Hello Friends! This week we're going to change things up a bit. I've several unexpected meetings today (hiring a police chief) so this will have to be brief. Our Community Seder will take place on Saturday the 8th starting at 7:00PM. So we can plan please call or text your reservations to 515-570-2220 by the 5th of April. We need a count so Cynthia can make sure we have enough for everyone. The cost for Guests of Adas Israel (non-members) is $25 for adults, $15 for 12 -18 year old folks and $10 for kids under 12. This is always a wonderful and educational event for people of all faiths and ages. Please remember to call or text your reservations. Thanks and a reminder that we'll also hold Erv Shabbat Services on the 7th also at 7:00PM. AND, our Midrash (Study Session) is on Shabbat starting at 10:00AM. Lots of "Jewish Stuff" going on next week. Hope to see you.
Parsha Tzav
This Shabbat is Shabbat HaGadol or the Great Sabbath which is celebrated the Shabbat before Passover which begins at nightfall on the 5th of April. The Torah Portion this week is Tzav (Lev. 6 - 8). This week’s Torah portion begins with Moses being charged to prepare his brother Aaron and Aaron’s children with the responsibilities of being the priestly caste of the Jewish people – the Cohanim. The great medieval commentator known as Rashi comments that the Hebrew word “tzav” (“command”) means to enthusiastically encourage (the Cohanim) both this generation and succeeding generations of Cohanim.
Command...Really?
But wait! How do you "enthusiastically encourage" by...commanding? This is an important concept to understand. When G-d first chose Moses to go lead the Jewish people out of Egypt, a week long conversation ensued. Strangely enough this consisted, primarily, of Moses arguing with the Almighty. This would seem very odd; after all, if G-d is telling him to go how can Moses possibly argue?
The answer is that the Almighty was asking Moses to accept a position of leadership and responsibility, both of which have to be accepted willingly. This is why when Moses finally accepted the mission to go with Aaron to Pharaoh the Torah used the same exact language of “tzav.
The Mitzvot
How does this concept of being enthusiastic and encouraged work today? It has to do with...Mitzvot...the Commandments. When it comes to the Torah and the mitzvot (which is also a derivative of the Hebrew word tzav). The mitzvot are much more than action items for us to fulfill, they represent a responsibility and acceptance of G-d’s vision for the world. The responsibility of management can be quite stressful and onerous, and this requires buy-in.
This is why G-d had to ask the Jewish people if they were willing to accept the Torah. Ordinarily, a king can order his subjects to do whatever he wants. In fact, the seven universal Noahide laws were imposed on the world and its inhabitants in this manner. The seven Noahide laws are basically the house rules for living in this world, and G-d being the owner of this “house” imposed His “house rules” on all of mankind.
But the Torah and mitzvot are different; they aren’t merely a collection of rules and obligations we must observe. Instead, they represent a complete agenda for the perfection of the world – and at Mount Sinai the Jewish nation signed on for the responsibility to see this vision fulfilled.
The Lesson
This is what the word tzav means in our Torah portion as well. The Almighty is telling Moses to appoint Aaron and his sons to the permanent role of Cohanim, and to do it in an encouraging and enthusiastic manner so that they would feel the same way. They aren’t being commanded, they are being asked to accept a sacred responsibility. Once they accepted it, they must continuously transmit the enthusiasm and acceptance of this holy responsibility for succeeding generations.
We too are encouraged to do what is right and good and proper by following the Mitzvot how and when we can.
Thank you for reading! Remember to call 515-570-2220 for your Community Seder Reservations and Shabbat Shalom! See you in Shul.
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