THE SINGINGEST HOLIDAY

Seventh Day of Pesach
Torah: Exodus 13:17 - 15:26
Maftir: Numbers 28:19-25
Haftarah: 2 Samuel 22:1-51

Eighth Day of Pesach
Torah: Deuteronomy 14:22 - 16:17
Maftir: Numbers 28:19-25
Haftarah: Isaiah 10:32 - 12:6

Additional Reading: Song of Songs

Calendar and dedications follow below. For a full calendar of events and other info about Congregation Beth Meier, check out: www.bethmeier.org

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THE SINGINGEST HOLIDAY

On the seventh day of Pesach, the Torah portion includes the beautiful Shirat Hayam - The Song of the Sea - the Israelites' paean of thanksgiving to God for the destruction of the pursuing Egyptian army. When this section is read during the year (Parashat Beshallach), the haftarah is Judges 4:4 - 5:31. It comprises Deborah and Barak's song, celebrating their military victory over the forces of the Canaanite general Sisera. In a similar vein, the haftarah for the seventh day is a psalm of thanksgiving (a variant is found at Psalms 18), chanted by David.

There is a lesson in these choices of public readings. In Shirat Hayam, the people as a whole thank God for the miracle of the sea. Just when they feared they were doomed, they were instead saved. In Shirat Devorah, which in many ways resembles Shirat Hayam, Deborah and Barak thank God for both the collective victory of the people and their own personal salvation. Shirat David is strictly personal, completely in the first person singular, reviewing a lifetime of blessings. In each case, pleas for deliverance were answered. This is all in addition to reading Song of Songs on Shabbat Chol Hamoed and the singing of Hallel (Psalms of Praise) every day of Pesach, including at the Seder. And don’t forget all of the traditional and not-so-traditional songs we sing around the Seder table!

What we learn is that we can and should thank God, individually and collectively, for all the miracles and blessings in our lives, great and small, personal and national.  Only then can we truly appreciate the wonders of our lives.

Moadim L'simchah! Shabbat Shalom! Chag Sameach!

Rabbi Richard A. Flom

Congregation Beth Meier - Studio City, CA

Website: http://bethmeier.org/

Blogging at: http://rav-rich.blogspot.com/

"From the place where we are absolutely right, flowers will never grow in the spring."

"מן המקום שבו אנו צודקים לא יצמחו לעולם פרחים באביב"

Yehuda Amichai 

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Candlelighting: Thursday: 7:16 pm

                       Friday: 7:17 pm – light Yizkor candle first

Friday: Pesach Morning Service – 10:00 am. NO Friday evening service.

Saturday: Pesach/Shabbat morning service with Yizkor – 10:00 am. Pesach ends, and chametz is permitted, 8:16 pm

Sunday: Religious School – 9:30 am. Adult Hebrew Class – 10:00 am.

Tuesday: Lunch and Learn – 12:00 noon.

Friday, 6 May: Shabbat Evening Service – 8:00 pm. Oneg Shabbat follows.

Saturday, 7 May: Shabbat Morning Service – 10:00 am. Kiddush lunch follows.

Sunday, 8 May: Religious School – 9:30 am. Adult Hebrew Class – 10:00 am

Next time you come to Beth Meier, please bring some non-perishable canned and packaged foods and personal items (no glass) for SOVA.

This d'var torah is offered for a refuah shleimah for Yaakov Rani Ben Margalit, Avi Shmuel Yosef Hakohen ben Bella, Miriam Minya bat Alisa Batya, Sarah bat Devorah, Scott Beatty, Ken Bitticks, Elsbet Brosky, Jerry Daniels, Maya Fersht (Maya bat Esther), Dr. Samuel Fersht (Shmuel Natan ben Gittel), Leonard Foint (Eliezer Moshe ben Esther), Jerry Forman, Stephanie Kane, Philip Kovac, Carolynne Lavoie-Schwartz, Suzanne Rosenthal (Sima Devorah bat Chanah), and Deborah Schugar Strauss (Devorah bat Chaya Feiga).

Please let me know if there is anyone you would like to add to this list or if there is anyone who may be removed from this list.

My weekly divrei torah are available through free subscription to the Cyber Torah e-mail list. No salesman will call!

Cyber Torah list management:

To subscribe to Cyber Torah, send an e-mail from the receiving address to: ravflom@sbcglobl.net with the heading “Subscribe Cyber Torah”.

To unsubscribe from Cyber Torah, send an e-mail from the receiving address to: ravflom@sbcglobl.net with the heading “Unsubscribe Cyber Torah”.

To dedicate a Cyber Torah in honor of a simchah, in memory of a loved one or for a refuah shleimah, send an e-mail to: ravflom@sbcglobl.net with the heading “Dedicate Cyber Torah” and provide details in the message body.