|
The word tzav means "command".
As the parshah opens, HaShem
speaks to Moshe and gives Moshe additional instructions for Aharon and his sons. Details of additional sacrifices are
provided, and then in the fourth aliyah Moshe is
commanded to gather the people and to consecrate Aharon
and his sons to the service of the priesthood. The ceremony is carried out in
front of all the people. After all the procedures are completed, Aharon and his sons are to sit in the doorway of the ohel mo'ed (tent
of meeting) for seven days, lest they die.
The parshah presents several challenges to the post-Temple
Jew. The sacrifices are no longer
observed, even though some are described as permanent law for all generations
(hok olam l'dorotechem. We must dig into the midrashic works to explore the deeper meaning of the
Torah's message here. The great Biblical scholar Nehama
Leibowitz (Studies in Vayikra)
sheds light on the commandment that the priests must collect and remove the
ashes from the altar. (VaYikra 6:3 to 4). She
quotes Bahya ibn Pekuda who observes that this seemingly lowly and
unimportant duty is a safeguard against the priests thinking too much of
themselves.
Referring to the priests, Bahya writes
"...that he should belittle his own works in his own eyes, that he
should thunder at his soul for its incapacity in spiritual matters before G-d
and man... leaving haughtiness to his Creator, forsaking greatness and honor
whenever he performs for G-d whether in private or public." Therefore
the priests must remove their "officiating" garments, and put on
other clothes, then collect and remove the ashes to a different place. Hmm...
perhaps it would be a good practice for business
leaders and politicians (clergy too!) to be required to clean their own floors
and take out their own garbage.
Shabbat Shalom
Join us Shabbat morning as we read the parshah
and struggle to discern what the Torah is teaching us!
Share
your thoughts or ask a question
|
|
Purim Plans - Join the Fun
Carnival! Costumes! Food! Megillah! PurimShpiel! Thursday Evening March 20!! The Return of
Schmaltz!! With "audience participation".
Get your 50s costumes together now and stay tuned. If you had a part
in Schmaltz and want to reprise your theater career, call Laura. If you
want to start a new theatre career, call Laura. Want to help celebrate Purim?
Call Laura. Get the idea? Call Laura!!
Event Schedule:
Purim Carnival: 5:00 PM to 6:30 PM.
Maariv: 6:30 - 6:45
PM
Megillah Reading
and Purimshpiel: 6:45
- 8:00 PM.
|
|
A study of the traditional 613 mitzvot
(commandments/obligations) according to their order of appearance in the
Torah.
This week we cover Mitzvah 32: Not to do any work on Shabbat
.
This is the mitzvah that we usually think of in connection with the
"fourth commandment"; to refrain from any work. An entire tractate
of the Talmud (Shabbat) is devoted to the joys and intricacies of Shabbat observance.
Theologically and physiologically, Shabbat rest is part of the natural order
of the world. In Breshit we of course
read that HaShem worked for six days and rested on
the seventh. Ask yourself, was the world created in six days, or in
seven? For a text based approach, look at the first three verses of the
second chapter of Breshit. Some translations
(remember that translation is interpretation) say that HaShem
"had finished" his work by the seventh day. Other translations say
that HaShem finished his work on the seventh day. I
submit that the creation was not completed until Shabbat was invented.
Shabbat is part of the natural rhythm of the world, and an important sign and
symbol of freedom. When the Israelites (us, and by implication, all of
humanity) were slaves in Egypt,
we could not celebrate and rest on Shabbat.
How do we know what constitutes rest on Shabbat? Rabbinic Judaism
identified 39 categories of work the performance of which violates this
Mitzvah. All of them derive from the actions required to build the
portable sanctuary in the wilderness. If you don't have access to a Talmud you can read the
list here.
This mitzvah is obligatory on both men and women, since the Torah
gives an explicit list of seven categories of individuals to whom this
commandment applies. The observant reader will note that
"wife" is not specifically mentioned in the list. This is
because the entire chapter is addressed to both men and women. The second
person singular - in the masculine form - is used throughout the chapter in
which this commandment is stated. Since the other commandments in the
ten are surely for both male and female, then this commandment must be as
well, because the language used is the same.
Share your
thoughts or ask a question
Want to learn more about the traditional mitzvot? Start here.
|
|
Jewish
F.A.Q. (Frequently Asked Questions)
This weeks topic: Questions from Laura Biewer
Question:
Why do we not name our
children after living family members?
Answer: This is an Ashkenazi custom; Sephardic Jews do name
children after living family relatives. The Ashkenazic
custom "encourages" us to name children in memory of relatives who
have died. It may also be for superstitious reasons; the malach hamavet
(angel of death) might confuse the young child with the old relative when it
is time for one of them to die.
Question:
Do we have special prayers
for our beloved family pets when they die?
Answer: Be advised that Rabbi Art is not a "pet
person" as you read this answer. Jewish tradition does not consider pets
to be on a par with humans. Pets are not considered to have souls, and the
loss of a pet should not cause a level of grief similar to the loss of a
human family member, relative or friend. The traditional customs for burial,
mourning and grieving are designed to help us process and cope with the loss
of human relatives. Personally, I believe that praying for pets blurs an
important line that distinguishes between people and animals. On the other
hand, I understand that for many people, the loss of a pet is a significant
loss. There are some Reform Rabbis who have developed ceremonies for the loss
of a pet.
Question:
In this day of many
converts, how do we mourn for our remaining non-Jewish relatives? Would it be
wrong to say kaddish for your non Jewish parent?
Answer: It's perfectly appropriate to say Kaddish for
non-Jewish relatives and friends. The words of the Kaddish prayer are praise
of G-d. It's also a good idea to participate in the burial and grieving
customs of other religions to the extent that they do not conflict with Jewish
practice.
Got more
questions? Good!! Submit your questions for
the weekly CBS Jewish F.A.Q.
|
|
Life
Long Learning Update
Classes scheduled:
- Beginning Hebrew:
Sundays from Noon to 1:00, starting March 9. No class
on Sunday, March 16. You can still join this class if you attend on
Sunday, March 23.
- Judaism 101:
Wednesdays from 6:30 to 8:00, starting March 26. Please RSVP to
Rabbi Art if you plan to attend.
- Pesach Recipes and
Cooking Practice: Second evening session: April 9 at 6:30 PM
Classes forming:
- The
Torah has been around for over 3,000 years and yet, unlike yesterday's
newspaper, we continue to read and re-read this sacred text. Our
ancestors gleaned the Law from its words and we, today, can continue to
discover lessons for living each day with our mission in mind. If you
are interested in joining a group of soon-to-be Torah scholars who want
to live life with kavanah, please email Andra Greenwald at ibbach81@yahoo.com
and indicate the days and times for study that would best fit into your
schedule.
- Saturday Night
Jewish Culture Club Contact Joyce
Gandelman about your interest and about future events.
- Getting ready to
make your family Seder Contact Laura Skolnick if you're interested.
- Three sessions on
self-defense organized by Mike Loeffler. Dates are April 6 & 13,
and May 18.
|
|
Interfaith
Ministries Needs Our Help to Help Those Who Need Food
CBS member Andra Greenwald brings us a request for immediate help. The IFM
pantry is low, and precisely at a time when people need more help than ever.
Anytime you come to shul, please bring what you can from this list of items.
Rice, Breakfast cereal, Canned pears, Canned apple sauce, Canned tuna, Canned
stewed tomatoes, Canned green beans, Canned vegetables, Ramen noodles, Canned
fruit, Beans (canned or dry), Tomato sauce, Macaroni and cheese, Peanut
butter, Hamburger helper.
Please also note this message from Andra and the IFM board.
"Additionally, as the time approaches during which we are going through
our own pantries in preparation for Pesach, the Board is
asking that, once again, we bring non-perishables to the synagogue for an
April delivery to IFM. In advance, and on behalf of IFM and those we serve, a
deep and sincere todah rabbah to you and our generous congregants."
|
|
Yartzeits observed this Shabbat and during the coming week
|
14 Adar II, 3/21
|
|
Arlene Berry
|
|
15 Adar II, 3/22
|
|
Revah Misrachi
Ventura
|
|
17 Adar II, 3/24
|
|
Mel Snowberger
|
|
18 Adar II, 3/25
|
|
Grace Harris Hirschfeld
|
|
19 Adar II, 3/26
|
|
Sarah Hyman
Harry Zeff
|
|
|
Members in need of prayers for healing
Frances Asher, Marc Colton, Maxine Cox, Dawna
Cramer, Mary Drabkin, Sandy Drabkin, Bernice Goldman, Manuel Gonsalves, Marvella Graham, Laurie Greenwald, John Hall, Robin Holt,
Kay Huse, Dorothy Jones, Millie Jung, Larry Krackov, Izzy Kurland, Shirley
Martinez, Eli Melcer, Brenna
Au Miller, Bob Norem, Gary Pezzoni,
Reva Pinkas, Jon Poole,
Anne Porteous, Evelyn Reese, Nancy Shapiro, Mitch Steinberg, Mort Steinberg, Frida Tsoller, Manny Trauring, Larry White, Evan Wolozin, Irving Woods and all
others who are not well at this time.
|
|
Special Announcements
- Cafe Shalom baking
sessions under the leadership of Victor Messonier,
are 10:00 AM to Noon every Sunday morning.
- Beginning Hebrew
class. The beginning Hebrew class will meet Sundays
Noon to 1:00 PM. Contact Joann Betschart to
sign up. Its not too late! Class resumes this Sunday, March 23.
- Judaism 101 Class
Announced: Wednesday evenings from 6:30 to 8:00. Class begins March
26 and meets through the end of April.
- Inter-Faith Ministries food pantry is in desperate need of non perishable foods. As a
member, CBS has been contacted to help. As always, we have a
donation basket in the foyer.
- We will have a Purimshpiel, Megillah
reading and Purim carnival on Thursday, March 20th. USY will host the Purim
carnival and Pizza dinner fundraiser from 5:00 PM to 6:30, followed
by Maariv and MegillahShpiel
beginning at 6:30.
- Unveiling for
Arlene Berry Sunday, March 23rd 10:00 AM at Lakewood Memorial Park.
- There is no
religious school on March 23rd and no Hebrew school on March 27th.
|
More Special
Announcements
- Sunday Afternoons
at CBS will conclude with Perla Batalla on Sunday, March 30th at 3:00 p.m. This
artist has been mesmerizing audiences with everything from traditional
Gershwin to Leonard Cohen to Mexican lullabies, Latino melodies to
bluesy ballads. She has also performed with such greats as k.d. lang
and the Gypsy Kings.
- We will have a Kabbalat
Shabbat Service on Friday, April 4th at 6:00 p.m. followed by a Family
Dinner afterward. Please RSVP to the CBS office for dinner.
- CBS semi-annual general meeting is moved to Sunday,
April 13 at 7:00 PM in order to avoid conflicting with our celebration
of Pesach.
Regularly
Scheduled Activities
- Lunch and Learn
is now Ask the Rabbi (at lunch of course). The Ask the Rabbi
lunch will be the fourth Tuesday of each month. Bring your Questions for Rabbi Art for lunch on March
25th.
- Friday evening 7:30 PM
and Saturday morning 9:30AM. Davening
led by Rabbi Gould and members in the CBS sanctuary.
|
|
Office
and Gift Shop Hours
9:00 AM -- 2:00 PM: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday
9:00 AM -- 5:00 PM: Thursday
The Gift Shop is open during synagogue office hours and religious school
hours.
|
Rabbi Art's Office Hours
Wednesday 11:00 AM to 2:00 PM
Thursday 1:00 PM to 3:30 PM
Friday 10:00 AM to Noon
Please make an appointment whenever possible by calling 209.571.6062.
(Appointments not limited to office hours)
|
|
CBS Wish List
Not one but two coffee makers have
been anonymously donated. Thank You!!
New Basketball Hoop for Playground
Upgrades for our Office Computers: Thank You to Ed and Nancy
Blankenship for their generous donation of:
- New computer for our
Office Manager
- Uninterruptible Power
Supplies
- Photo Printer
- Flat Bed Scanner
- Standalone Backup
Drive
Computers for a Religious School Learning Lab
A New Visual Design for our Website (calling all graphic designers!)
|
|
"Below
the Fold"
|
|
Four Jewish ladies are playing a game of cards in Miami Beach. The first
lady sighs and says, "Oy..." The second
lady nods, sighs, and says, "Oy vey!" The third lady says, "Oy
veys meer!" The
fourth lady chimes in: "Enough talk about the children already. Let's
get back to the game."
borrowed from http://www.theholidayspot.com/purim/purim_jokes.htm
Question: Why didn't Esther receive Mordechai's
e-mail, warning her about Haman's plan to kill the
Jews?
Answer: She had an Achashvirus.
borrowed from http://www.harryc.com/j-jokes03-purim.htm
|
