nothing that exceeds the wisdom that is there, except the "Light of the No Limit" the wisdom on this level is unfathomable to humans,and so on this exalted level, all wisdoms are a matter of faith.

Faith also has a tune and melody specific to faith. Just as we see that even the mistaken faiths of the Worshipers of the Stars and Constellations, each of their faiths has their own song that they sing and conduct in their houses of prayer. As it is with false faith so it is in holiness, every faith has a tune and melody. This unique melody of the above mentioned faith, which is the faith above all wisdoms and faiths in the world, the faith in the Light of the "No Limit" Himself which encompasses all the worlds, this melody is also higher than all the tunes and melodies of the world which are particular to all wisdom and faith. All the tunes and melodies of all the wisdoms come forth from this melody and tune which is higher than all the tunes and melodies of all the wisdoms, for it is the melody associated to the faith in the "Light of No Limit" Himself, which is higher than everything.

In the future when all the nations will recognize The Name (G-d) (as it says in Tsifanya 3) and everyone will believe in Him Blessed, (reword last phrase) there will be a fulfillment of the verse (Shir Hashirim – Song of Songs) 'come sing from the height of faith', specifically from the 'height of faith', the aspect of the highest faith mentioned above, which is the head (Root or source) of all faith as previously explained. This is why the verse says 'sing' specifically, it is the tune and the melody associated with this height of faith mentioned above.

The aspect of melody of this exalted faith, no one merits except the Tzadik (holy sage) of the generation, who is an aspect of Moshe (Moses), who is on the level of this faith.

With this song of the Tzadik, all the souls that fell into heresy of the Vacated Space (where G-d is hidden) are freed. For his song is an aspect of the 'height of faith' that is the faith which is higher than everything, this song and faith nullifies all the heresy, and all the tunes are included and nullified within this tune, which is above everything, and from which come forth all the tunes, as previously mentioned.

Na Nach Nachmu Nachman Me-Uman is this holy melody that can lift us from our dreary existence to the height of faith and belief in God!

Quotes from Rabbi Israel (saba) about Na Nach Nachmu Nachman MayUman

1.Simply by reciting the name of our leader Rabbi Nachman, just as it signed in the signature on this Petek (note) – Na Nach Nachmu Nachman MeUman - this eases all the troubles and sweetens all the harsh judgements, all the sins and all the falls and all of the heresy of the world. This is enough to destroy the Other Side (the Evil Inclination), to dispel all the darkness, everything, it transforms everything. This is a new power like nothing that was ever before in the world.

2.Na Nach Nachmu Nachman MeUman, this has the power, this opens up all the gates of mercy, all the gates of prayer, all the gates of repentence, all of the Tora.

3.Na Nach Nachmu Nachman MeUman – this is the main point. This contains all of the Redemption, and all of the salvations are included in this name, for the central point of everything is dependent on Rabbi Nachman.

4.This is effective for everyone, on both the general and individual levels. Every person should pray and say verbally: "May the merit of Rabbi Nachman protect us and all the Jewish People, the merit of Na Nach Nachmu Nachman MeUman".

5.Our holy leader Rabbi Nachman, this matter is an entirely new secret, yes. Rabbi Nachman revealed that his name is a Song that is Single, Doubled, Tripled, and Quadrupled – Na Nach Nachmu Nachman MeUman.

6.If one is suffering or there is some sin – immedeiately say Na Nach Nachmu Nachman MeUman, this already transforms everything. This renews – everything, transforms – to good. Nachman MeUman – this transforms everything.

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Rabbeinu Tam

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Jacob ben Meir, (1100, Ramerupt–9 June 1171 (4 tammuz), Troyes),^[1] best known as Rabbeinu Tam, was one of the most renowned French Tosafists, a leading halakhic authority in his generation, and a grandson of Rashi. Known as "Rabbeinu" (our teacher), he acquired the Hebrew suffix "Tam" meaning straightforward; it was originally used in the Book of Genesis to describe his biblical namesake, Jacob.

Biography

Jacob ben Meir was born in the French country village of Ramerupt, in the Aube département of northern-central France, to Meir ben Shmuel and Yocheved, daughter of Rashi. His primary teachers were his father and his brother, Shmuel ben Meir, known as Rashbam. His other brothers were Isaac, known as the Rivam, and Solomon the Grammarian. He married Miriam, the sister of R. Shimshon of Falaise, Calvados, although she may have been his second wife.

His reputation as a legal scholar spread far beyond France. Avraham ibn Daud, the Spanish chronicler of the sages, mentioned Rabbeinu Tam in his Sefer HaKabbalah, but not Rashi. Rabbeinu Tam's work is also cited by Rabbi Zerachya HaLevi, a Provençal critic. He also received questions from students throughout France and from the Italian communities of Bari and Otranto.

Rabbeinu Tam gave his Beth Din the title of "the generation's [most] significant court", and indeed, he is known for communal enactments improving Jewish family life, education, and women's status. At times, he criticised Halakhic opponents, notably in his controversies with Meshullam of Melun and Efraim of Regensburg.

Halakhic disputes

Legend has it that when Rashi was holding his infant grandson, the baby touched the tefillin that were on Rashi's head. Rashi predicted that this grandson would later disagree with him about the order of the scripts that are put in the head tefillin. Regardless of the episode's veracity, Rabbeinu Tam did disagree with the opinion of his antecedent. Today, both "Rashi tefillin" and "Rabbeinu Tam tefillin" are produced: the Shulchan Aruch requires wearing Rashi's version and recommends that God-fearing Jews wear both in order to satisfy both halakhic opinions. However:^[2]

"It is worth noting that the Shulchan Aruch ... rules that Rabbeinu Tam Tefillin should be worn only by one who is known to be a very pious person; the Mishnah Berurah ... explains that it is a sign of haughtiness for anyone else to do this because the accepted practice is to wear Rashi Tefillin."

However, many Sephardim and chasidic Jews^[3] wear Rabbeinu Tam's Tefillin (in addition to wearing Rashi's) per opinions presented in the Shulchan Aruch and its extensive commentaries authored throughout the early-modern and modern era. The rise and articulation of chasidic philosophy has conflated the kabbalistic and halakhic aspects of Rabbeinu Tam's position, popularizing the custom to wear both pairs every day. Wearing Rabbeinu Tam tefillin is an almost universal custom among the many and diverse communities that follow the teachings of the Baal Shem Tov and his students.^[4]

Another halakhic disagreement between Rabbeinu Tam and Rashi concerns the placement of the mezuzah. Rashi rules that it should be mounted on the doorpost in a vertical position; Rabbeinu Tam holds that it should be mounted horizontally. To satisfy both opinions, Ashkenazi Jews place the mezuzah on the door in a slanted position/^[5] Sephardi Jews mount the mezuzah vertically, per the opinions of Rashi, Maimonides, and the Shulchan Aruch.

Liturgical poet

In the field of Hebrew poetry the importance of R. Tam is not slight. He was influenced by the poetry of the Spaniards, and is the chief representative of the transition period, in Christian lands, from the old "payyeṭanic" mode of expression to the more graceful forms of the Spanish school. According to Zunz (Literaturgesch. pp. 265 et seq.) he composed the following pieces for the synagogue: (1) several poems for the evening prayer of Sukkot and of Shemini Atzeret; (2) a hymn for the close of Sabbath on which a wedding is celebrated; (3) a hymn for the replacing of the Torah rolls in the Ark on Simḥat Torah; (4) an "ofan" in four metric strophes (see Luzzatto in Kerem Ḥemed, vii.35); (5) four Aramaic reshut; (6) two seliḥot (the second is reproduced by Zunz in S.P. p. 248, in German verse; see also "Naḥalat SHeDaL" in Berliner's Magazin ["Oẓar Ṭob"], 1880, p. 36). It must, however, be remarked that there was a synagogal poet by the name of Jacob ben Meïr (Levi) who might easily have been confounded with the subject of this article, and therefore Tam's authorship of all of these poems is not above doubt (see Landshuth, "'Ammude ha-'Abodah," p. 106; comp. also Harkavy, "Ḥadashim gam Yeshanim," supplement to the Hebrew edition of Graetz, "Hist." v. 39; Brody, "Ḳunṭras ha-Piyyuṭim," p. 72). The short poems which sometimes precede his responsa also show great poetic talent and a pure Hebrew style (see Bacher in Monatsschrift, xliv.56 et seq.). When Abraham ibn Ezra was traveling through France R. Tam greeted him in verse, whereupon Ibn Ezra exclaimed in astonishment, "Who has admitted the French into the temple of poetry?" (Kerem Ḥemed, vii.35). Another work of his in metric form is his poem on the accents, which contains forty-five strophes riming in; it is found in various libraries (Padua, Hamburg, Parma), and is entitled Maḥberet. Luzzatto has given the first four strophes in Kerem Ḥemed (vii.38), and Halberstam has printed the whole poem in Kobak's "Jeschurun" (v.123).

Gravesite

Rabbeinu Tam and his brothers, the Rashbam and the Rivam, as well as other Tosafists, were buried in Ramerupt. The unmarked, ancient cemetery in which they are buried lies adjacent to a street called Street of the Great Cemetery. In 2005, Rabbi Yisroel Meir Gabbai, a Breslover Hasid who renovates and repairs neglected gravesites of Jewish leaders around the world, helped to determine the exact boundaries of the cemetery. In addition, a member of the Jewish religious community in Paris bought a house at the site and converted it into a beth midrash.^[6]

Works

Rabbeinu Tam's best-known work is Sefer HaYashar, which contained both novellae and responsa, its main purpose to resolve Talmudic textual problems without resorting to emendations of the received text. Even the best editions show considerable corruption of the original work, and all present editions of Sefer HaYashar are fragments collected from it.

References

1.      ^ Solomon Schechter, Max Schloessinger. "JACOB BEN MEÏR TAM (known also as Rabbenu Tam)". The 1906 Jewish Encyclopedia. ewishEncyclopedia.com. http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/articles/8436-jacob-ben-meir-tam. Retrieved 9 December 2011.

2.      ^ Parshas Bo: Rabbeinu Tam Tefillin

3.      ^ http://www.stam.net/what_is_stam.aspx

4.      ^ http://www.biu.ac.il/JH/Parasha/ekev/eli.html

5.      ^ http://www.faqs.org/faqs/judaism/FAQ/03-Torah-Halacha/section-61.html

6.      ^ Friedman, Yisroel (7 January 2004). "A Man with a Grave Mission – Part I". Dei'ah VeDibur. http://chareidi.shemayisrael.com/archives5764/VYC64features.htm. Retrieved 28 December 2010.

Shavuot Special Readings

I have decided to do a small study of the special reading for Shavuot.

Please see this post on Hag Shavuot post

Shavuot is the most important event in human history. It is the Matan Torah, "The giving of the Torah." That "giving" is still present tense, still the action of G*d giving meaning to creation.

Today, I cried on the way to work because I am an exile but even though the whole community treats me contemptuously, so I seek humility in G*d and they cannot take my faith. The irreligious mean nothing to me.

The first day's reading is Shemot 19:1-20:22 with Bamidbar 28:26-31. The Haftorah is Ezek 1:1-28; 3:12

The second Day's reading is Deut 15:19-16:17 and Hab 2:20-3:19. 14:22-15:18 are added if Day 2 is on Shabbat.

The first day's reading is Shemot 19:1-20:22

"In the third month" (19:1) after leaving Egypt the Children of Israel are encamped before "the Mount" (19:2) in the "wilderness of Sinai (19:2)

Moses is commanded by G*d to "Set before [The house of Yaakov] all the words" (19:7) Which we know to be the Torah and Law. G*d tells Moses "Hearken to my voice and keep my covenant, then you shall be my treasure from among the peoples, for all the Earth is mine. You shall be unto me a kingdom of Priests and a holy nation. (19:5-6).

The jewish people answer "All that the LORD hath spoken we will do." (19:8)

Verses 19:9-25 relate a complex sequence of events. G*d commands two days of sanctification for the people. This relates in a sense to ritual purification. They are to "wash their garments" (19:10), "not come near woman" (19:15), and to be put to death if they "touch the mountain" (19:12) This "Touching" is strangely reiterated as "no hand shall touch him."

The shofar is mentioned "when the ram's horn soundeth long, they shall come up to the mount." (19:13)

Verses 14-25 are spell binding and perplexing. Amidst thunder, lightening, fire, smoke, "the voice of the horn", and earth quakes, "Moses brought for the people out of the camp to meet G*d" (19:17)

"And the LORD came down upon mount Sinai, to the top of the mount; and the LORD called Moses to the top of the mount; and Moses went up." (19:20)

Yet at this point there begins an "argument" between Moses and G*d. G*d tells Moses to " 'Go down, charge the people (also the priests), lest they break through unto the LORD to gaze, and many of them perish." (19:21-22)

But Moses replies "The people cannot come up to mount Sinai; for thou didst charge us, saying: Set bounds about the mount, and sanctify it.' (23)

G*d then commands Moses "'Go, get thee down, and thou shalt come up, thou, and Aaron with thee; but let not the priests and the people break through to come up unto the LORD, lest He break forth upon them."

One barely has time to contemplate this bizarre conversation. Yet, right before the giving of the ten commandments, it demonstrates something about the Law.

Moses, the greatest of all Teachers makes an argument based on a command G*d gave him less than a day ago. G*d though is not bound by the Law.

Understanding that is the prerequisite to accepting his sovereignty and the Torah. The whole of instruction/meaning is represented by the Decalogue which follows. Shemot 20:1-13. The first ten letters are also like sepiroth but the important issue is humans respond.

G*d has given the creation the Torah, we have to return it in the covenant.

The Ten commandments are then read. Following them, G*d gives law for burnt offerings and peace offerings (20:18-22)

A second Torah is needed to read from Bamidbar 28:26-31. These verses expand on the Decalogue to include the offering of the first fruits, sin offerings, and drink offerings. This suggest that in addition to how we are to behave there are means to rectify and remove impurity.

The Haftorah is Ezek 1:1-28; 3:12. This concerns the Navi Ezekiel's own visitation with G*d. "The word of the LORD came expressly unto Ezekiel the priest, the son of Buzi " (1:3)

The next twenty-eight verses concern a vision of celestial beings; agents of G*d. They are the medium of the prophets’ visions. These will all concern the failure of Israel to keep the covenant and the destruction of the kingdom.

This is a fitting conclusion to a remembrance that the G*d who delivered us from Egypt gave us the prophets but still gives us the law. The height of Matan Torah on Shavout is contrasted with the lightening and fire of Ezekiel's vision. A vision of the coming destruction of a debased community. They are debased because they turn away from the Torah.

Yet the answer is also added by our teachers who jump to chapter 3 verse

"Then a spirit lifted me up, and I heard behind me the voice of a great rushing: 'Blessed be the glory of the LORD from His place'" (E3:12)

May the L*rd be heard and what he hath "spoken" let us live in the covenant.



The second Day's reading is Dvarim 15:19-16:17 and verses 14:22-15:18 are added if Day 2 is on Shabbat. Oddly this is also the special reading for the eighth and final day of Pesach.

I have written on theses verses on another post. Scroll to the heading for the eight day at this link Pesach Special Readings

Note that for Pesach the Haftorah is IS (10:32-12:6) but for Shavout it is Hab 2:20-3:19.

Hab 2:20-3:19 is almost the entire book of Navi Habakkuk.

I believe I have written on him but am trying to locate the draft of that essay for now I will just copy paste the following

Because the book of Habbakuk consists of five oracles about the Chaldeans (Babylonians), and the Chaldean rise to power is dated circa 612 BCE, it is assumed he was active about that time, making him an early contemporary of Jeremiah and Zephaniah. Jewish sources, however, do not group him with those two prophets, who are often placed together, so it is possible that he was slightly earlier than them.

Because the final chapter of his book is a song, it is sometimes assumed that he was a member of the tribe of Levi, which served as musicians in Solomon's Temple. - wikipedia

G*d have mercy.

Tannaim Graphic

The Mishnaic period is commonly divided into five periods according to generations of the Tannaim.

The generations of the Tannaim included:

1.First Generation: Rabban Yohanan ben Zakkai's generation (c. 40 BCE-80 CE).
2.Second Generation: Rabban Gamliel of Yavneh, Rabbi Eliezer and Rabbi Yehoshua's generation, the teachers of Rabbi Akiva.
3.Third Generation: The generation of Rabbi Akiva and his colleagues.
4.Fourth Generation: The generation of Rabbi Meir, Rabbi Yehuda and their colleagues.
5.Fifth Generation: Rabbi Judah haNasi's generation.
6.Sixth Generation: The interim generation between the Mishnah and the Talmud: Rabbis Shimon ben Judah HaNasi and Yehoshua ben Levi, etc.

Zmanim

About Zmanim

from Chabad Article

Many observances in Jewish law are performed at specific times during the day. The calculation of these halachic times, known as zmanim (Hebrew for "times"), depends on the various astronomical phenomena of the day for the specific locale. Sunrise, sunset, the amount of time between them, and the sun's angular position before rising are all factors that determine the halachic times and "hours" of the day.

[The hour has special meaning in Jewish law. When we say that a certain mitzvah may be performed three hours into the day, this doesn’t mean at three in the morning, or three clock-hours after sunrise. Rather, an hour in halacha means 1/12th of the day. Thus, if the sun rises at 5 am and sets at 7:30 pm, one sha'ah zemanit, or proportional hour, will be 72.5 minutes, and all calculations will use that number.]

Below you will find the times, their meaning and some of their associated mitzvot:

Alot Hashachar: Dawn. Fasts begin at this time. According to Torah law, dawn marks the beginning of the day, and all mitzvot associated with daytime hours -- such as hearing the shofar, taking the Four Species, the recitation of the Shema, or hearing the Megillah -- can now be done. For various reasons, however, the Sages, instituted that the observance of many of these mitzvot should be delayed until Netz Hachamah, or the moment when "one can recognize a familiar acquaintance." According to the Magen Avraham, the calculation of shaot zmaniot begins now.

Earliest time for Tallit and Tefillin: The halachic description of this time is "when one can recognize a familiar acquaintance" from a distance of approximately six feet. As this is a subjective experience, the time given is approximated to an 11 degree depression of the sun. This is also the earliest time one can say the Morning Shema.

Netz Hachamah: Sunrise. The calculation of shaot zmaniot begins now according to many opinions (including the Alter Rebbe in his Siddur), and all the Halachic times provided by Chabad.org reflect this view. Those who wish to pray vatikin, start the recitation of the amidah at this time.

Latest Shema: Three shaot zmaniot into the day. Latest time of the day to fulfill the biblical requirement to recite the Morning Shema. B'dieved (if one missed this time), one should still recite Shema with its blessings until chatzot.

Latest Tefillah: Four shaot zmaniot into the day, ideally the latest time for shacharit, the morning prayer. However, if this time was missed, shacharit may be recited until chatzot.

Chatzot: Midday; the halfway point between sunrise and sunset. Half-day fasts end at this time.

Minchah Gedolah: Half a shaah zmanit after chatzot. This is the earliest time one may recite minchah, the afternoon prayer.

Minchah Ketanah: Nine and a half shaot zmaniot hours after sunrise. According to certain halachic authorities, it is preferable to wait until this time before praying minchah.

Plag Haminchah: One and a quarter shaot zmaniyot before sunset. According to Rabbi Judah this is when halachic nighttime begins. Therefore, if one chooses to follow his opinion, one recites minchah before plag haminchah and then maariv (the evening prayer) may be recited anytime after the "Plag". This is also the earliest one may bring in the Shabbat on Friday afternoon.

Candle Lighting time: The accepted custom is to light Shabbat and Yom Tov candles 18 minutes before shkiah (sunset). Some communities have adopted earlier times as their unique custom for candle lighting time.

Shkiah: Sunset. The latest time for minchah, the afternoon prayer, and all mitzvot associated with daytime hours. B'dieved (if one missed this time) one may still recite minchah, and do all "daytime mitzvot" until Tzeit Hakochavim (although the blessing on the mitzvah would be omitted if done after Shkiah).

The Jewish 24 hour day begins at nightfall. However, the technical definition of nightfall is unclear. It can be as early as Shkiah, or as late as Tzeit Hakochavim. Therefore, the time following shkiah and before tzeit hakochavim is called bein hashmashot. Many laws relate to this period and it can be categorized as either the previous or the next day.

Tzeit Hakochovim: The time when three stars are visible in the sky and nightfall is complete. Earliest time for maariv (evening service) according to Rabbi Judah's rabbinic counterparts. Earliest time for reciting the evening Shema and Counting the Omer. A woman who has completed her cycle of seven pure days goes to the mikvah after this time.

Fast End: There are differing opinions when Tzeit Hakochavim takes place. Out of consideration for people's comfort, and considering that the fast days are rabbinic decree, not Torah law, we rely on a slightly earlier opinion concerning the end of day fasts (aside for Yom Kippur).

Shabbat End time: Shabbat and festivals end, and "weekday" work may resume, at this time. A stricter calculation of Tzeit Hakochavim is used. Known as the appearance of "three small stars," it coincides with the sun’s descent to 8.5 degrees below the horizon. This stringency also ensures that we do not accidentally violate the sanctity of the day, and that we fulfill the obligation to add time from weekday onto the Shabbat or holiday.

Sha'ah Zemanit: Proportional hour, i.e. an hour according to halachah. Total daylight hours divided by 12.

Two from Zohar

There are three levels bound together - the Holy One, blessed be He, the Torah and [the people of] Israel. Each of them [comprises] level upon level, hidden and revealed. The Holy One, blessed be He, level upon level, is hidden and revealed. The Torah, too, is hidden and revealed. And so too Israel is level upon level, as it is written, 'He tells His words [of Torah] to Jacob, His statutes and ordinances to Israel' (Psalms 147:19). There are two levels [of the Jewish people mentioned in the verse]: Jacob and Israel. One [Jacob] is revealed and the other [Israel] is hidden" (Zohar vol. III, 73a).

Not on mortals do I rely, nor upon angels do I depend, but on the God of the Universe, the God of truth, whose Torah is truth, and who abounds in deeds of goodness and truth. In God do I put my trust; unto God’s holy, precious being do I utter praise. Open my heart to Your Torah. Answer my prayers and the prayers of all Your people Israel for goodness, for life, and for peace. Amen. - Zohar

A Prayer of Hope

Last night I was cold and could not flee, The L*rd was my comfort Fear was a fever that struck me down but his messangers came to me With all my might I praise the Blessed One and the Unsearchable Holy Name Eternity is thy kingdom, Majestic G*d of Sinai Generation after Generation your righteous works fill your creation From thy open hand all the world is enacted; Happy are your Chassidim. Happy are those who sancturary is righteousness in the Law. Happy are we whose anscestor the L*rd called at Mt. Moriah Sing with joy to the Soul of Creation, to the G*d of Israel All that love him will be changed, all the unholy he will destroy Let the world bow down that they may be raised up The L*rd our G*d orders the seasons and the courses He would take away the darkness from your being if you but cling to the light To all that call to him the L*rd is truth, as all truth is his Go the way of truth for '' is is gracious and full of compassion. Implacable but slow to anger, the G*d of Abraham is a G*d of great mercy. Our Rabbenu attests that G*d alone matches the days of sorry to days of joy. Our Kings attested before all the people that the G*d of Torah is the G*d of our covenant. Live the Covenant or be but greedy monkeys. Your heart was made as an angel is made to serve the Holy King. Do not live that you but die in vain, let his praise be on your lips. Despair and loss are the tools of pride that make fools of men. All that we love is the L*rd's possession and only our souls are at stake. How many years did I doubt that in a single moment I did panic How many prayers have I known fulfilled that I take for granted. L*rd, I am tired of stamping straw into bricks. I am tired of sickness and humliation. Yet, I know that only you can part the Sea. Moreover, I know that at every instant each person is walking through the parted Sea. Thank you L*rd for holding back the waters, Thank you for every letter of Torah. Thank you L*rd for the love of good families, for establishing the work of our hands. Praise to you whose prescense fills creation with glory and purpose. Blessed art though G*d of all Blessing and Holiness. Without peer, without limitation, without flaw there is no other. Holy G*d of Israel blessed be thy name eternity on eternity.

Two Breslov Treasures

Hag HaShavuot

This article is taken from Wikipedia. It consists of over 34 citations see references listed below.

The original article is Original Ariticle

I believe that Shavout is the most important event in human history. I found this article of high standards and edited slightly. It is posted with thanks to the sources.

Hag HaShavuot the "Festival of Weeks"

One of the Three Pilgrim Festivals. With special relationship to the wheat harvest. Celebrates the Matan Torah (The giving on the Torah.) The Matan Torah occured at Mount Sinai 49 days (7 weeks) after the Exodus from Egypt. These 49 days correspond to the Counting of the Omer. Hag Shavout begins the 6th day of Sivan and Ends the 7th (in Israel: 6th)Celebrations on Shavout include festive meals and all-night Torah study. May Ashkenazic synagogues recite the liturgical poem called Akdamut and reading the Megillat Ruth. There is also a custom of eating of dairy products and of decorating homes and synagogues with greenery.

Giving of the Torah
While most of the Talmudic Sages concur that the Torah was given on the sixth of Sivan; R. Jose holds that it was given on the seventh of that month. According to the classical timeline, the Israelites arrived at the wilderness of Sinai on the new moon (Ex. 19:1) and the Ten Commandments were given on the following Shabbat (i.e., Saturday). The question of whether the new moon fell on Sunday or Monday is undecided (Talmud, tractate Shabbat 86b). In practice, Shavuot is observed on the sixth day of Sivan in Israel and a second day.

The date of Shavuot is directly linked to that of Passover. The Torah mandates the seven-week Counting of the Omer, beginning on the second day of Passover and immediately followed by Shavuot. This counting of days and weeks is understood to express anticipation and desire for the Giving of the Torah. On Passover, the Jewish people were freed from their enslavement to Pharaoh; on Shavuot they were given the Torah and became a nation committed to serving God.

Since the Torah does not specify the actual day on which Shavuot falls, differing interpretations of this date have arisen both in traditional and non-traditional Jewish circles. These discussions center around two ways of looking at Shavuot: the day it actually occurs (i.e., the day the Torah was given on Mount Sinai), and the day it occurs in relation to the Counting of the Omer (being the 50th day from he first day of the Counting).

In Hasidic thought, the word Shavuot "Weeks" is interpreted as also an acronym for Shavuot, Bikkurim, Atzeret, Torah.[1

In the Torah, Shavuot is called the Festival of Weeks ha-Shavuot, Exodus 34:22, Deuteronomy 16:10); Festival of Reaping ha-Katsir, Exodus 23:16), and Day of the First Fruits Yom ha-Bikkurim, Numbers 28:26). The Talmud refers to Shavuot as Atzeret [5] (literally, "refraining" or "holding back"[1]), referring to the prohibition against work on this holiday[1] and to the conclusion of the holiday and season of Passover.[6] Since Shavuot occurs 50 days after Passover, Hellenistic Jews gave it the name Pentecost (pe?t???st?, "fiftieth day"). Besides its significance as the day on which the Torah was revealed by God to the Jewish nation at Mount Sinai (which includes the Ten Commandments), Shavuot is also connected to the season of the grain harvest in Israel. In ancient times, the grain harvest lasted seven weeks and was a season of gladness (Jer. 5:24, Deut. 16:9-11, Isa. 9:2). It began with the harvesting of the barley during Passover and ended with the harvesting of the wheat at Shavuot. Shavuot was thus the concluding festival of the grain harvest, just as the eighth day of Sukkot (Tabernacles) was the concluding festival of the fruit harvest. During the existence of the Temple in Jerusalem, an offering of two loaves of bread from the wheat harvest was made on Shavuot.

The date of Shevuot was disputed in the Second Temple period. The Qumran community, commonly associated with the Essenes, held in its library several texts mentioning Shevuot, most notably a Hebrew original of the Book of Jubilees which sought to fix the celebration of this Feast of Weeks on 15 of Kislev, following their interpretation of Exodus 19:1.[7]

Bikkurim Shavuot was also the first day on which individuals could bring the Bikkurim (first fruits) to the Temple in Jerusalem (Mishnah Bikkurim 1:3). The Bikkurim were brought from the Seven Species for which the Land of Israel is praised: wheat, barley, grapes, figs, pomegranates, olives, and dates (Deut. 8:8). In the largely agrarian society of ancient Israel, Jewish farmers would tie a reed around the first ripening fruits from each of these species in their fields. At the time of harvest, the fruits identified by the reed would be cut and placed in baskets woven of gold and silver. The baskets would then be loaded on oxen whose horns were gilded and laced with garlands of flowers, and who were led in a grand procession to Jerusalem. As the farmer and his entourage passed through cities and towns, they would be accompanied by music and parades.[8]

At the Temple, each farmer would present his Bikkurim to a kohen in a ceremony that followed the text of Deut. 26:1-10. This text begins by stating, "An Aramean tried to destroy my father," referring to Laban's efforts to weaken Jacob and rob him of his progeny (Rashi on Deut. 26:5)—or by an alternate translation, the text states "My father was a wandering Aramean," referring to the fact that Jacob was a penniless wanderer in the land of Aram for 20 years (ibid., Abraham ibn Ezra). The text proceeds to retell the history of the Jewish people as they went into exile in Egypt and were enslaved and oppressed; following which God redeemed them and brought them to the land of Israel. The ceremony of Bikkurim conveys the Jew's gratitude to God both for the first fruits of the field and for His guidance throughout Jewish history (Scherman, p. 1068).

Minhagim of Shavuot
Ha Shavuot has no prescribed mitzvot other than the traditional festival observances of abstention from work, special prayer services and holiday meals. However, it is characterized by many minhagim (customs). A mnemonic for these customs is the letters of the Hebrew word acharit ("last"). Since the Torah is called reishit ("first"), the customs of Shavuot highlight the importance of custom for the continuation and preservation of Jewish religious observance.

Akdamut, the reading of a liturgical poem during Shavuot morning synagogue services
Chalav (milk), the consumption of dairy products like milk and cheese. Yemenite Jews do not eat dairy foods on Shavuot.[13]
Ruth, the reading of the Book of Ruth at morning services
Yerek, the decoration of homes and synagogues with greenery
Torah, engaging in all-night Torah study.


Akdamut
Akdamut (Aramaic) is a liturgical poem extolling the greatness of God, the Torah and Israel that is read publicly in the synagogue right before the morning reading of the Torah on the first day of Shavuot. It was composed by Rabbi Meir of Worms, whose son was murdered during the Crusade of 1096. Rabbi Meir was forced to defend the Torah and his Jewish faith in a debate with local priests, and successfully conveyed his certainty of God's power, His love for the Jewish people, and the excellence of Torah. Afterwards he wrote Akdamut, a 90-line poem in Aramaic which stresses these themes. The poem is written in a double acrostic pattern according to the order of the Hebrew alphabet. In addition, each line ends with the syllable "ta", the last and first letters of the Hebrew alphabet, alluding to the endlessness of Torah. The traditional melody which accompanies this poem also conveys a sense of grandeur and triumph.

Sephardim do not read Akdamut, but before the evening service they sing a poem called Azharot which sets out the 613 Biblical commandments. The positive commandments are recited on the first day and the negative commandments on the second day.

The liturgical poem of Yatziv Pitgam (Aramaic) is recited by some synagogues in the Diaspora on the second day of Shavuot. The author and his father's name appear in an acrostic at the beginning of the poem's 15 lines.

Chalav
Before they received the Torah, the Israelites were not obligated to follow its laws, which include shechita (ritual slaughter of animals) and kashrut. Since all their meat pots and dishes now had to be made kosher before use, they opted to eat dairy foods. The Torah is compared to milk by King Solomon, who wrote: "Like honey and milk, it lies under your tongue" (Song of Songs 4:11). The gematria of the Hebrew word chalav (???) is 40, corresponding to the 40 days and 40 nights that Moses spent on Mount Sinai before bringing down the Torah. According to the Zohar, each day of the year correlates to one of the Torah's 365 negative commandments. Shavuot corresponds to the commandment "Bring the first fruits of your land to the house of God your Lord; do not cook a kid in its mother's milk" (Exodus 34:26). Since the first day to bring Bikkurim (the first fruits) is Shavuot, the second half of the verse refers to the custom to eat two separate meals – one milk, one meat – on Shavuot. The Psalmist calls Mount Sinai Har Gavnunim (mountain of majestic peaks), which is etymologically similar to gevinah (cheese).

Megillat Ruth
There are five books in Tanakh that are known as Megillot (Hebrew: ??????, "scrolls") and are publicly read in the synagogues on different Jewish holidays. The Book of Lamentations, which details the destruction of the Holy Temple, is the reading for Tisha B'Av; the Book of Ecclesiastes, which touches on the ephemeralness of life, corresponds to Sukkot; the Book of Esther (Megillat Esther) retells the events of Purim; and the Song of Songs, which echoes the themes of springtime and God's love for the Jewish people, is the reading for Passover.

Ruth corresponds to the holiday of Shavuot both in its descriptions of the barley and wheat harvest seasons and Ruth's desire to become a member of the Jewish people, who are defined by their acceptance of the Torah. Moreover, the lineage described at the end of the Book lists King David as Ruth's great-grandson. According to tradition, David was born and died on Shavuot.[18]

Greenery
According to the Midrash, Mount Sinai suddenly blossomed with flowers in anticipation of the giving of the Torah on its summit. Greenery also figures in the story of the baby Moses being found among the bulrushes in a watertight cradle (Ex. 2:3) when he was three months old (Moses was born on 7 Adar and placed in the Nile River on 6 Sivan, the same day he later brought the Jewish nation to Mount Sinai to receive the Torah).[16]

For these reasons, many Jewish families traditionally decorate their homes and synagogues with plants, flowers and leafy branches in honor of Shavuot. Some synagogues decorate the bimah with a canopy of flowers and plants so that it resembles a chuppah, as Shavuot is mystically referred to as the day the matchmaker (Moses) brought the bride (the Jewish people) to the chuppah (Mount Sinai) to marry the bridegroom (God); the ketubbah (marriage contract) was the Torah. Some Eastern Sephardi communities actually read out a ketubbah between God and Israel as part of the service.

The Vilna Gaon cancelled the tradition of decorating with plants because it too closely resembles the Christian decorations for their holidays.

All-night Torah study [Hey Study as much as you can!]
The practice of staying up all Shavuot night to study Torah – known as Tikkun Leil Shavuot – has its source in the Midrash, which relates that the night before the Torah was given, the Israelites retired early to be well-rested for the momentous day ahead. They overslept and Moses had to wake them up because God was already waiting on the mountaintop.[19] To rectify this perceived flaw in the national character, many religious Jews stay up all night to learn Torah.[20]

The custom of all-night Torah study goes back to 1533 when Rabbi Joseph Caro, author of the Shulchan Aruch, then living in Ottoman Salonika, invited Rabbi Shlomo Halevi Alkabetz and other Kabbalistic colleagues to hold Shavuot-night study vigils for which they prepared for three days in advance, just as the Israelites had prepared for three days before the giving of the Torah. During one of those study sessions, an angel appeared and taught them Jewish law.[21][22][23]

Any subject may be studied on Shavuot night, although Talmud, Mishnah and Torah typically top the list. Men may learn alone or with a chavruta (study partner), or attend late-night shiurim (lectures) and study groups.[24] In some communities, nighttime learning programs are available for women.

In Jerusalem, tens of thousands of people finish off the nighttime study session by walking to the Western Wall before dawn and joining the sunrise minyan there. [24][25][26][27] This practice began in 1967. One week before Shavuot of that year, the Israeli army recaptured the Old City in the Six-Day War, and on Shavuot day, the army opened the Western Wall to visitors. Over 200,000 Jews came to see and pray at the site that had been off-limits to them since 1948. The custom of walking to the Western Wall on Shavuot has continued every year since.[24][28] [25][26]

Tikkun Leil Shavuot
In keeping with the custom of engaging in all-night Torah study, the Arizal, a leading Kabbalist of the 16th century, arranged a special service for the evening of Shavuot. The Tikkun Leil Shavuot ("Rectification for Shavuot Night") consists of excerpts from the beginning and end of each of the 24 books of Tanakh (including the reading in full of several key sections such as the account of the days of creation, The Exodus, the giving of the Ten Commandments and the Shema) and the 63 books of Mishnah. This is followed by the reading of Sefer Yetzirah, the 613 commandments as enumerated by Maimonides, and excerpts from the Zohar, with opening and concluding prayers. The whole reading is divided into thirteen parts, after each of which a Kaddish di-Rabbanan is recited when the Tikkun is studied in a group of at least ten Jewish, Bar Mitzvahed men.

This service is printed in a special book, and is widely used in Eastern Sephardic, some German and Hasidic communities. There are similar books for the vigils before the seventh day of Pesach and Hosha'ana Rabbah.

Spanish and Portuguese Jews do not observe this custom.


References

1.^ a b c Bogomilsky, Rabbi Moshe (2009). "Vedibarta Bam – And You Shall Speak of Them". Sichos in English. http://www.sichosinenglish.org/books/vedibarta- bam/shavuot.htm. Retrieved 6 June 2011.

2.^ a b Goldberg, J.J. (12 May 2010). "Shavuot: The Zeppo Marx of Jewish Holidays". The Forward. http://forward.com/articles/127963/. Retrieved 24 May 2011.

3.^ Wein, Rabbi Berel (21 May 2010). "Shavuot Thoughts". The Jerusalem Post. http://www.rabbiwein.com/Jerusalem-Post/2010/05/517.html.

4.^ My Jewish Learning on Shavuot - see 7th paragraph

5.^ Pesachim 68b.

6.^ Wein, Rabbi Berel (2005). "Shavuos". torah.org. http://www.torah.org/learning/rabbiwein/5765/shavuos.html?print=1. Retrieved 6 June 2011.

7.^ Joseph Fitzmyer Responses to 101 questions on the Dead Sea scrolls 1992 p87- "Particularly important for the Qumran community was the Particularly important for the Qumran community was the celebration of this Feast of Weeks on 111/15, because according to Exod 19:1 Israel arrived in its exodus-wandering at Mt. Sinai in the third month after leaving Egypt.. Later the renewal of the Covenant came to be celebrated on the Feast of Weeks (see Jubilees"

8.^ The Temple Institute. "The Festival of Shavout: Bringing the Firstfruits to the Temple". The Temple Institute. http://www.templeinstitute.org/shavuot.htm. Retrieved September 5, 2007.

9.^ Wein, Rabbi Berel (10 May 2005). "Cheese & Flowers". Aish.com. http://www.aish.com/h/sh/r/48967071.html. Retrieved 24 May 2011.

10.^ a b "Shavuot – Hag ha'Bikkurim or Festival of the First Fruits". In Mama's Kitchen. http://www.inmamaskitchen.com/Shavuot/shavuot.html. Retrieved 24 May2011.

11.^ Marks, Gil (2010). Encyclopedia of Jewish Food. John Wiley & Sons. p. 524. ISBN 978-0-470-39130-3. http://books.google.com/books? id=ojc4Uker_V0C&pg=PA524&lpg=PA524&dq=shavuot +sambusak&source=bl&ots=NOfPEuIJfI&sig=pcmUofLMlilpQshNKQx1PN- ovXg&hl=en&ei=qAbcTYv0CYePswaZq- DvDg&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CBUQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=shavuot %20sambusak&f=false.

12.^ Marks, Encyclopedia of Jewish Food, p. 87.

13.^ a b c d Kaplan, Sybil. "Shavuot Foods Span Myriad Cultures". Jewish News of Greater Phoenix. http://www.jewishaz.com/jewishnews/030530/loopholesside.html. Retrieved 24 May 2011.

14.^ Kagan, Aaron (29 May 2008). "Beyond Blintzes: A Culinary Tour of Shavuot". The Forward. http://www.forward.com/articles/13450/. Retrieved 24 May 2011.

15.^ "Special Features for Shavuot – Naso: Dairy Foods". Torah Tidbits. ou.org. 1999. http://www.ou.org/torah/tt/5759/shavuotnaso59/specialfeatures.htm. Retrieved 24 May 2011.

16.^ a b Simmons, Rabbi Shraga (27 May 2006). "Why Dairy on Shavuot?". Aish.com. http://www.aish.com/h/sh/r/48969771.html. Retrieved 24 May 2011.

17.^ Erdstein, Rabbi Baruch E.; Kumer, Nechama Dina (2011). "Why do we eat dairy foods on Shavuot?". AskMoses.com. http://www.askmoses.com/en/article/594,88522/Why-do-we-eat-dairy-foods-on Shavuot.html. Retrieved 24 May 2011.

18.^ Sha'arei Teshuvah[disambiguation needed ] to Orach Chayim, 494.

19.^ Shir Hashirim Rabbah 1:57.

20.^ Ullman, Rabbi Yirmiyahu (22 May 2004). "Sleepless Shavuot in Shicago". Ohr Somayach. http://www.ohr.org.il/yhiy/article.php/1688. Retrieved 5 September 2007.

21.^ Altshuler, Dr. Mor (22 December 2008). "Tikkun Leil Shavuot of R. Joseph Karo and the Epistle of Solomon ha-Levi Elkabetz". jewish-studies.info. http://www.jewish-studies.info/Tikkun-Leil-Sha.htm. Retrieved 8 June 2011.

22.^ Altshuler, Mor (22 May 2007). "'Let each help his neighbor'". Haaretz.http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/862344.html. Retrieved 5 September 2007.

23.^ "Joseph Karo". Jewish Virtual Library. 2011. http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/biography/JosephKaro.html. Retrieved 8 June 2011.

24.^ a b c Fendel, Hillel (28 May 2009). "Who Replaced My Cheese with TorahStudy?". Arutz Sheva.http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/131615. Retrieved 8 June 2011.

25.^ a b Wein, Rabbi Berel (16 May 2002). "Shavuot: Sleepless Nights". Torah Women.com. http://www.torahwomen.com/index.php? option=com_content&view=article&id=461:shavuot-sleepless- nights&catid=16:general&Itemid=37. Retrieved 8 June 2011.

26.^ a b "Shavuot". NSW Board of Jewish Education. 2011. http://www.bje.org.au/learning/judaism/kids/holydays/shavuot.html. Retrieved 8 June 2011.

27.^ Rosenblum, Jonathan (31 May 2006). "Celebrating Shavuos Alone". Cross- Currents. http://www.cross-currents.com/archives/2006/05/31/celebrating-shavuos- alone/. Retrieved 8 June 2011.

28.^ Simmons, Rabbi Shraga (12 May 2001). "ABC's of Shavuot". Aish.com. http://www.aish.com/h/sh/t/48959111.html. Retrieved 8 June 2011.

29.^ a b "Jewish holidays: Shavuot". Israel Ministry of Tourism. 2005.http://www.goisrael.com/Tourism_Eng/Tourist+Information/Discover +Israel/Holidays/Shavuot.htm. Retrieved 24 May 2011.

30.^ Edelman, Ofra (31 May 2009). "On kibbutz Shavuot means first fruits – even when they're made of plastic". Haaretz. http://www.haaretz.com/print- edition/news/on-kibbutz-shavuot-means-first-fruits-even-when-they-re-made-of- plastic-1.276957. Retrieved 24 May 2011.

31.^ Hadar, Ulla. "A Shavuot celebration in the wheat fields of Kibbutz Ruhama". San Diego Jewish World. http://www.sdjewishworld.com/?p=5795. Retrieved 24 May 2011.

32.^ Raymond Apple. "Origins of Bat-Mitzvah". OzTorah.http://www.oztorah.com/2010/04/origins-of-bat-mitzvah-ask-the-rabbi/. Retrieved 24 May 2011.

33.^ Katz, Lisa (2011). "What is Judaism's confirmation ceremony?". About.com. http://judaism.about.com/od/barandbatmitzvah/f/confirmation.htm. Retrieved 24 May 2011.

34.^ a b Kohler, Kaufmann; Magnus, J. L. (2002). "Pentecost". Jewish Encyclopedia. http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/view.jsp?artid=177&letter=P. Retrieved May 29, 2000

Another IOU OU

I have written on AMOS Read My Essay

Even so, this article is just to good not to post. The Orignial is at the OU site here: Read OU Original

And what were the transgressions of the House of Yehudah?

"Thus says the L-rd, 'For three transgressions of Yehudah, I would have forgiven, But not for four, Because they have rejected the Torah of G-d, And have not kept His statutes, And their lies have caused them to err, After which their fathers did walk. So will I send a fire upon Yehudah, And it shall devour the palaces of Yerushalayim.' " (Amos 2:4-5)

And the sins of the House of Israel?

"Thus says the L-rd, 'For three transgressions of Israel I would have forgiven, But not for four, Because they sell the righteous for silver, And the needy for a pair of shoes; …And a man and his father lie with the same woman, In order to profane My Holy Name!' " (Amos 2:6-7)

The Prophet gives advice,

"Seek good and not evil, that you may live…" "Hate the evil, and love the good, And establish justice in the gate; It may be that the L-rd, the G-d of Hosts, will be gracious unto the remnant of Joseph." (Amos 5:14-15)

He declares what HaShem hates,

"Woe to them that are at ease in Zion, And to them that are secure in the mountains of Samariah…" "That lie upon beds of ivory, And stretch themselves upon their couches…" "That drink wine in bowls, And anoint themselves with the excellent ointments; But they are not grieved for the hurt of Joseph." (Amos 6:1,3,6)

For the result will be disaster,

"The L-rd G-d has sworn by Himself, Says the L-rd, the G-d of Hosts: 'I abhor the pride of Jacob, and hate his palaces; And I will deliver up the city and all that is in it.' " (Amos 6:8)

But, at the "end of days,"

"In that day will I raise up The tabernacle of David that has fallen, And I will raise up his ruins, And I will build it as the days of old." (Amos 9:11) "And I will return the captivity of My People Israel, And they shall build the waste cities, and inhabit them… And I will plant them upon their land, And they shall no more be plucked up Out of their land which I have given them, Says the L-rd your G-d." (Amos 9: 14-15)

According to the RAMBAM, Amos was a link in the Chain of "Mesorah," and received the Tradition of Torah from Hoshea and his court.

Fever Prayer

I am fire of fire, I create and I destroy. Oh L*rd give me balance, help me back to meaning. I was given what all men seek and I judged it not good enough. Oh L*rd restore my soul! I am the fool, I have leapt from the earth. Oh L*rd I praise you, thank you for your mercy You gave me what I needed, I squandered it in pride Oh L*rd heal me. I will live and die a man of Israel Oh L*rd refuge of the righteous, I turn to you. Return your exhiles, free jerusalem and the soul of the world Oh L*rd hear me in Egypt. I appeal to you for my fathers Abraham, Yitzak, and Yakov Oh L*rd give Israel to its Chassidim, Break the power of the arrogant as you broke me Oh L*rd my knee is bent. I am a singer of the Psalms, alone and sick Oh L*rd fill me with piety, sustain my loved ones Spare the faithful and crush the enemies of your Truth. Oh L*rd, Holy G*d there is no other. Blessed art though, eternity on eternity it is right we give you thanks and praise.

Life

The first generation even Moshe Rabbenu died before entering the Holy Land. This is because the only way to enter the Holy Land is to Live ones entire life INSIDE the Torah for the sake of G*d who is the King of the Universe. Praise and Thanks be to the L*rd there is no other.

Chizkiyahu Ben Ahaz

The following is not original writing but I have merged several articles OU, Wikipedia etc. I sometimes do this as a method of study.

King Chizkiyahu Ben Ahaz [Hezekiah} the fifteenth king of Judah. Ruled at the time the northern Kingdom of Israel was destroyed by Sargon's Assyrians in c 720 BCE. Hezekiah was king of Judah during the invasion and siege of Jerusalem by Sennacherib in 701 BC. He enacted sweeping religious reforms, during which he removed the worship of foreign deities from the Temple in Jerusalem, Isaiah and Micah prophesied during his reign. The main accounts of Hezekiah's reign are found in 2 Kings 18-20, Isaiah 36-39, and 2 Chronicles 29-32 of the Hebrew Testament. Proverbs 25 attests that it is a collection of King Solomon’s proverbs that were “copied” “by the officials of King Hezekiah of Judah” Proverbs 25:1. His reign is also referred to in the books of the prophets Jeremiah, Hosea, and Micah. The main accounts of Hezekiah's reign are found in 2 Kings 18-20, Isaiah 36-39, and 2 Chronicles 29-32. Proverbs 25 attests that it is a collection of King Solomon’s proverbs that were “copied” “by the officials of King Hezekiah of Judah” Hezekiah's reign is also referred to in the books of the prophets Jeremiah, Hosea, and Micah. Hezekiah was born in c. 739 BC as the son of King Ahaz and Abijah (2 Chronicles 29:1). His mother, Abijah (also called Abi), was a daughter of the high priest Zechariah (2 Kings 18:1-2). He was married to Hephzi-bah. (2 Kings 21:1) He died from natural causes around 687 BC when he was 54, and was succeeded by his son Manasseh(2 Kings 20:21). The Talmud (Bava Batra 15a) credits Hezekiah with overseeing the compilation of the biblical books of Isaiah, Proverbs, Song of Songs and Ecclesiastes. According to Jewish tradition, the victory over the Assyrians and Hezekiah's return to health happened at the same time, the first night of Passover.

Counting the Omer

How to Count the Omer A guide.
By Rabbi Jill Jacobs

Rabbi Jill Jacobs is the Executive Director of Rabbis for Human Rights-North America. She previously served as the Rabbi-in-Residence for the Jewish Funds for Justice.

See Original Article

The omer refers to the forty-nine day period between the second night of Passover (Pesach) and the holiday of Shavuot. This period marks the beginning of the barley harvest when, in ancient times, Jews would bring the first sheaves to the Temple as a means of thanking God for the harvest. The word omer literally means "sheaf" and refers to these early offerings.

The Torah itself dictates the counting of the seven weeks following Pesach:

Day 12 Today is twelve days,
which is one week and five days of the Omer. "You shall count from the eve of the second day of Pesach, when an omer of grain is to be brought as an offering, seven complete weeks. The day after the seventh week of your counting will make fifty days, and you shall present a new meal offering to God (Leviticus 23:15-16)."

In its biblical context, this counting appears only to connect the first grain offering to the offering made at the peak of the harvest. As the holiday of Shavuot became associated with the giving of the Torah, and not only with a celebration of agricultural bounty, the omer period began to symbolize the thematic link between Peach and Shavuot.

While Pesach celebrates the initial liberation of the Jewish people from slavery in Egypt, Shavuot marks the culmination of the process of liberation, when the Jews became an autonomous community with their own laws and standards. Counting up to Shavuot reminds us of this process of moving from a slave mentality to a more liberated one.

When to Count the Omer
The counting of the omer begins on the second night of Pesach. Jews in the Diaspora generally integrate this counting into the second seder.

The omer is counted each evening after sundown. The counting of the omer is generally appended to the end of Ma'ariv (the evening service), as well.

What to Say. . . and What Not to Say
One stands when counting the omer, and begins by reciting the following blessing:

Barukh ata Adonai Eloheinu Melekh ha'Olam asher kid'shanu b'mitzvotav v'tizivanu al sefirat ha'omer.

Blessed are you, Adonai our God, Sovereign of the Universe, who has sanctified us with your commandments and commanded us to count the omer.

After the blessing, one recites the appropriate day of the count. For example:

Hayom yom echad la'omer

Today is the first day of the omer.

After the first six days, one also includes the number of weeks that one has counted. For example:

Hayom sh'losha asar yom, she'hem shavuah echad v'shisha yamim la'omer

Today is thirteen days, which is one week and six days of the omer

The inclusion of both the day (thirteen) and the week (one week and six days) stems from a rabbinic argument about whether the Torah mandates counting days or weeks. On the one hand, the biblical text instructs, "you shall count fifty days;" on the other hand, the text also says to "count. . . seven complete weeks." The compromise position, manifested in the ritual, is to count both days and weeks.

The blessing for counting the omer, as well as the language for each day of counting, appears in most prayer books at the end of the text for the evening service.

Because the blessing should precede the counting (and not the other way around), many Jews will not say what day of the omer it is until after the ritual counting. Thus, the reminder about what day to count is often phrased as "yesterday was the fifth day of the omer."

Many people precede the counting of the omer with a meditation that states one's intention to fulfill the commandment. This meditation serves to focus the individual on the task at hand and to remind him/her of the biblical basis of the commandment:

Hineni muchan um'zuman l'kayem mitzvat aseh shel s'firat ha'omer k'mo shekatuv baTorah: Us'fartem lakhem mimaharat hashabbat miyom havi'echem et omer hat'nufa, sheva shabbatot t'mimot tihiyenah. Ad mimaharat hashabbat hash'vi'it tisp'ru chamishim yom.

Behold, I am ready and prepared to fulfill the mitzvah of counting the omer, as it says in the Torah: You shall count from the eve of the second day of Pesach, when an omer of grain is to be brought as an offering, seven complete weeks. The day after the seventh week of your counting will make fifty days.

Whoops. . .
One rabbinic debate considers whether there is one cohesive mitzvah to count seven weeks and fifty days or whether each night of counting constitutes a separate mitzvah. This debate would seem immaterial, if not for the proscription against reciting a blessing "in vain"--that is, not for the purpose of doing a mitzvah.

If there is a separate mitzvah to count each night, then forgetting one night would have no effect on one's ability to count subsequent nights. If, however, there is one collective mitzvah to count the entire period, then missing one night disrupts the entire count.

The rabbis effectively split the difference, and conclude that a person who forgets to count the omer on a particular night may count the next morning without reciting a blessing, and then may continue counting as usual--with a blessing--that night.

If, however, one forgets to count the omer at night and also forgets to count in the morning, one should still count the omer on every subsequent night, but should no longer recite a blessing before counting.

Trei Asar

This Article is so conscise and well written that I am copying it from the OU site.

See original here :Trei Asar

"Trei-Asar" - meaning "Twelve" in Aramaic, which was the language spoken in the time of CHAZAL, specifically, the Anshei K'nesset HaGedolah, the Men of the Great Assembly, who by their holy intuition and use of logical principles, established the contents of the "TANACH" (an acronym standing for Torah, Neviim, K'tuvim)

The "Twelve" refers to a group of Prophets who prophesied over a period greater than two hundred years. This period begins towards the end of the Kingdom of Israel (as opposed to the Kingdom of Yehudah) in Shomron (ca. 722 B.C.E.) that involved the Exile of the "Ten Tribes," until and including the time of "Shivat Zion," the "Return to Zion" and the rebuilding of the First Temple in Jerusalem (ca. 516 B.C.E.).

The order of these Prophets, according to CHAZAL, that takes into account mainly chronology, but also thematic issues, is Hoshea, Yoel, Amos, Ovadiah, Yonah, Michah, Nachum, Chavakuk, Tzefaniah, Chaggai, Zechariah, Malachi.

These twelve also "belonged" to a group called "Minor Prophets," called that only because the volume of their recorded prophecies was relatively small, compared to the other Books of the Bible, but qualitatively, their works have significance "l'dorot," for all generations.

As a group, they rebuked the Jewish People about their continuous idol-worship and, possibly worse, for their worship of HaShem with the proper outward trappings, but with none of the required inwardness, reducing their great religion to a mockery and a meaningless shell of ritual.

They also harshly criticized the People for their lack of social justice, whereby they trampled upon the rights of the underprivileged. And yet another great theme was their reliance on foreign nations for their salvation, rather than upon HaShem, Who had stood by them always and had saved them from Egypt, the Seven Nations, Amalek and on and on.

But they also had immortal words of comfort for their People, of Redemption and Salvation to come, if the People of Israel would only do "Teshuvah," return to HaShem with all their heart and all their soul.

Maot Chitim

"When you help others to celebrate a joyous holiday, G‑d will certainly reciprocate in kind, and grant you and yours a happy and kosher, a meaningful and liberating, holiday of Passover!" - Chabad



Maot Chitim

A New Plan for My Life

I resolve to Trust in G*d, the Master of Destiny.

Every day I will ask myself six questions:

1. What will you do today to Sanctify G*d in the world?
2. What will you do today for Justice and Charity?
3. What will you do today for your Health so you may do more of 1 and 2?
4. What will you do today for your Finances so you may do more of 1 and 2?
5. What did you do today for your family and for future generations so they will do 1 and 2?

Finally a quote from Matis Greenblatt on Don Yitzchak Abrabanel (1437-1508)

"In his last work, a letter written to Saul HaKohen in 1507 Abrabanel writes: "All these commentaries I wrote after I left my country. Before that, all the time was spent in the courts and palaces of the kings... my days in vanity and my years in getting riches and honor; and now these riches have perished... It was only after I had become a fugitive...without money, that I sought out the Book of the Lord"

Definition of Boraitha

From Wikipedia.

Baraita (Aramaic ברייתא: "external" or "outside"; pl. Baraitot (actually, Barayata). Also Baraitha, Beraita, Ashkenazi Beraisa) designates a tradition in the Jewish oral law not incorporated in the Mishnah. "Baraita" thus refers to teachings "outside" of the six orders of the Mishnah. Originally, "Baraita" probably referred to teachings from schools outside of the main Mishnaic-era academies - although in later collections, individual Baraitot are often authored by sages of the Mishna (Tannaim).

According to Rambam (Introduction to Mishna Torah), the baraitot were compiled by Rabbi Hoshaya and bar Qappara, although no compilation was passed down to us like the Tosefta was.

Because the Mishnah encapsulates the entire Oral Law in a purposely compact form (designed to both facilitate and necessitate oral transmission), many variant versions, additional explanations, clarifications and rulings were not included in the Mishnah. These were later compiled in works called the "Baraitot" - often in the form of a list of teachings by one sage. "Baraita" can thus also designate collections of such traditions. The main collections of Baraita are the Tosefta, and the Halakhic Midrashim (Mekhilta, Sifra and Sifre).

The authority of the Baraita is somewhat less than that of the Mishnah. Nevertheless, these works are the basic "proof-text" cross-referenced by the Talmudic sages in their analysis and interpretation of the Mishna; See Gemara. Here, a teaching from the Baraita is usually introduced by the Aramaic word "Tanya" ("It was orally taught") or by "Tanu Rabanan" ("Our Rabbis have orally taught"), whereas "Tnan" ("We have orally taught") introduces quotations from the Mishnah. Anonymous Baraitot are often attributed to particular Tannaim by the Talmud. In the Jerusalem Talmud, references to Baraitot are less common.

The style of the Baraita is basically indistinguishable from that of the Mishna, but some come closer to Mishnaic idiom than others. For example, the second chapter of Kallah Rabbathi, a beraita compilation, is often appended to Pirkei Avoth, as both are similar in style and content.

Small Pesach Study

For purposes of study, I took a quiz on the OU site. I took the correct answers and added to them with some research. Please see the quizzes here:Ou Quizzes

Pesach Quiz Answers with some Remarks.

1. Moshe's name appears in the Haggadah once, quoting the verse Shemot 14:31 "And Moses said unto the people: 'Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD, which He will work for you to-day; for whereas ye have seen the Egyptians to-day, ye shall see them again no more for ever." This is right before the Yom Suf is parted

2. A fifth cup of wine at the Seder Drunk exclusively by Yemenite Jews
According to different sources a fifth cup of wine was either optional, laudatory, or required, but was edited out of our Seder.

3. The word Pesach means "Skipped over and "Had mercy"

4. As a Sedar custom we don’t eat roasted meat because of the Korban Pesach (Paschal lamb sacrifice)

5. Korban Pesach is the only Mitzvat Aseh (positive commandment) that incurs karet (excision) except for Circumcision.

6. There is a custom to eat Eggs at the Seder but according to Rashi, Shir Hashirim 8:5 is the basis of our using Charoset at the Seder.

Shir Hashirm is the Song of Songs. See also this article with many good citations on the subject of Charoset.

On Charoset

7. The special grain Korban brought on Pesach was made from Barley. The Korban HaOmer was brought from the barley crop.

8. The words “Chasal Siddur Pesach” are first recited on Shabbat HaGadol. “Chasal Siddur Pesach” is the concluding paragraph of the Piyyut recited on Shabbat HaGadol.

9. If you cannot find your Afikoman when it is time for tzafun you can do any of the following:

A. Use the other half of the middle matzah
B. Use the top matzah
C. Use the bottom Matzah
D. Use other matzah than the original three

Interestingly, I found that the word Tzfun has been related by sound to “Zephon” (Same consants). Baal-Zephon incidentally is the name of the place the Israelites encamped mentioned in the Pesach readings. (Interestingly also the verse mentioned in question one refereing to Moses S14:31)

10. The word “Afikomen” literally means "Dessert."

Some also conjecture that there is a tie to
Afik (אֲפִיק = bottom, chanel (see for example Psa 18:16: אֲפִיקֵי מַיִם - the bottom of the sea). I am not sure gramatically but it would tie to the S14:31 reference and if Tzfun is Zephon it makes good sense. However Mishna, where in the order Moed in the tractate Pesahim the tenth and final chapter is definitive on the order of the Seder.

Tractate Pesachim 10

11. The Jewish shame mentioned in the Mishneh is recited in the seder by recalling that our ancestors were idolaters and slaves

12. In the Seder described in the Mishneh in the 10th Perek (Chapter) of Pesachim, which of the following comes first:
A. Korban Pesach
B. Matzah - Correct but in practice, we say maggid before matzah.
C. Maggid
D. Hallel
E. Maror

13. In the Seder described in the Mishneh in the 10th Perek (Chapter) of Pesachim, which of the following comes last:
A. Kiddush
B. Korban Pesach
C. Maggid - Correct
D. Matzah
E. Karpas

14. Which Mitzvah of the Seder is not D’Orayta (Biblical)?
Eating Maror and Drinking four cups of wine are not D'Orayta.

15. Yoshiyahu (Joshiah) great revival that featured a rededication of the Bait Hamikdash and the bringing of a Korban Pesach which had been done since the time of Shmuel haNavi?

This history (2 SAM 22) is the haftorah for the 7th day of Pesach and it is also references chronicles. (See my article on special readings for Pesach.)

Pesach Special Readings

The Special Readings for Peach are as follows.
• Pesach Day 1 Shemot 12:21-51 Bamidbar 28:16-25 Josh 3:5-7; 5:2-6:1; 6:27 (Josh 5:2-6:1)
• Pesach Day 2 Vayikra 22:26-23:44 II Ki 23:1-9; 21-25
• Chol Ha-mo'ed Day 1 Shemot 13:1-16; Bamidbar 28:19-25
• Chol Ha-mo'ed Day 2 Shemot 22:24-23:19; Bamidbar 28:19-25
• Chol Ha-mo'ed Day 3 Shemot 34:1-26;
• Chol Ha-mo'ed Day 4 Shemot 9:1-14; Bamidbar 28:19-25
• Intermediate Shabbat Shemot 33:12-34:26 Bamidbar 28:19-25 Ezek 37:1-37:14 (Ezek 36:37-37:14)
• Day 7 Shemot 13:17-15:26 II Sam 22:1-51
• Day 8 (weekday) Dvarim 15:19-16:17 Is 10:32-12:6
• Day 8 (Shabbat) Dvarim 14:22-16:17


Introduction
As an Exercise, I have written some remarks on each of these special readings. This work is also intended as an appendix to my Torah Commentary.

These readings are beautifully arranged like music. There are readings from all the books of the Torah but Bereshit. The Haftorahs include Joshua, Samuel, Isaiah, Ezek, and 2 Kings. As chapters and verses were not Jewish creations the fact that they start in mid chapter sometimes is not that odd. Yet they will skip verses in the same chapter and they append lines wildly. Such as the first (Josh 3:5-7; 5:2-6:1; 6:27). Having come across this before I am always amazed that in Torah there is a shadow of eternity. Stretching the mind over thousands of years (From Moshe's to David for example) is part of the spark G*d gave man alone. That spark reflects G*d's being present and ubiquitous, omnipresent in all of creation and all of history.

I would go so far as to say that the reason Pesach exists is because it precedes the central event of history of man, the receiving of the Torah. If we let ourselves go through a single day without 'remembering' without being conscious that G*d has given us the Torah then we are still in "Egypt." The Hagaddah itself is to be read specifically because it is commanded not to forget this. Along with guarding Shabbat (Which joins us outside of time to all the Avotim), we must also remember that G*d created the world. Otherwise our lives will become meaningless.

Pesach is what everyone who has ever lived dreams of, G*d acting directly to save and then instruct. Not to belabor the metaphysics but G*d cannot be said to "Have done" the action in Pesach but is doing it at every moment. Our lives stretch between Egypt and the Promised Land and at the center must be accepting the Law. May the world rejoice in such a perfect design that is immutable. May we embrace it fully and all the hearts that are broken be full again.

Some High-Level Notes
The first six days of Pesach include the reading Bambidbar 28:16-25 or Bambidbar 28:19-25. I assume the reason for dropping lines 16-18 on Chol Ha-Mo'ed is because
lines 16-18 refer to the First two days themselves:

16 And in the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month, is the LORD'S Passover.
17. And on the fifteenth day of this month shall be a feast; seven days shall unleavened bread be eaten.
18. In the first day shall be a holy convocation; ye shall do no manner of servile work;

The remaining seven verses contain law regarding burnt, meal, drink offerings for Pesach. The last verse also says that the seventh day shall be a day of rest.

19 but ye shall present an offering made by fire, a burnt-offering unto the LORD: two young bullocks, and one ram, and seven he-lambs of the first year; they shall be unto you without blemish;
20 and their meal-offering, fine flour mingled with oil; three tenth parts shall ye offer for a bullock, and two tenth parts for the ram;
21 a several tenth part shalt thou offer for every lamb of the seven lambs;
22 and one he-goat for a sin-offering, to make atonement for you.
23 Ye shall offer these beside the burnt-offering of the morning, which is for a continual burnt-offering.
24 After this manner ye shall offer daily, for seven days, the food of the offering made by fire, of a sweet savor unto the LORD; it shall be offered beside the Continual burnt-offering, and the drink-offering thereof.
25 And on the seventh day ye shall have a holy convocation; ye shall do no manner of servile work.

Good Yontif!!

Pesach Day 1
Shemot 12:21-51 Bamidbar 28:16-25 Josh3:5-7; 5:2-6:1; 6:27

The first Torah Reading (Shemot12:21-51) begins with Moshe instructing the Elders to "take a bunch of hyssop, dip it in the blood (Of the Passover lamb), and strike the lintel and two side-post."
"And you shall observe ordinance to thee and to thy sons forever" (12:24).
This action is taken so that "the LORD will pass over the door, and will not suffer the destroyer to come in unto your houses to smite you." (22)
The text then relates the horrifying drama of the last plague, the despoiling of the Egyptians, and the beginning of the Exodus.
It was then that after "four hundred and thirty years" (Shemot 21:41) The children of Israel were delivered by G*d from Mitzrim. Blessed is he.
They first "journeyed from Rameses to Succoth, about six hundred thousand men on foot, beside children and a mixed multitude went up also with them; and flocks, and herds, even very much cattle" (37-38)
We are told they had unleavened bread because "they were thrust out of Egypt, and could not tarry, neither had they prepared" (39)
Further it is said that it was "a night of watching unto the LORD for all the children of Israel throughout their generations." (42) I don't know what a night of watching means? Perhaps a bad English translation?

Verses 43-49 concern laws of pesach such as "No uncircumcised person shall eat thereof" (48)

The second Torah Reading (Bamidbar 28:16-25) relates more laws of Pesach.
The L*rd's Pesach is the first month, on the fourteenth day (28:1)
On the fifteenth day (of the first month), shall be a feast, seven days shall unleavened bread be eaten (28:2) Note that is a positive commandment.
It shall be a holy convocation and you shall do no manner of work (28:3)
Verses 19-25 concern special sacrifices to be made.

That Joshua is selected for the Haftorah is clearly tied to 3:9-10 "And the LORD said unto Joshua: 'This day have I rolled away the reproach of Egypt from off you.'
Wherefore the name of that place was called Gilgal, unto this day. And the children of Israel encamped in Gilgal; and they kept the Passover on the fourteenth day of the month at even in the plains of Jericho."

I don't clearly see the other reason for the selection but there are some poetic associations. The Ark of the Covenant is processed before the people in 3:6. Why? It is done because G*d commands that they "Sanctify themselves" in 3:5. What is the Ark? It contains the tablets of law and by extension the 'Torah'. Moreover 3:7 states that they may know that, as with Moses, so I will be with thee." In the Law, In the Torah, G*d is with us just as he was with Moshe and we are with them. This is one expression of the holiness. Since it is also Joshua that holiness is tied to the fulfillment of the Promise; they have arrived in the Land G*d offered in the covenant.

That theme is picked up in the second part of the reading (5:2-6:1) in which "All the people that came forth from Egypt... died in the wilderness by the way" (5:4) The texts says "They were consumed because they hearkened not unto the voice of the L*rd." (6)

After the new generation is circumcised, they become 'whole' again. In verse 9 we read, "And the L*rd said unto Joshua, ''This day have I rolled away the reproach of Egypt from off you.' This is very interesting because it is said to be over forty years after they escaped Pharaoh. Also, the day of this pronouncement is Pesach.

The text is intriguing because immediately after this the manna which has been provided to the people all the years in the desert ceases and they must live off "The fruit of the land" (12)

Suddenly we are back in the real world and Jericho stands before the people. A "Captain of the L*rd's host" appears. Joshua asks if he is for them or his adversaries in Jericho. The Angelic warrior says only "Put off thy shoe from off thy foot; for the place where on thou standest is holy"

To me this of course recalls the burning bush but I don't understand this sequence. Sufficed to say the last two lines read are:


6:1 Now Jericho was straightly shut up because of the children of Israel: none went out, and none came in.

and

6:27 So the LORD was with Joshua; and his fame was in all the land.

I will just add that we are taught that G*d brought the plagues to show his power, that people may know his 'fame.' To refer to Joshua in this way and by extension Israel is to suggest that through Israel's fame G*d's name can be greatly sanctified

May we all live up to that covenant and purpose.
Bless the L*rd day and night!
Blessed is the L*rd from eternity to eternity.

Pesach Day 2
Vayikra 22:26-23:44 II Ki 23:1-9; 21-25

The Haftorah II Ki 23:1-9; 21-25 is again curious in that it skips verses 10-20. The missing verses are full of retributive but extremely violent warfare by King Josiah who is the central figure of the passage. The Haftorah contains the famous and controversial discovery of the "Book of the covenant" (1:1, and 1:24). This subject is very esoteric. For example it says it was found in the "House of '' " a phrase I have never noted anywhere else. It is intriguing and I am not a good enough scholar to understand. I can see it says "Sefer HBrit" (Book of Covenant) In (1:1, 1:24) but in (1:21) it says "Et dvaru HaTorah" which means (I think) the words of the Law. I will leave it at that. With no guidance I can't comment but my imagination says perhaps this revival was in knowledge of Hebrew itself; which Torah requires.

The simple idea, however, is that at this time in history King Josiah did everything in his power (including genocide) to destroy idolatry. One result was the celebration of Passover in accordance with the Torah.

"Keep the Passover unto the LORD your God, as it is written in this book of the covenant. For there was not kept such a Passover from the days of the judges that judged Israel, nor in all the days of the kings of Israel, nor of the kings of Judah; but in the eighteenth year of king Josiah was this passover kept to the L*rd in Jerusalem." (21-23)

In the remainder of the selection Josiah is praised for all these actions.

(Note the last verses 26-37 relate the sad progression of Josiah's sons. In short King Josiah sided with Babylon against Egypt and Assyria. He died in battle and his son Jehochaz (Shallum) was named king. He was deposed by the victorious Pharaoh Neco II three months later and "Pharaoh necho make Eliakim (Jehoiakim) King. Jehoiakim paid tribute

However, when the Egyptians were defeated by the Babylonians at Carchemish in 605 BC, Jehoiakim changed allegiances, paying tribute to Nebuchadnezzar II of Babylon.

After three years, with the Egyptians and Babylonians still at war, he switched back to the Egyptians and ceased paying the tribute to Babylon. In 599 BC,
“Nebuchadnezzar II invaded Judah and laid siege to Jerusalem. In 598 BC, Jehoiakim died [4] and his body was thrown out of the walls.[8] He was succeeded by his son Jeconiah (also known as Jehoiachin). Jerusalem fell within three months.[5][6] Jeconiah was deposed by Nebuchadnezzar, who installed Zedekiah, Jehoiakim's elder brother, in his place. Jeconiah, his household, and many of the elite and craftsmen of Judah were exiled to Babylon.[9] while Zedekiah was compelled to pay tribute, and continued to be king of the devastated kingdom.” – Wikipedia.

See also (Jerm 22:15-16) and (Chronicles 36:1-4). Incidentally, II King 23:28 mentions this second reference "are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah?"

What are we to make of this?
My answer is that we are to remember all of it. I cite verse 25 which resounds with reference to the Torah and incidentally Dvarim 6:8 (was this the book discovered?)

25 "And like unto him [Josiah] was there no king before him, that turned to the LORD with all his heart, and with all his soul, and with all his might, according to all the law of Moses; neither after him arose there any like him.

Egypt from which G*d delivered them, is an instrument of the destruction of the kingdom. Why? simplicity itself - because there arose no other king whose might was in the Torah. Therefore, the Torah is the point of the salvation from Egypt. The Torah is the meaning of the kingdom. The Torah is the light of exile and the eternal 'refuge' of the righteous. The Torah is the Soul of Creation and our souls can unite in it outside of time and space, and through that 'door' are the worlds of the spirit from which holiness 'descends' from the Soul of Creation the name, from the name unto the ineffable, limitless perfection of G*d.

Chol Ha-mo'ed Day 1
Shemot 13:1-16; Bamidbar 28:19-25

Shemot 16 has 22 verses but only the first 16 are read on the first day of Chol Ha-moed. (I have determined that the remaining verses of C13 starting with 13:17 are read on Day 7, see below.)

The Day 1 reading is extremely relevant to Pesach.
The L*rd commands Moshe’s that all the first born "Man and beast" (13:2) are his and should be sanctified unto him. (1,13,14)

The L*rd commands "Remember this day, in which ye came out from Egypt, out of the house of bondage; for by strength of hand the LORD brought you out from this place" (2) and that "An it shall be when thy son asks in time to come what is this (the sanctification of first born) say.. By the strength of the hand of the L*rd brought us out from Egypt, from the house of bondage. (14)
Injunctions against unleavened bread are given (3,6,7)
The promise of the holy land is repeated. (4)
The law of tefillin is stated in verse 16.

Chol Ha-mo'ed Day 2
Shemot 22:24-23:19; Bamidbar 28:19-25

The reading for the second day of Chol Ha Moed is the last 6 lines of Shemot 22 and then the first 19 of Shemot 23.

This torah section is all laws in quick succession. Included in 13:15 is "The feast of unleavened bread shalt thou keep; seven days thou shalt eat unleavened bread, as I commanded thee, at the time appointed in the month Abib--for in it thou camest out from Egypt; and none shall appear before Me empty;" It appears in a few verses on festivals. Yet the other commandments given range widely in subject. They include issues of Kashruit, credit, clothing, animal sacrifice, charity, and agriculture.

I don't see the connection.


Chol Ha-mo'ed Day 3
Shemot 34:1-26;

A quick reading of this is striking. The section begins with "I will write upon the tables the words that were on the first tables, with though didst break."

The scene is to my mind the most important event in human history. In it Moshe is bowed before G*d who instructs him in Halakah. You need to read this in the source!

The relation to Pesach is in line "The feast of unleavened bread shalt thou keep. Seven days thou shalt eat unleavened bread, as I commanded thee, at the time appointed in the month Abib, for in the month Abib thou camest out from Egypt." (17).

We can now see that this verse is almost verbatim from some of the other Pesach special readings. Other lines are also duplicated such as "Thou shalt not seethe a kid in its mother's milk" that line was also in the reading for day 2.

One could jump to the conclusion that these duplications mean there were multiple sources. I would do so if G*d himself had not just declared he was repeating "The words that were on the first tables..." Think about that!

Instead of looking at this repetition as something to scan past because we are familiar, instead think of Pesach as an "object" around which Law is collected. Pesach does not represent an event in time, it represents the direct action of G*d in creation. This is constant. The various laws which surround repetitions of Pesach are kept in consciousness by reference to them around Pesach.

It is the opposite of what modern secular holidays represent. Only when we realize that the purpose G*d brought Israel out of Egypt (Pesach) was to give the people the law. May we be nourished by it always, May G*d grant us our portion in his love for Israel.

Chol Ha-mo'ed Day 4
Shemot 9:1-14; Bamidbar 28:19-25

This reading relates of the fifth and sixth plagues those of the cattle pestilence and of boils (Shkhin). The Pharaoh still refuses to let the Israelites leave Egypt. It is stated that G*d sets plagues on them that " thou mayest know that there is none like me in all the earth."

I do not perceive why the 5 and 6th plagues were chosen. It is enough to remember to stand in awe of G*d and to also pity those who are arrogant and do not fear him.

Intermediate Shabbat Shemot
33:12-34:26 Bamidbar 28:19-25 Ezek 37:1-37:14 (Ezek 36:37-37:14)

This reading is the same as that of Chol Ha Moed day 3 but adds verses 33:12-23.

Verses 33:12-23 relate the captivating moment Moshe asks G*d on Sinai, "Show me, I pray thee, thy glory." (18).

The L*rd commands Moshe to place himself in a cleft in a rock so that "(I) will cover thee with my hand until I have passed by. I will take my hand away and thous shalt see my back, but my face shall not be seen." (22,23) I will forever relate this to a suggestion from the floor of the schul of shabbat when someone suggested this cleft was the "present."

Moreover these verses have G*d proclaiming his own name (19) Which in one sense is the Authority and summary of meaning and law. For Israel this is the means in which
"Thou goest with us, so that we are distinguished, I and Thy people, from all the people that are upon the face of the earth" (16)

Commentary on this is not necessary, contemplate it even in your greatest sorrow and you will realize the Ultimate truth of the People. We are to Sanctify the World to
G*d through his name (Every word of Torah is a name.)

Ezek 37:1-37:14 (Ezek 36:37-37:14)
This is the disturbing prophecy in which we are Ezekiel in a field of bones (representing all the ancestors) is told by G*d "I will open your graves, and cause you to come up out of your graves, O My people; and I will bring you into the land of Israel." (12) Further we are told "I will put my spirit in you, and ye shall live" (14)
The word for spirit is Rauch (breath).

This passage is of course dear to christians but for me it is no more than the same story of the original Adam. Who is in our very blood to this day. The entire creation is alive only because of G*d's 'breath.' There is no mystery to this for me only devotion.

The connection to Passover eludes me at this time.


Day 7
Shemot 13:17-15:26 II Sam 22:1-51

Interestingly we already read Shemot 13:1-16 on the first day of Chol Moed, now we pick it up at verse 17.

Verses 17-22 begin with the words " God led the people about, by the way of the wilderness by the Red Sea; and the children of Israel went up armed out of the land of Egypt." (17) They are carrying with the bones of Yosef. G*d manifests as a "pillar of cloud" by day and a "pillar of light at night."

Chapter 14 begins with the encampment at Etham and has all the events of the parting of the sea and destruction of the Pharaoh’s pursing army by the L*rd.

Chapter 15 recapitulates this action in the reverent Song of the Sea.

These are among the most beautiful, famous, and enduring passages ever written. I shall not treat them here but there reading is obviously a fulfillment of the commandment to remember. The song itself immediately after is an expression of this. Moreover, repetition is never without meaning in Torah. Chapter 14 is G*d's miracle, Chapter 15 is Israel's reflection on that miracle. The song is so much less than the deed, but in its praise we are joined to the doer of the deed, to the deliverance of Israel which is a constant action of creation!

Praise G*d and all his works.

And to that end I think the liturgy also agrees for the haftorah 2 Samuel 22 is almost identical to Psalm 18. Though it is a prayer of David HaMelek when he was delivered from "the hand of Saul" it is perfectly the same story of Pesach. Every moment of creation G*d delivers us from an "Egypt."

May we all work for justice so that the most people can most clearly perceive the presence. Amen.

Day 8 (weekday) Dvarim 15:19-16:17, Is 10:32-12:6
Day 8 (Shabbat) Dvarim 14:22-16:17 (Haftorah on Shabbat appears to be dropped.)

Here again we have additional verses if the Eighth Day of Pesach falls on Shabbat. In this case a lot more. Twenty six additional lines (14:22 to 15:19)

I cannot see why they are added for Shabbat, especially as some concern money "Though turn it into money, and bind up the money in the hand" (14:24). Some also concern freeing slaves and charity to orphans, widows, and strangers. D14 ends and D15 consists mainly of those beautiful summarizing, sermonizing tones. Yet not until chapter 16 which is concerned with Pesach almost exclusively is the connection to the Eighth Day clear.

The Haftorah IS (10:32-12:6) mentions Egypt once "here shall be a highway for the remnant of His people, that shall remain from Assyria, like as there was for Israel in the day that he came up out of the land of Egypt."(I11:16). Yet 10:32-11 concern the Line of Jesse. Here of course is the tie to David HaMelek and to Shlomo HaMelek, the Temple, and by extension to the fate of exile. The promise of the Holy Land, the salvation from Egypt, are measured against the other great figure of the fall from holiness of a people and a kingdom. To that very point remembering G*d's mercy and his power in delivering Israel from Egypt is the only way to end the figurative exile. The actual exile from the holy land being a dimension of that spiritual exile from devotion to the Torah.

The last lines from I12 are a fine conclusion to the eighth and final day. They enact this devotion literally and turn the heart where it belongs:

1. I will give thanks unto Thee, O LORD; for though Thou was angry with me, Thine anger is turned away, and Thou comfortest me.
2. Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and will not be afraid; for GOD the LORD is my strength and song; and He is become my salvation.'
3. Therefore with joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation.
4. And in that day shall ye say: 'Give thanks unto the LORD, proclaim His name, declare His doings among the peoples, make mention that His name is exalted.
5. sing unto the LORD; for He hath done gloriously; this is made known in all the earth.
6. Cry aloud and shout, thou inhabitant of Zion, for great is the Holy One of Israel in the midst of thee.' {S

Amen! Blessed is the L*rd Our G*d. <15 MAR 12 JCS>