April 3rd: Tzav and Shabbat Hagadol
THIS WEEK IN THE TORAH
Rabbi David E. Ostrich
Sometimes, facts can be misleading. The fact in question: In Tradition, Rabbis would only give sermons twice a year—on the Shabbat before Yom Kippur (Shabbat Teshuvah) and on this week, the Shabbat before Pesach (Shabbat Hagadol).
Interesting, yes? The surprise is that, in Tradition, Rabbis did not give sermons at all. Other people—known as Maggidim, Preachers—gave sermons. They would travel around from village to village, and some became very popular for their style of preaching and storytelling. Rabbis, on the other hand, would teach and lead Torah study sessions—but not during services. It was a different synagogue and pulpit culture. So, when it came to the Shabbat before Yom Kippur and the Shabbat before Pesach, the subject of the Rabbi’s “sermon” was not particularly inspirational: it was to make sure everyone knew the Halacha for the upcoming holy days.
What we know as the modern Rabbinate developed in the 1800s, and the weekly Rabbinic sermon was just one of many new customs.
So, given that this is the week of Shabbat Hagadol, let’s talk about Pesach. This is a festival full of Tradition, but, whatever our ideas of Tradition are, this year will probably be a bit different. For example, we may have difficulty getting all of our traditional foods. Passover things are in the grocery stores, but spending all day, going from grocery store to grocery store may not be the wisest course in these days of social distancing. It is entirely possible that we might find ourselves at the Seder table without a few of the traditional components. For instance, I’m in doubt about whether we’ll have parsley for the Karpas. What’s a Yid to do?
My initial advice is to quote the website of Washington Hebrew Congregation where, in discussing their Virtual Seder, readers are assured that one can still have a Seder without everything. Think about the original Pesach. Our ancestors leaving Egypt probably didn’t have every Passover ingredient, but they managed nevertheless to have a pretty meaningful holiday.
Secondly, there is a certain amount of wiggle-room. If I cannot get parsley, I’m thinking of Belgian Endive or the tops of green onions. They do sprout up in the Springtime, and we already have them. More importantly, they can hold enough of the salted water to remind me of the tears our ancestors cried while in Egypt.
If one cannot get Matzah, one can make it at home. It won’t come out exactly as Manischewitz, but decent Matzah can be made at home—with flour, water, and a very hot oven. The key is to mix the water and flour, roll it out very flat, and get it into the oven in no more than eighteen minutes. It’s very doable. The same can be said for Gefilte Fish. There are recipes using canned salmon or fresh salmon—and pretty much any fish you may have on hand. The point is that Passover is historically a time of making things work and focusing on God’s Presence in history and our lives.
Speaking of Seders, we’ve figured out a way to have a Virtual Congregational Seder for the first night of Passover, and you are all invited. We’ll have three links on the congregational website (britshalomstatecollege.org):
(1) One will be a link to join the livestream Seder.
(2) Another will have a link to a PDF of our Virtual Haggadah—which you can print or which you can follow on a tablet.
(3) The third will have a link to a PDF of our entire congregational Haggadah. This is for those who want to it to conduct their own Seder.
The Virtual Haggadah is an abbreviated version of the regular Haggadah. Our plan is to pray and sing through all the main parts BEFORE we eat our main meal. This includes Elijah’s Cup and the third and fourth cups of wine. That way, we can conclude, and then you can enjoy your meal.
I am estimating that the Virtual Seder will last about an hour and fifteen minutes. In any event, there will be a slight break so you can eat a whole sheet of matzah with charoset before the last ten minutes of the service. (I know how hungry we all get!)
To be fully prepared at home, just prepare a Seder plate (or regular plate) with the following ingredients: parsley (or a fresh green), a boiled egg, horseradish, and charoset. Also, have a small bowl of salted water, wine or grape juice (four cups per person), and, of course, matzah. We’ll work on having a lamb bone to show everyone.
Now, here are the details: The Livestream Seder will begin on Wednesday April 8th at 6:00 PM. We have enough Zoom capability for several hundred people, so please invite anyone in your family you’d like to have join us.
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me: rabbiostrich@britshalomstatecollege.org or (814) 441-9312.
Take care, and stay healthy!