Welcome back to Torah Thoughts from Adas Israel the Jewish Congregation of Northern Iowa and based in Mason City. Here is hoping you had a wonderful Purim. The Megillah reading was astounding, kids had fun and it was also St. Patrick's Day. Double your pleasure. Me? I got to wear a green kippah.
A quick reminder that our Community Seder will take place on Friday evening the 15th of April. Save the date. It's been a very long time since we've celebrated Pesach together. Note that the first night of Passover is also Erv Shabbat so we're also planning on a Midrash that next morning of the 16th. Know that we are finalizing plans and will get information out to you as soon as we can. But for now...SAVE THE DATE.
Parsha Tzav
This week we read Parsha Tzav (Lev. 6 - 8) The word "tzav" is Hebrew for "command" as we read, "Hashem spoke to Moses saying, Command Aaron and his sons saying this is the law of the elevation offering..." Here we continue with descriptions of the laws of: Burnt Offerings, Meal Offerings, High Priest’s Offerings, Sin Offerings, Guilt Offerings, and Peace Offerings. It concludes with the portions of the Peace Offerings that are allotted to the Priests and the installation ceremony of the Priest for serving in the Sanctuary. It can be pretty standard stuff until we dig a bit deeper.
The Flame
There is a commandment in the opening portion that has to do with the flame on the alter. Three times we are told to keep the fire burning. Twice in verse two, "...on the flame, on the Alter all night until the morning, and the fire of the Alter should remain aflame on it." Then in verse five, "The fire on the Alter shall remain burning on it it shall not be extinguished; and the Kohen shall kindle wood upon it every morning..."
The Hebrew word for fire is "aish". Here we have what is known as the "Aish Kodesh" the "Holy Fire" that never goes out. There is a lesson here for our time.
Keeping It Alive
Religion is an interesting fact of life. For some our faith is important to us when we need it or need something. For some faith is a constant; it is with us every moment. In this portion Hashem says the fire on the alter must burn at all times, every day and it must be cared for and nurtured.
So it is with our faith. Look, I get it it is easy not to see the hand of G-d in everyday life but if we take a moment and look around with a clear eye we see the "holy fire" in everything. But, how do we get there?
Today there is no Temple, no alter, no fire, no priests. So it is up to each of us to light that "Aish Kodesh" that "holy fire" in prayer. Prayer is not something to do in rote. It is not mechanical it is, however, our ability to communicate with G-d. And, the best part of this is that G-d hears your prayer. He has said so. But to get there one needs to nurture and work on prayer. When you say a blessing, what ever that blessing is, take a moment and really think about what you are saying.
For example take...bread. It is the staple of life we are told. When we say the blessing, "Blessed are you or L-rd our G-d who has brought bread to the earth" we are recognizing that it is He that made it possible. That is no small gesture. Once we realize what we are saying we can begin to understand what it really means and that ability lights a fire in us all.
The image here is from the writings of the Piaseczner Rebbe. It is a book that has great meaning as the rabbi presented his lessons about being and becoming a better Jew. The remarkable thing about this book is that these words were originally presented during his Shabbos and Yom Tov addresses in the Warsaw ghetto. The Warsaw ghetto my friends.
In times of crisis we must remember. There is crisis in our midst and there is prayer and there is action. We must do...both.
Thank you for reading and Shabbat Shalom!
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