Tag Archive: pesach

Timely Pesach Related Links of Interest!

With Pesach soon approaching, I’m assuming that I won’t have time to write my thoughts on individual topics. As such, I’ve compiled a short list of Timely Pesach Related Links of Interest. I’m certain you will enjoy!

  • For all those who are also cleaning for Pesach, whether you are male or female, I urge you to check out this video and this article written by Jewish women that reveals a practical and spiritual side to Passover cleaning.
  • We live in an era in which people will use the following expression, “just Google it!” In fact, nowadays you’d be looked at as the funny one if you didn’t know what that weird sounding word that starts with a ‘g’ means. Accordingly, being that we live in the “Google Era” this video insight is a quick but relevant thought in terms of the eternal relevancy of Torah, which we ultimately merited to receive only after crossing the Red Sea.
  • Speaking of Google, this image of the Jewish people crossing the sea is inspired by Google Earth and is well worth viewing (see here for a couple more fascinating images using Google Earth. For another contemporary image of the Exodus see here) in that it will help you fulfill the obligation of visualizing that you too are crossing the Red Sea.
  • Various studies all come to one conclusion: Across the various denominations of Jewry, Passover is the most celebrated Jewish event. To that end, this recent study is worth paying attention to in that it sheds light on the future of the Jewish people. Remember it is on Passover that we officially became a Nation.
  • Finally, check out this relevant article that discusses Passover & four questions for a financial crisis.

April 5, 2009 | Tags: , , , | 1 Comment 

Saying Thank You for our Personal Pesach Miracles

In my preparation for the Pesach Seder (remember we who live in Israel only celebrate 1, that’s right 1 Passover Seder!) I have been researching the words of the great mystic, Rabbi Tzadok HaKohen of Lublin. He reveals that on Chanukah for instance, we recite a blessing on the amazing miracle that occurred. However, on Pesach we omit this blessing. At the surface this appears rather perplexing given that the Exodus was a miracle “heard around the world!”

Accordingly, he analyzes the differences of the miracles that took place on these two distinct holidays and by extension, explains why if one would recite this blessing on Passover, Hashem would view it as being verbally brazen. As such, the custom is to not recognize the miracle of Pesach with a blessing but rather through the Pesach Seder. All in all, whether we make a blessing or not, we all know that the Almighty has certainly performed many a miracle for us on the national level as well as on the individual level.

Sometimes a miracle is obvious.

Sometimes we just need to open our eyes and see the kindness of God. But it’s the searching for the kindness that can be difficult.

Truth be told, there’s soo many more layers to this world, that even our generation that is higly advanced in the fields of science and medicine, has yet to discover. Case in point, if I were to tell you the facts in the following article just several years ago, you would have thought I was joking. And yet, Hashem has decided that now is the time that scientist will begin to regrow limbs and help reclaim what some people may have thought they eternally lost! Read here for all the details. If you need additional inspiration see here.

In general, I’ve heard on several occasions that the Pesach Seder is referred to as the Jewish version of a Thanksgiving meal, in that for many families it may be the only time that everyone comes home and sits at the table together. And so, I call upon every Jewish person to utilize the Pesach Seder (be it if you are making 1 or 2 Passover Seder’s) to say “thank you” to the Almighty not just for the miracles that took place thousands of years ago and that may be hard for us to relate to, but also to the miracles that Hashem gives us on a daily basis. In fact, you may find that when you express your appreciation for the small little things that God provides us with, it will only amplify the great miracle of our Exodus from Egypt and put it in a proper perspective.

Indeed, this year, among many other things, I know that my wife and I will be thanking Hashem for the miracle that is our daughter Ora!

I’m certain that it’s without coincidence that merely two days after Ora Rachel was born, Rabbi Zelig Pliskin wrote in his Daily Life Email:
Even if a doctor says there is no chance of recovery, one should not despair. There are an extremely large amount of cases when doctors have given up hope and nevertheless the patient recovered. While it is irresponsible to disregard reliable medical advice when something practical can be done, doctors are only human and are fallible. It is important for doctors themselves to realize this and even when the situation appears bleak, they should realize that while we cannot rely on miracles, medical miracles do occur. Whenever Rabbi Yehoshua Leib Diskin was told that a doctor had given up hope on a patient, Rabbi Diskin would comment, “A doctor has a right to heal, but who gave him the authority to despair?” (Amud Aish, p.158; Gateway to Happiness, p.377)

All in all, this Pesach we must remember that the ‘P’ in the word Pesach stands for Perspective. With a little bit of perspective we could experience a Passover like never before!

Chag Sameach

April 3, 2009 | Tags: , , , , | Leave a Comment 

Purim, Pesach and Dr. Seuss

Our Sages reveal the following principle:

“Who is wise?”

“He who learns from every (‘Adam’ in Hebrew) man!”

We are not meant to only learn from the socially bright.

We are not meant to simply learn from a Rabbi.

Rather, Judaism believes that we can and should learn a lesson from every person we meet. Indeed, if there’s anything that I learned from Theodor Seuss Geisel, the author of the famed Dr. Seuss series, it was the power and ability to captivate and impart a critical message upon a diverse and broad audience using dizzying rhymes and colorful pictures for many years. By conveying his message and morals subtly, in the form of a book for children, his points were heard by millions!

In light of the above, I was rather impressed with a particular Mishloach Manot package we received this year. In fact, this particular family performed the mitzvah by ensuring that their costumes, the packaging, food and poem where all in the spirit of Dr. Seuss. And so, I present to you the following poem written by Rabbi Abbish Rand:

THE CAT IN THE HAT
PURIM 5769

The sun did so shine
It was a great day to play
So we ran out of the house
On that fun Purim day

A lesson we had learned
From that Cat in the Hat
Was get up and do
עשה טוב ‘s where it’s at

If all you could do here is
Sit!
Sit!
Sit!
Sit!
הקב”ה doesn’t not like that
Not one little bit

Life is a ladder
You’ve got to keep climbing
Else THINGS come along
And send you tumbling and sliding

Better keep yourself busy
Doing what Hashem wants from you
Clean up your act
Before trouble finds you

משיח is on his way home!
Do you hear?
Oh, How will he react?
What will he say?
Oh he would not like it
To find you this way

“So go fast!” Says the
FISH IN THE POT
“Do you hear?
We see him. משיח!
משיח is near!
So, as fast you can,
Think of something to do!
עשה טוב , סור מרע
Do what you’ve gotta do!”

When משיח comes in
And says to us all
Did you fix up yourselves?
Tell me. Did you help the כלל?

Do we have what to tell him?
Now, what SHOULD we say?
Well…
What would you answer,
If משיח asked YOU today?

Finally, just in time for Passover, here is a great article entitled: Green Eggs and Matzo Brei that also pays tribute to Dr. Seuss. You never know, with all of the messages and morals that Dr. Seuss seemed to espouse, maybe the reason why he always covered his head with his trademark hat, was an allusion to his Jewish roots!

April 1, 2009 | Tags: , , , , | 102 Comments 

How to Still Have a Fun Passover Vacation on a Budget!

With the economy in the doldrums, many families won’t be able to afford amusement parks or attend a big concert over Chol HaMoed. To that end, without some suggestions of how to still have fun this Pesach, I’m near certain that there will be a good amount of Jewish kids spending their time in front of a computer screen, playing PlayStation, or hanging out on social networking sites. Frankly, as this and this article indicates, that’s not something that I, as a Rabbi, would encourage spending hours and hours of time on!

As such, I’ve compiled a list of 5 economically friendly but fun activities that will allow you to have a great time over Pesach vacation.

  • If you’ve got little kids, they will most probably love this economically friendly but creative Portable Art Studio. It will certainly keep the kids occupied while cleaning for Pesach!
  • As a kid, I enjoyed watching private planes or small commercial airliners land and arrive at Santa Monica Airport. In fact, because there’s less of a crowd, President Clinton used to land there when coming into the LA area. Indeed, I even got to meet the President, shake his hand and see what a real Presidential entourage looks like up close and person. Even today in a post 9/11 world, you and your children can go to one of the local but smaller airports around your area and watch for the flying planes in the sky!
  • As far as snack food, purchasing Kosher for Passover products can add up to one pricey bill! Indeed, growing up as a kid, something that we always looked forward to on Pesach was my Mom’s homemade potato chips or homemade ice cream. As Passover became more of a commercialized event, and as the Jewish community rapidly grew in Los Angeles, one could easily purchase Kosher for Passover Potato Chips, ice cream and so on and so forth. Nowadays however, people may not want/be in the position to shell out hundreds of dollars on just eight days of Passover. To that end, if you are looking to have a great snack, such as potato chips, check out this recipe.
  • During Pesach vacation, instead of going to commercial venues, Why not try the outdoors? Consider a family hike. Go fishing, cherry picking, pick-nicking on a beach, or bike riding together as a family. You may walk away from this even surprised to find that you had more fun doing an activity such as this, as opposed to going to Six Flags!
  • If your family is like most, you may have just a couple people who may enjoy a great sporting event and cheering on the local team. That said, with the ever-growing price of tickets, taking your family to a MLB, NBA, or the like event can make a major dent in your wallet. As such, in addition to checking for promotional days or nights to lower the cost somewhat, why not try the minor leagues or become a fan of your local college teams. In general, tickets are usually less expensive, the games are more festive and you can sit closer to the action for a lot cheaper!

March 23, 2009 | Tags: , , , , , , , | 1 Comment 

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