HOLY AFIKOMAN!

Parashat Tzav (Shabbat Parah)

Adar II 20, 5784 / March 29-30, 2024

Torah: Leviticus 6:1 - 8:36

Maftir (Parah): Numbers 19:1-22

Haftarah (Parah): Ezekiel 36:16-38 

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Reb Jason is on a well-deserved vacation this Shabbat. Rabbi Flom will be conducting an A Capella Shabbat Evening Services (Zoom and Facebook Live only) at 7:00 PM. Rabbi Flom and Dr. Steve Pearlman will be conducting Shabbat Morning Services (in person and on Zoom and Facebook Live) at 9:30 AM. If you do not already have the Zoom or Facebook links, please email Rabbi Flom at: ravflom@sbcglobal.net 

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This d’var torah is offered for a refuah shleimah and a speedy and safe return of all the hostages being held by Hamas.

This d’var torah is offered for a refuah shleimah for all who have been wounded in the Hamas terrorist attacks and in fighting against the terrorists, as well as innocent non-combatants caught in the crossfire.
 
This d'var torah is offered in memory of all the victims of Hamas, Islamic Jihad, and Hezbollah. Y’hi zikhronam liv’rakhah – May their memories be a blessing. And may the memory of Hamas, Islamic Jihad, and Hezbollah and all their supporters be forever erased.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Lunch and Learn meets Mondays at 12:30 PM on Zoom and Facebook Live. On Monday, March 25, we'll be at BT Shabbat 151b, page 207 of Ein Ya'akov (Glick edition) Volume 1  -  '...תניא ר"ש בן אלעזר אומר' – "It was taught in a Baraitha that R. Simon b. Elazar said ....”

 
Ein Ya'akov (Glick edition) is available for on-line reading or as a downloadable PDF at:
https://hebrewbooks.org/9630   
 
A pointed Hebrew text version with different pagination is available at Sefaria:
https://www.sefaria.org/Ein_Yaakov?tab=contents  
---------------------------------------------------------------------- 
Check out our wonderful community, and get lots of info about our various programs and becoming a Member at: https://bnaihayim.org/ 
----------------------------------------------------------------
Rabbi Van Leeuwen has a blog which you should read at: 
https://rebjasonblog.wordpress.com/blog/ 
 
Dr. Steve Pearlman writes up the "Midrashim of the Week", which you should read at: 
https://midrashsrp.wordpress.com 
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Please pass this on to a friend - and please cite the source

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HOLY AFIKOMAN!

"That which is left of (the meal offering) shall be eaten by Aaron and his sons; it shall be eaten as unleavened bread (matzot) in the holy place…. It shall not be baked with leaven (chametz); I have given it as their portion from My offering by fire; it is most holy, like the sin offering and the guilt offering.... Anything that touches these shall become holy." Leviticus 6:9 – 11

Only some of the minchah (meal) offering is burned on the altar.  The remainder is eaten by the priests in the form of an enriched matzah (not quite the same as Pesach matzah - it's mixed with olive oil). Like some of the other sacrifices, it is "most holy". Anything that touches it becomes holy as well.

Olive Oil "Matzah"

Our Seder Shel Pesach is a re-enactment of an ancient ritual of sacrifice. We are a kingdom of priests and a holy people (Exodus 19:6). Our table is the altar. The candles represent the flames of the sacrifices. The wine represents the libation the priests poured over the sacrifices. The shank bone and roasted egg represent the Pesach sacrifice and the Festival sacrifice respectively. As commanded in the Torah, we consume matzah and maror (bitter herb), but we do not eat or offer a sacrifice. The three matzot? The top two are used for the commandment to eat matzah and the commandment to eat maror (along with charoset). The third matzah? Half of it is used to eat the “Hillel sandwich” in the style Hillel consumed the Pesach sacrifice. And the other half of the third matzah? That is a substitute for the Pesach sacrifice – the afikoman.

The Seder Shel Pesach is more, much more than a big family feast - it is a deep connection to our roots and to those who have gone before us, as well as a significant link to our future. It is an act of kedushah - of holiness. The afikoman is not dessert, though it is the final thing we eat at the seder. As it is representative of the last morsel of the Pesach sacrifice, it is, like any sacrifice, holy. And its consumption makes us holy as well.

Pesach is coming!

Shabbat Shalom uv’rakhah - Wishing you a Shabbat of peace and blessings!

Rabbi Richard A. Flom

Rabbi Emeritus, Temple B’nai Hayim

הַלּוֹמֵד מִכָּל אָדָם ?אֵיזֶהוּ חָכָם

Who is wise? The one who learns from every person.

Ben Zoma - Pirkei Avot 4:1

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Cyber Torah list management (no salesman will call!):
To subscribe to Cyber Torah, send an e-mail with the subject heading “Subscribe Cyber Torah” to: ravflom@sbcglobal.net 
Send requests for dedications of Cyber Torah in honor of a simchah, in memory of a loved one or for a refuah shleimah to: ravflom@sbcglobal.net 

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

NO IFS, ANDS, OR BUTS!

Parashat Vayikra (Shabbat Zakhor)

2 Adar 13, 5784 / March 22-23, 2024

Torah: Leviticus 1:1 - 5:26

Maftir: Deuteronomy 25:17-1

Haftarah (Zakhor): 1 Samuel 15:2-34 (Ashkenazim); 1 Samuel 15:1-34 (Sephardim) 

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This d’var torah is offered for a refuah shleimah and a speedy and safe return of all the hostages being held by Hamas.

This d’var torah is offered for a refuah shleimah for all who have been wounded in the Hamas terrorist attacks and in fighting against the terrorists, as well as innocent non-combatants caught in the crossfire.
 
This d'var torah is offered in memory of all the victims of Hamas, Islamic Jihad, and Hezbollah. Y’hi zikhronam liv’rakhah – May their memories be a blessing. And may the memory of Hamas, Islamic Jihad, and Hezbollah and all their supporters be forever erased.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Lunch and Learn meets Mondays at 12:30 PM on Zoom and Facebook Live. On Monday, March 25, we'll be at BT Shabbat 145b, page 205 of Ein Ya'akov (Glick edition) Volume 1  -  "... הבאים ישרה יעקב יציץ" – "In the future shall Jacob yet take root ....”

 
Ein Ya'akov (Glick edition) is available for on-line reading or as a downloadable PDF at:
https://hebrewbooks.org/9630   
 
A pointed Hebrew text version with different pagination is available at Sefaria:
https://www.sefaria.org/Ein_Yaakov?tab=contents  
---------------------------------------------------------------------- 
Check out our wonderful community, and get lots of info about our various programs and becoming a Member at: https://bnaihayim.org/ 
----------------------------------------------------------------
Rabbi Van Leeuwen has a blog which you should read at: 
https://rebjasonblog.wordpress.com/blog/ 
 
Dr. Steve Pearlman writes up the "Midrashim of the Week", which you should read at: 
https://midrashsrp.wordpress.com 
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!משנכנס אדר, מרבין בשמחה - With the beginning of Adar, we increase joy! (BT Ta'anit 29a) 

HERE'S A LITTLE PURIM TORAH CONTEST 

As this is a Jewish Leap Year, it raises a question, and the person who gives me whatever I believe to be the best answer will be awarded one slightly used bottle of slivovitz (the decision of the judge and the amount of slivovitz he drinks from the bottle first are in his sole discretion and are final): Since we are instructed by our rabbis to be joyful in Adar, and Adar is twice as long this year, does that mean that we have twice as much joy this year than in non-leap years, or, does it mean that on any given day in the months of Adar, we are only half as joyful as we would have been in a non-leap year because our joy must be spread over twice as many days? There is no right or wrong answer! Be (very) creative with proof texts!
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Please feel free to pass this on to a friend, and please cite the source.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

NO IFS, ANDS, OR BUTS!

"When (asher) a ruler a sins, and commits one from among the commandments of the Lord his God which may not be done - unintentionally - and is guilty; or if his sin is known to him, he shall bring his offering..." Leviticus 4:22-3

"Fortunate (ashrei) is the generation whose ruler directs his heart to bring an atonement for his unintentional error; how much more so when he repents of his deliberate sins." Rashi, based on the midrash from Sifra

The Altar of Incense, Altar of Burnt-Offering, and Laver from the Biblical Tabernacle; illustration from the 1890 Holman Bible

Unlike with regard to priests, commoners, and the people as a whole, the Torah says "when" rather than "if". The commentator Sforno says this implies that sins by those in power are inevitable. This cynical view seems obvious enough to us ("power corrupts"), but it was equally obvious 3000 years ago. The prophet Samuel had warned the people not to have a king over them, because he would make their lives burdensome. They insisted that they wanted to be like "all the other peoples". And that is what they got.

Rashi, using word play, takes this cynicism, and points out that people are fortunate to have a ruler who sins and repents - not only if he atones for his inadvertent sins, but especially when he atones for his intentional sins. This seems to go against human nature.

If we act inadvertently, we tend to make excuses in order to avoid the punishment. "It was an accident." "I didn't mean to do it." But when we act with intent, we have no choice but to repent. We're busted, and there is no escaping it. Not so with those in power. Repenting for an unintentional act is easier for a ruler precisely because he has an excuse, and it makes him look good in the eyes of the people when he atones for something for which all agree he was not fully responsible. But for a ruler to atone for an intentional act, he has to admit that he acted arrogantly, that he was abusing his power.

Does this mean we hold our rulers to a higher standard? Well, yes, and it is precisely because we have given them power over us. This, says Sforno, is why it says "his God" - to remind the ruler that he is not really in charge, but that the Ruler of Rulers is above him. We know that the ruling authorities watch us. When they atone for their intentional acts, then we know that they too answer to a higher authority.

Shabbat Shalom uv’rakhah - Wishing you a Shabbat of peace and blessings.

And Purim Sameach! Barukh Mordechai! Arur Haman!

HaRav HaGa’on Abba Reuven ben Menachem Mendel Flom, Sh’lita
Av Beis Din – Chelm
Slivovitz Taste Tester
משנכנס אדר, מרבין בשמחה
From the beginning of Adar, we increase joy.
BT Ta’anit 29a
------------------------------------------------------
Cyber Torah list management (no salesman will call!):
To subscribe to Cyber Torah, send an e-mail with the subject heading “Subscribe Cyber Torah” to: ravflom@sbcglobal.net 
Send requests for dedications of Cyber Torah in honor of a simchah, in memory of a loved one or for a refuah shleimah to: ravflom@sbcglobal.net 
To unsubscribe from Cyber Torah, send an e-mail with the subject heading “Unsubscribe Cyber Torah” to: ravflom@sbcglobal.net 

FINDING MEANING IN THE MUNDANE

Parashat Pekudei

Torah: Exodus 38:21 – 40:38 (Chazak!)

Haftarah: 1 Kings 7:51-8:21 (Ashkenazim); 1 Kings 7:40-50 (Sephardim)

Adar Hasheni 6, 5784 / March 15-16, 2024

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This d’var torah is offered for a refuah shleimah and a speedy and safe return of all the hostages being held by Hamas.

This d’var torah is offered for a refuah shleimah for all who have been wounded in the Hamas terrorist attacks and in fighting against the terrorists, as well as innocent non-combatants caught in the crossfire.
 
This d'var torah is offered in memory of all the victims of Hamas, Islamic Jihad, and Hezbollah. Y’hi zikhronam liv’rakhah – May their memories be a blessing. And may the memory of Hamas, Islamic Jihad, and Hezbollah and all their supporters be forever erased.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Lunch and Learn meets Mondays at 12:30 PM on Zoom and Facebook Live. We will not be meeting on March 18. On Monday, March 25, we'll be at BT Shabbat 145b, page 205 of Ein Ya'akov (Glick edition) Volume 1 – "In the future shall Jacob yet take root ....” -  "... הבאים ישרה יעקב יציץ" 

 
Ein Ya'akov (Glick edition) is available for on-line reading or as a downloadable PDF at:
https://hebrewbooks.org/9630   
 
A pointed Hebrew text version with different pagination is available at Sefaria:
https://www.sefaria.org/Ein_Yaakov?tab=contents  
---------------------------------------------------------------------- 
Check out our wonderful community, and get lots of info about our various programs and becoming a Member at: https://bnaihayim.org/ 
----------------------------------------------------------------
Rabbi Van Leeuwen has a blog which you should read at: 
https://rebjasonblog.wordpress.com/blog/ 
 
Dr. Steve Pearlman writes up the "Midrashim of the Week", which you should read at: 
https://midrashsrp.wordpress.com 
------------------------------------------------------

!משנכנס אדר, מרבין בשמחה - With the beginning of Adar, we increase joy! (BT Ta'anit 29a) 

HERE'S A LITTLE PURIM TORAH CONTEST 

As this is a Jewish Leap Year, it raises a question, and the person who gives me whatever I believe to be the best answer will be awarded one slightly used bottle of slivovitz (the decision of the judge and the amount of slivovitz he drinks from the bottle first are in his sole discretion and are final): Since we are instructed by our rabbis to be joyful in Adar, and Adar is twice as long this year, does that mean that we have twice as much joy this year than in non-leap years, or, does it mean that on any given day in the months of Adar, we are only half as joyful as we would have been in a non-leap year because our joy must be spread over twice as many days? There is no right or wrong answer! Be (very) creative with proof texts!
-------------------------------------------------------------------  

Please feel free to pass this on to a friend, and please cite the source.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------
FINDING MEANING IN THE MUNDANE

“Moses could not enter the tent of meeting because the cloud had settled upon it (alav); and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle.” Exodus 40:35

Etz Hayyim: It is unclear whether entry is literally blocked or is not permissible or that Moses dared not enter.

The erection of the tabernacle and the Sacred vessels, as in Exodus 4017–19; from the 1728 Figures de la Bible

The playwright David Mamet (in Five Cities of Refuge, co-authored with Rabbi Lawrence Kushner) asks an interesting question. “But is there something in the notion that Moses could not enter the Tent of Meeting because the cloud rested on him?”(reading the word “alav” as “upon him” rather than “upon it” - the Hebrew is ambiguous) He goes on to suggest that when Moses was filled with the Holy Spirit, in direct communion with the Divine, he was thereby unable to act as a servant to either God or the Israelites.

There has lately been a quest by Jews and non-Jews alike for “spirituality”. These searchers want a connection with God that is uplifting, meaningful, emotional, etc. And often, they want it immediately - they want a moving personal experience when they want it. This is a difficult proposition for rabbis and cantors, clergy of all types, who cannot always deliver spirituality on demand. One also must wonder whether God takes orders in quite this way - or in any way at all!

I am not in any way denigrating the spiritual needs of people. I also desire that connection, however ephemeral or short-lived it may be. But whenever I am having my individual experience with the Divine in a way that is not through any physical act, such as meditation or even singing, or when my spiritual moment is divorced from the world around me (something that I do seek from time to time), I am not then able to fulfill the Divine will. That is to say, we are commanded to act in this world through gemilut chasadim (acts of loving kindness), through tikkun olam (repairing brokenness in the world), and through tzedakah (justice or charity). One might argue these are only ordinary acts. But I think they are extra-ordinary and powerful ways to worship God. We all know that there can be joy in performing these mitzvot, as well as joy in the results. By acting as God’s servants, by feeding the hungry and burying the dead and protecting God's Creation and loving the stranger and giving charity, we make the spiritual (and human!) connection that God wants, even if it is not necessarily the connection we want when we want it.

If indeed God is Hamakom, the One That Is In Every Place, then in a narrow sense, God is within us as well. Although we may seldom if ever experience an ecstatic connection with God, we can nevertheless have an emotionally and spiritually satisfying connection whenever we want - by finding meaning in the mundane; in ordinary, everyday Jewish living. You want to find God?  Go - perform an act of chesed or tikkun or tzedakah and save the world! One small piece at a time.

Shabbat Shalom!
 
HaRav HaGa’on Abba Reuven ben Menachem Mendel Flom, Sh’lita
Av Beis Din – Chelm
Slivovitz Taste Tester
משנכנס אדר, מרבין בשמחה
From the beginning of Adar, we increase joy.
BT Ta’anit 29a
------------------------------------------------------
Cyber Torah list management (no salesman will call!):
To subscribe to Cyber Torah, send an e-mail with the subject heading “Subscribe Cyber Torah” to: ravflom@sbcglobal.net 
Send requests for dedications of Cyber Torah in honor of a simchah, in memory of a loved one or for a refuah shleimah to: ravflom@sbcglobal.net 
To unsubscribe from Cyber Torah, send an e-mail with the subject heading “Unsubscribe Cyber Torah” to: ravflom@sbcglobal.net 

MONEY AND MORALITY

Parashat Vayak'hel (Shabbat Shekalim)

Adar Harishon 29, 5784 / March 8-9, 2024

Torah: Exodus 35:1 - 38:20

Maftir: Exodus 30:11-16

Haftarah (Shekalim): 2 Kings 12:1-17 (Ashkenazim); 2 Kings 11:17 - 12:17 (Sephardim)

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This d’var torah is offered for a refuah shleimah and a speedy and safe return of all the hostages being held by Hamas.

This d’var torah is offered for a refuah shleimah for all who have been wounded in the Hamas terrorist attacks and in fighting against the terrorists, as well as innocent non-combatants caught in the crossfire.
 
This d'var torah is offered in memory of all the victims of Hamas, Islamic Jihad, and Hezbollah. Y’hi zikhronam liv’rakhah – May their memories be a blessing. And may the memory of Hamas, Islamic Jihad, and Hezbollah and all their supporters be forever erased.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Lunch and Learn meets Mondays at 12:30 PM on Zoom and Facebook Live. On Monday, March 11, we'll be at BT Shabbat 145b, page 205 of Ein Ya'akov (Glick edition) Volume 1 –  "... הבאים ישרה יעקב יציץ"  - "In the future shall Jacob yet take root ....”

 
Ein Ya'akov (Glick edition) is available for on-line reading or as a downloadable PDF at:
https://hebrewbooks.org/9630   
 
A pointed Hebrew text version with different pagination is available at Sefaria:
https://www.sefaria.org/Ein_Yaakov?tab=contents  
---------------------------------------------------------------------- 
Check out our wonderful community, and get lots of info about our various programs and becoming a Member at: https://bnaihayim.org/ 
----------------------------------------------------------------
Rabbi Van Leeuwen has a blog which you should read at: 
https://rebjasonblog.wordpress.com/blog/ 
 
Dr. Steve Pearlman writes up the "Midrashim of the Week", which you should read at: 
https://midrashsrp.wordpress.com 
------------------------------------------------------

!משנכנס אדר, מרבין בשמחה - With the beginning of Adar, we increase joy! (BT Ta'anit 29a) 

HERE'S A LITTLE PURIM TORAH CONTEST 

As this is a Jewish Leap Year, it raises a question, and the person who gives me whatever I believe to be the best answer will be awarded one slightly used bottle of slivovitz (the decision of the judge and the amount of slivovitz he drinks from the bottle first are in his sole discretion and are final): Since we are instructed by our rabbis to be joyful in Adar, and Adar is twice as long this year, does that mean that we have twice as much joy this year than in non-leap years, or, does it mean that on any given day in the months of Adar, we are only half as joyful as we would have been in a non-leap year because our joy must be spread over twice as many days? There is no right or wrong answer! Be (very) creative with proof texts!
-------------------------------------------------------------------  

Please feel free to pass this on to a friend, and please cite the source.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

MONEY AND MORALITY
 
‘(Moses said,) ... “(God) has endowed (Bezalel) with the spirit of God, with wisdom, ability and knowledge, … and inspired him to make artistic works in gold, silver and copper.”’ Exodus 35:31-32

Bezalel - by James Tissot, ca. 1896-1902

 

Rabbi Yehuda Avida (Yehuda-Leyb Zlotnik, aka Yehuda Elzet) teaches: “People commonly say that the biggest problem is how to attain money. Once a person has it, he will know what to do with it. But that is an error. Money can elevate people or bring them down to the lowest depths. With it, one can build a Tabernacle for God or construct an idol. The reason God endowed and inspired Bezalel is because one needs great wisdom to know how to use gold and silver properly."
 
“All the gold that was used for the work in all the work of the sanctuary, even the gold of the offering, was twenty-nine talents, and seven hundred thirty shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary.” Exodus 38:24
 
In Shirei Zimra, Rabbi Yosef Selama comments: “Gold brings about the ruination of the world. It has left many people dead. But it is also a tool for many good things. If one uses it for tzedakah and good deeds, the gold is elevated. Its moral value increases. That is 'the gold of the offering' – the gold which was elevated into an offering because it had been donated to the Sanctuary.”
 
For Rabbi Avida, how one uses their gold and silver is a reflection of the person’s morality. The purpose for which it is spent either elevates the person (and his/her soul), or debases them. The wisdom to which he refers is not philosophical or intellectual, but spiritual. Bezalel had this because he was filled with “the spirit of God”.
 
At first glance, it seems that for Rabbi Selama, the use of gold for a holy purpose elevates the gold, increasing its moral value. One might wonder how gold or any other currency can in and of itself have any moral value. He is actually making a pun. One of the Hebrew names for a sacrificial offering is “olah” – from the root "to go up". So he regards a monetary donation as an “olah” - "the gold is elevated". Another word for sacrifice is “korban” – which means to draw closer to God
 
For both our teachers, then, the manner in which we use our money can elevate our souls – or ultimately deflate our spirits. It’s up to us to make the moral decision.
 

Shabbat Shalom!
 
HaRav HaGa’on Abba Reuven ben Menachem Mendel Flom, Sh’lita
Av Beis Din – Chelm
Slivovitz Taste Tester
משנכנס אדר, מרבין בשמחה
From the beginning of Adar, we increase joy.
BT Ta’anit 29a
------------------------------------------------------
Cyber Torah list management (no salesman will call!):
To subscribe to Cyber Torah, send an e-mail with the subject heading “Subscribe Cyber Torah” to: ravflom@sbcglobal.net 
Send requests for dedications of Cyber Torah in honor of a simchah, in memory of a loved one or for a refuah shleimah to: ravflom@sbcglobal.net 
To unsubscribe from Cyber Torah, send an e-mail with the subject heading “Unsubscribe Cyber Torah” to: ravflom@sbcglobal.net 

MAKING ROOM IN SPACE AND TIME FOR SHABBAT

Parashat Ki Tisa

Adar Harishon 22, 5784 / March 1-2, 2024
Torah: Exodus 30:11 - 34:35
Haftarah: Ashkenazim - 1 Kings 18:1-39; Sephardim - 1 Kings 18:20-39

----------------------------------------------

This d’var torah is offered for a refuah shleimah for all who have been wounded in the Hamas terrorist attacks and in fighting against the terrorists, as well as innocent non-combatants caught in the crossfire.
 
This d'var torah is offered in memory of all the victims of Hamas, Islamic Jihad, and Hezbollah. Y’hi zikhronam liv’rakhah – May their memories be a blessing. And may the memory of Hamas, Islamic Jihad, and Hezbollah and all their supporters be forever erased.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Lunch and Learn meets Mondays at 12:30 PM on Zoom and Facebook Live. On Monday, March 4, we'll be at BT Shabbat 139a, page 203 of Ein Ya'akov (Glick edition) Volume 1 –  "... אמר רב פא אי בטלי יהירי"  - "R. Papa said: 'When the haughty will cease to exist ....'”

 
Ein Ya'akov (Glick edition) is available for on-line reading or as a downloadable PDF at:
https://hebrewbooks.org/9630   
 
A pointed Hebrew text version with different pagination is available at Sefaria:
https://www.sefaria.org/Ein_Yaakov?tab=contents  
---------------------------------------------------------------------- 
Check out our wonderful community, and get lots of info about our various programs and becoming a Member at: https://bnaihayim.org/ 
----------------------------------------------------------------
Rabbi Van Leeuwen has a blog which you should read at: 
https://rebjasonblog.wordpress.com/blog/ 
 
Dr. Steve Pearlman writes up the "Midrashim of the Week", which you should read at: 
https://midrashsrp.wordpress.com 
------------------------------------------------------

!משנכנס אדר, מרבין בשמחה - With the beginning of Adar, we increase joy! (BT Ta'anit 29a) 

HERE'S A LITTLE PURIM TORAH CONTEST 

As this is a Jewish Leap Year, it raises a question, and the person who gives me whatever I believe to be the best answer will be awarded one slightly used bottle of slivovitz (the decision of the judge and the amount of slivovitz he drinks from the bottle first are in his sole discretion and are final): Since we are instructed by our rabbis to be joyful in Adar, and Adar is twice as long this year, does that mean that we have twice as much joy this year than in non-leap years, or, does it mean that on any given day in the months of Adar, we are only half as joyful as we would have been in a non-leap year because our joy must be spread over twice as many days? There is no right or wrong answer! Be (very) creative with proof texts!
-------------------------------------------------------------------  

Please feel free to pass this on to a friend, and please cite the source.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

MAKING ROOM IN SPACE AND TIME FOR SHABBAT
 
"And the Children of Israel shall keep the Shabbat; to do the Shabbat for all their generations; it is an eternal covenant between Me and the Children of Israel; a sign forever ..." Exodus 31:16-17
 
This passage should be familiar. We chant it Friday evening during the Shabbat Ma’ariv service, and again Shabbat morning at kiddush.
 
Rebbe S. A. Taub of Modzhitz asks, “Why is Shabbat stated twice?” He suggests that the answer is found in the B. Talmud Shabbat 118b: “If Israel would only keep two consecutive Shabbatot according to their laws, they would be instantly redeemed.” That is an awesome reason to keep Shabbat! But he thinks there is another answer as well.

He says that there are two unique dimensions to Shabbat. One is sitting and doing nothing - resting, refraining from any prohibited activities, and the like. That is “keeping”, or “observing” Shabbat. The second is actually doing something - studying Torah, eating a festive meal, singing z’mirot, and so forth. That is “doing”, or “making” Shabbat.
 
All of this observing and doing, though, has to be done not only in accordance with the positive and negative commandments concerning activity, but also within a specific framework of time. Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel, in his book “The Sabbath”, tells us that our daily lives are all about the physical world - “building castles in space”, he calls it. But Shabbat is metaphysical - by refraining from work for twenty-five hours, we are actually building “castles in time”. By observing Shabbat and doing Shabbat, we transcend the physical world, putting us somewhere else on the space-time continuum – or taking us beyond it altogether. The Rabbis say that, by “keeping” and “doing” this particular covenant with God, we get a taste of eternity now. Try it - you’ll like it.

Keep Shabbat! Do Shabbat! Live Shabbat!

Shabbat Shalom!
 
HaRav HaGa’on Abba Reuven ben Menachem Mendel Flom, Sh’lita
Av Beis Din – Chelm
Slivovitz Taste Tester
משנכנס אדר, מרבין בשמחה
From the beginning of Adar, we increase joy.
BT Ta’anit 29a
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