Torah Portion: Passover

The Torah states, “and you shall count for yourselves from the day after [Passover]…, seven complete weeks.” (Exodus 23:15).

Our Sages tell us that the period of counting between Passover and Shavuot serves to separate between the Exodus from Egypt and acceptance of the Torah at Mt. Sinai. The Jews in Egypt were stuck at a very base, non-spiritual level. They needed this time period to grow and develop spiritually, to prepare themselves for the ultimate spiritual experience with the giving of the Ten Commandments.

Rabbi Noah Weinberg, the founder of Aish International, explained that this idea remains relevant every year. He would tell us that it has always been known to God that the Jewish People will fall from their spiritual heights. Therefore, he says, God set aside this time for us to work on spiritual growth each and every year. Specifically, Rabbi Weinberg would direct us to learn the 48 Ways to Wisdom.

May we merit to take advantage of this auspicious time, leading us ever upwards in a lifetime of spiritual growth.

Happy Passover and Shabbat Shalom!

Tiny Taste of Talmud

“Whoever rescues a single life earns as much merit as though he had rescued the entire world.”

The Hebrew for Egypt is ‘Mitzrayim,” whose root is “tzar,” or narrow.   The essence of slavery, says Judaism, is being stuck in narrow/superficial thinking.

For example, you’re sitting in a park when suddenly a grown man falls squarely on you.  Ouch!  Anger!

Then you notice him reaching for a walking stick: he’s blind.  Compassion.

Our thoughts create our experience of life.  But, they’re often not worthy of paying attention to!

The Jewish people leave Egypt in this week’s portion and forever we are meant to rediscover what it means to be free by seeing ourselves leaving our own personal Egypt.  How?

“I don’t have a job/partner/savings/personality (insert your thing here), and I’m stuck!”

How can one stop narrow thoughts?  Well, you can’t – directly.  But you can see them for what they are:  just insecure thoughts, often out of tune with reality.  True, they feel real because we give them “playing time,” but they’re not.  When we set our sights on what we really value – giving unconditionally, judging favorably, etc. – we can walk on by.