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Tag Archive for: Chol Ha-moeid Pesach

Chol HaMo-eid Pesach – חוֹל הַמֹּעֵד פֶּסַח (Exodus 33:12-34:26)

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This Week’s Torah Portion: Chol HaMo-eid Pesach – חוֹל הַמֹּעֵד פֶּסַח (Exodus 33:12-34:26)

יְהֹוָ֣ה ׀ יְהֹוָ֔ה אֵ֥ל רַח֖וּם וְחַנּ֑וּן אֶ֥רֶךְ אַפַּ֖יִם וְרַב־חֶ֥סֶד וֶאֱמֶֽת׃

Adonai, Adonai, compassionate and kind God, slow to anger, abounding in lovingkindness & faithfulness… (Exodus 34:6).

During Passover, the Torah reminds us that God yearns to be in relationship with us through lovingkindness, faithfulness, and compassion. This also teaches us that if God chooses to do this with us, all the more so we should be willing to treat those in our communities and the stranger in our midst with lovingkindness, faithfulness, compassion, and acceptance.

Chol HaMo-eid Pesach – חוֹל הַמֹּעֵד פֶּסַח Summary: On the Shabbat during Passover, we are reminded of the age-old desire to know God. Moses implores God to let him see God. While God will not allow Moses to see God’s face, God tells Moses, “I will make My goodness pass before you…” Perhaps we experience the divine presence throgh the goodness we create in the world. The Torah then sets forth the thirteen attributes of God, among them that God is compassionate, gracious, slow to anger and abounding in kindness. By emulating these very attributes, we create the goodness which allows us to know God. יְהֹוָ֣ה ׀ יְהֹוָ֔ה אֵ֥ל רַח֖וּם וְחַנּ֑וּן אֶ֥רֶךְ אַפַּ֖יִם וְרַב־חֶ֥סֶד וֶאֱמֶֽת׃ Adonai, Adonai, compassionate and kind God, slow to anger, abounding in lovingkindness & faithfulness… (Exodus 34:6). During Passover, the Torah reminds us that God yearns to be in relationship with us through lovingkindness, faithfulness, and compassion. This also teaches us that if God chooses to do this with us, all the more so we should be willing to treat those in our communities and the stranger in our midst with lovingkindness, faithfulness, compassion, and acceptance.

Chol HaMo-eid Pesach – חוֹל הַמֹּעֵד פֶּסַח (Exodus 33:12-34:26)

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This Week’s Torah Portion: Chol HaMo-eid Pesach – חוֹל הַמֹּעֵד פֶּסַח (Exodus 33:12-34:26)

Passover is the greatest story we have in our tradition.

We argue whether Judaism is a religion, a People, or a culture. More than all Judaism is a story. A story we pass on from generation to generation.

The most important Mitzvah of Passover is to tell the story, and we tell our story with words, music, and food, yes we eat the story, and digest the story.

The story is about our history, the traditions we keep, and most important of all, our values. We remember time and again that we were oppressed and persecuted, and we shall always side with those who are being oppressed.

Chol HaMo-eid Pesach – חוֹל הַמֹּעֵד פֶּסַח Summary: On the Shabbat during Passover, we are reminded of the age-old desire to know God. Moses implores God to let him see God. While God will not allow Moses to see God’s face, God tells Moses, “I will make My goodness pass before you…” Perhaps we experience the divine presence throgh the goodness we create in the world. The Torah then sets forth the thirteen attributes of God, among them that God is compassionate, gracious, slow to anger and abounding in kindness. By emulating these very attributes, we create the goodness which allows us to know God. Passover is the greatest story we have in our tradition. We argue whether Judaism is a religion, a People, or a culture. More than all Judaism is a story. A story we pass on from generation to generation. The most important Mitzvah of Passover is to tell the story, and we tell our story with words, music, and food, yes we eat the story, and digest the story. The story is about our history, the traditions we keep, and most important of all, our values. We remember time and again that we were oppressed and persecuted, and we shall always side with those who are being oppressed.

Chol HaMo-eid Pesach – חוֹל הַמֹּעֵד פֶּסַח (Exodus 33:12-34:26)

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This Week’s Torah Portion: Chol HaMo-eid Pesach – חוֹל הַמֹּעֵד פֶּסַח (Exodus 33:12-34:26)

Passover is the greatest story we have in our tradition.

We argue whether Judaism is a religion, a People, or a culture. More than all Judaism is a story. A story we pass on from generation to generation.

The most important Mitzvah of Passover is to tell the story, and we tell our story with words, music, and food, yes we eat the story, and digest the story.

The story is about our history, the traditions we keep, and most important of all, our values. We remember time and again that we were oppressed and persecuted, and we shall always side with those who are being oppressed.

Chol HaMo-eid Pesach – חוֹל הַמֹּעֵד פֶּסַח Summary: On the Shabbat during Passover, we are reminded of the age-old desire to know God. Moses implores God to let him see God. While God will not allow Moses to see God’s face, God tells Moses, “I will make My goodness pass before you…” Perhaps we experience the divine presence through the goodness we create in the world. The Torah then sets forth the thirteen attributes of God, among them that God is compassionate, gracious, slow to anger and abounding in kindness. By emulating these very attributes, we create the goodness which allows us to know God. Passover is the greatest story we have in our tradition. We argue whether Judaism is a religion, a People, or a culture. More than all Judaism is a story. A story we pass on from generation to generation. The most important Mitzvah of Passover is to tell the story, and we tell our story with words, music, and food, yes we eat the story, and digest the story. The story is about our history, the traditions we keep, and most important of all, our values. We remember time and again that we were oppressed and persecuted, and we shall always side with those who are being oppressed.

Chol Ha-moeid Pesach (Exodus 33:12-34:26)

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This Week’s Torah Portion: Chol Ha-moeid Pesach (Exodus 33:12-34:26)

This week’s Passover Torah portion carries within it one of the most luminous and awe inspiring moments in all of the Torah. Moses, cradled gently in the hand of God, emerges from the cleft of the rock to glimpse a sight of the Divine Presence just as the glory of God passes by.

But, what exactly did Moses see? What can we learn from this vision of God’s back which Moses glimpses as God passes by? My favorite response to this question is found in the Talmud where Rabbi Shimon Hasida explains that what Moses saw was the knot of the leather strapped tefillin which encircled God’s head. (Berachot 7a)

Wait a minute! God wears tefillin, the traditional prayer garb of a Jew in prayer? Does this mean that God prays? To whom, and for what? The answer, I believe, can only be that God prays for us.

May we be sheltered in God’s protective hands, may we be in God’s prayers, now and always.

Chol Ha-moeid Pesach Summary:

On the Shabbat during Passover, we are reminded of the age-old desire to know God. Moses implores God to let him see God. While God will not allow Moses to see God’s face, God tells Moses, “I will make My goodness pass before you…” Perhaps we experience the divine presence through the goodness we create in the world. The Torah then sets forth the thirteen attributes of God, among them that God is compassionate, gracious, slow to anger and abounding in kindness. By emulating these very attributes, we create the goodness which allows us to know God.

This week’s Passover Torah portion carries within it one of the most luminous and awe inspiring moments in all of the Torah. Moses, cradled gently in the hand of God, emerges from the cleft of the rock to glimpse a sight of the Divine Presence just as the glory of God passes by. But, what exactly did Moses see? What can we learn from this vision of God’s back which Moses glimpses as God passes by? My favorite response to this question is found in the Talmud where Rabbi Shimon Hasida explains that what Moses saw was the knot of the leather strapped tefillin which encircled God’s head. (Berachot 7a) Wait a minute! God wears tefillin, the traditional prayer garb of a Jew in prayer? Does this mean that God prays? To whom, and for what? The answer, I believe, can only be that God prays for us. May we be sheltered in God’s protective hands, may we be in God’s prayers, now and always.