Shabbat Message, March 26, 2021, Parashat Tzav – Shabbat HaGadol – erev Pesah

Click HERE (pdf) for “Who Knows 13? Questions for the Seder Table.” Print this so you will have thirteen more questions (bonus included!) for your seders. After the yom tovs I would love to hear your answers, call or write!

Click HERE (video) for the sermon Holy to Holy: From Shabbat to Passover, Parshat Tzav to the Haggadah. This year Pesah begins on Motzei Shabbat, Saturday night. We read a section of Leviticus in synagogue on Shabbat morning then when the stars shine we set out the seder plate. The shank bone reminds us of the Paschal lamb our ancestors offered in Egypt and during Temple times. What symbolism do sacrifices hold for us? What lessons arise from Cain’s and Abel’s or our ancestors’ in Egypt?

Click HERE (video) for The Last Chapter of Passover: Expressing the Values We Hold Dear. This talk was recorded at the annual siyyum (ceremony of completing the study of a Talmudic tractate), to break the Fast of the First Born and to further prepare for the rituals and spirit of Pesah. It just so happens (is it odd or is it God?!) that this year the daf yomi, daily Talmud study, cycle put Tractate Pesahim in just the right place.

Click HERE (video) for my Pre-Pesah lecture Mah Nishtana: Why Could This Seder Be Different From All Other Nights? How does adding humor to our seders fit with the theme of Pesah? What is the history behind the four questions, and how do we add good questions during the seder experience?