Thursday, May 28, 2026

REPENTANCE FROM WITHIN

Parashat Naso
Sivan 14, 5783 / June 2-3, 2023
Torah: Numbers 4:21 - 7:89
Haftarah: Judges 13:2-25
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It's a mostly Rabbi Flom weekend at Temple B'nai Hayim - I'm conducting the Shabbat evening and morning services while Reb Jason has Shabbat off.  And on Sunday is our genizah burial service that Reb Jason and I will be conducting, with congregation participation. I hope to see as many of you as possible at one or two or all of these services. Come see our beautiful new davening space in the Deiber Chapel at Adat Ari El. The burial of holy books that are no longer usable can be a learning and also very moving experience.

Shabbat evening service: Zoom and Facebook Live - 7:00 pm
Shabbat Morning Service: In person, Zoom, and Facebook Live - 9:00 am
Genizah burial service: In person only - 12:00 noon - Sholom Memorial Park, 13017 Lopez Canyon Rd, Sylmar, CA 91342
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Lunch and Learn meets Mondays at 12:30 PM on Zoom and Facebook Live. 
We're continuing to read and discuss Ramban (Nachmanides) on the Book of Genesis.
On June 1, we'll be at https://www.sefaria.org/Ramban_on_Genesis.1.1.3?lang=bi  It is helpful to also have a chumash with Rashi or other commentary on hand.
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REPENTANCE FROM WITHIN

"The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 'Speak to the Children of Israel: A man or woman who commits any of mankind's sins, to commit sacrilege against the Lord, and that person becomes guilty - they shall confess their sin that they committed - they shall make restitution for their guilt plus an additional one-fifth, and give it to the one whom they have wronged.'" Numbers 5:5-7

In his Mishneh Torah - Hilchot Teshuvah, Rambam (Maimonides) says that the commandment to confess is the foundation of teshuvah, repentance. For sins against God, we confess to God. For "mankind's sins", i.e., sins against our fellows, we confess to the person we injured and also to God - for sins against others are also sins against God.


Traditional depiction of Ramban (1194 - 1270)




Traditional depiction of Rambam (1135 - 1204)


Why confession? Shouldn't restitution, especially with an additional amount, be sufficient? If the guilty party has made the victim whole, what is the point of confession? Compare this with the American legal system. Every day, hundreds of lawsuits are settled with the payment of settlement money (not called "damages"), but with no admission of wrongdoing. We accept this as a way to end litigation, but we know intuitively that it is not the solution to the problem. It seems like the guilty party is buying a license - perhaps to sin yet again.

Why confession? In part, one must convince both humans and God that one will not commit the sin again. But many of us can be convincing actors. We might even convince ourselves. An answer may be found in the Hebrew grammar for the word "confess" which appears in verse 7. The word is hitvadu, a reflexive form of the verb. The point is to cause introspection, to find the true source of the wrongdoing, to avoid the blame game. Someone who has confessed, both outwardly and inwardly, who has thoroughly examined the self, is much less likely to commit another offense. Some things money can't buy! True repentance, the changing of one's attitudes and actions, comes from within.

Shabbat Shalom!
 
Rabbi Richard A. Flom - DD (HC)
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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My weekly divrei torah are available through free subscription to the Cyber Torah e-mail list. No salesman will call!
To subscribe to Cyber Torah, and receive Cyber Torah every week in your mailbox, 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 
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Thursday, May 21, 2026

PRESENT TENSE

Sivan 6-7, 5786 / May 21-23, 2026

Shavuot I - Friday
Torah: Exodus 19:1 - 20:23; Numbers 28:26-31
Haftarah: Ezekiel 1:1-28; 3:12

Shavuot II - Saturday
Torah: Deuteronomy 14:22 - 16:17; Numbers 28:26-31
Haftarah: Habakkuk 3:1 - 3:19
Additional reading: Book of Ruth
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This d'var torah is offered in memory of my beloved father, Martin Flom, whose yahrzeit falls on Saturday, Sivan 7. Y’hi zikhro barukh – his memory is a blessing.

This d'var torah is offered in memory of my beloved grandfather, Jacob Slome, whose yahrzeit falls on Sunday, Sivan 8. Y’hi zikhro barukh – his memory is a blessing.
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Lunch and Learn meets Mondays at 12:30 PM on Zoom and Facebook Live. NO meeting on Monday, May 25. On June 1, we'll be reading and discussing Ramban's Commentary on the Book of Genesis. You can find the material here:

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PRESENT TENSE

"In the third month after the exodus of the Children of Israel from the land of Egypt, on this very day, they came into the wilderness of Sinai."  Exodus 19:1

"It was only necessary to write 'on that day'; what is the meaning of 'on this very day'?  In order that the words of the Torah should be new to you as if He gave them today." Rashi, citing Talmud Berachot and Midrash Tanchuma Yashan

Ever sensitive to the meaning of the words, the Rabbis questioned why the Torah uses present tense rather than past tense.  We should be familiar with at least one answer.  After all, the Rabbis formulated the blessing recited before the public reading of the Torah in the present tense - "Barukh atah ... notein hatorah" - "Blessed are You ... the One Who gives the Torah".


Ruth in Boaz's Field - Julius Schnorr von Carolsfeld, 1828

But I ask, what do the Rabbis and we really mean by "new to you as if He gave them today"?  At one level, at every public reading of the Torah, we should consider ourselves to be standing at the foot of Sinai, receiving the Torah for the very first time.  We re-enact this by standing when we read the Ten Commandments, in Parshat Yitro, which is also the reading for the first day of Shavuot, and in Parashat Va'etchanan.

At a deeper level, whenever we study Torah, as well as the Talmud, commentaries, or any other holy text, it not only ought to be "as if" new, it _is_ new.  Every day brings with it new experiences, knowledge and insights.  That means that today's understanding of a verse or passage is not necessarily what it will be tomorrow.  This is why Ben Bag Bag (Pirkei Avot 5:22) taught: "Turn it again and again, for everything is in it; contemplate it, grow gray and old over it, and do not swerve from it, for there is no greater good."

The Torah is not a relic of the past - for on this very day and every day, God is giving it to us.

Chag sameach v'shabbat shalom!

Rabbi Richard A. Flom
Rabbi Emeritus, Temple B’nai Hayim
הרחמן הוא יברך אותנו כולנו יחד בברכת אחוה, ובברכת אהבה,ובברכת שלום
May the Merciful One bless us, all of us as one, with the blessing of brotherhood, the blessing of love, and the blessing of peace.
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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@sbcglobal.net with the heading “Subscribe Cyber Torah”.
To unsubscribe from Cyber Torah, send an e-mail from the receiving address to: ravflom@sbcglobal.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@sbcglobal.net with the heading “Dedicate Cyber Torah” and provide details in the message body.
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Thursday, May 14, 2026

THE TEST

Parashat Bamidbar
Iyar 29, 5786 / May 15-16, 2026
Torah: Numbers 1:1 – 4:2
Haftarah: Hosea 2:1-22

Shavuot - Sivan 6-7, 5786 / May 21-23, 2026
Torah (Day 1): Exodus 19:1 - 20:23
          (Day 2): Deuteronomy 14:22 - 16:17
Maftir (both days): Numbers 28:26-31
Haftarah (Day 1): Ezekiel 1:1-28; 3:12
             (Day 2): Habakkuk 2:20 - 3:19
Additional reading: Book of Ruth
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This d'var torah is offered in memory of my beloved father, Martin Flom, whose yahrzeit falls on Sivan 7. Y’hi zikhro barukh – his memory is a blessing.

This d'var torah is offered in memory of my beloved grandfather, Jacob Slome, whose yahrzeit falls on Sivan 8. Y’hi zikhro barukh – his memory is a blessing.
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Lunch and Learn meets Mondays at 12:30 PM on Zoom and Facebook Live. On May 18, we'll be reading and discussing Ramban's Commentary on the Book of Genesis. You can find the material here:


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THE TEST

“The Lord spoke to Moses in the Wilderness of Sinai, in the Tent of Meeting, on the first day of the second month, in the second year after their exodus from the land of Egypt, saying.” Numbers 1:1

This parashah, and the book of the Torah named for it, is called “Numbers” in English. But in Hebrew, it is “Bamidbar”, which means “in the wilderness”. The census taken in this parashah, the numbering, is done in the wilderness. The wilderness is a fearful place, with dangers both physical and spiritual. It is a place to be tested, to stand up and be counted.

The Wilderness of Sinai


The giving of the Torah will be commemorated on the holiday of Shavuot next week. In the Midrash, Bamidbar Rabbah, it is taught that the Torah was given in fire, in water and in the desert. In a sense, this wasteland where our ancestors ultimately would spend 40 years, serves as a forge. Just as a sword is hammered and shaped, plunged into fire and water and sand, and tested for durability, so were the Israelites.

Often, people having a life cycle event, whether a bar/bat mitzvah, wedding, graduation, or even a divorce or a death, feel they have passed a test. While that may be true, it is not the end, but the beginning. Now it is time to do something positive with the test results, and more especially with the knowledge and experience by which the passing grade was accomplished. It is life itself that is the ultimate test. And the Torah, given to our ancestors and to us, is the study guide.

Good luck on your exams!

Shabbat Shalom! Chag Shavuot Sameach!

Rabbi Richard A. Flom
Rabbi Emeritus, Temple B’nai Hayim
הרחמן הוא יברך אותנו כולנו יחד בברכת אחוה, ובברכת אהבה,ובברכת שלום
May the Merciful One bless us, all of us as one, with the blessing of brotherhood, the blessing of love, and the blessing of peace.
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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@sbcglobal.net with the heading “Subscribe Cyber Torah”.
To unsubscribe from Cyber Torah, send an e-mail from the receiving address to: ravflom@sbcglobal.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@sbcglobal.net with the heading “Dedicate Cyber Torah” and provide details in the message body.
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Tuesday, May 5, 2026

YOUR SIBLING'S KEEPER

Parashat Behar-Bechukotai
Torah: Leviticus 25:1 – 27:34 (Chazak!)
Haftarah: Jeremiah 16:19 - 17:14
Iyar 22, 5786 / May 8-9, 2026
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The National Association of Letter Carriers and the USPS are conducting their annual STAMP OUT HUNGER campaign this Saturday, May 9. For more info, go to:


Please help the community as best you can!
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Lunch and Learn meets Mondays at 12:30 PM on Zoom and Facebook Live. NO meeting on May 11. On May 18, we'll be reading and discussing Ramban's Commentary on the Book of Genesis. You can find the material here:


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YOUR SIBLING'S KEEPER

"And if your brother becomes poor and his strength fails him, you shall support him, whether he is a convert or a resident alien (read this as "a naturalized citizen or a resident non-citizen" - RAF), in order that he may live with you." Leviticus 25:35

The great Kabbalist of Tz'fat, Rabbi Moshe Alshikh (1508-1593), notes that earlier verses were in the second person plural. That is, the Torah had set up a social regime to be followed by the community as a whole. In our verse, however, the Torah switches to the singular. He says that, when a person needs help, everyone tries to shift responsibility to someone else, claiming that some other person is more closely related or has more means to help, or... You get the idea.

R. Alshikh says the singular verb teaches that each of us, individually, is responsible for helping the poor. One cannot absolve oneself of this obligation simply by referring the poor person to someone else.

But there’s much, much more at play here. The verse calls the poor person “your brother”, and it clearly means someone beyond only a sibling with closely-shared DNA. Rather, the verse implies that every human being is related to every other human being – we are all siblings. 


"The Creation of Adam" - ca. 1508-1512 - Michelangelo

The prophet Malachi (2:10) is explicit about this: “Do we not all have one father? Did not one God create us? Why do we deal treacherously every man against his brother, profaning the covenant of our ancestors?” See also Mishnah Sanhedrin 4:5: “...only a single human being was initially created for the sake of peace, so that no one should be able to claim lineage superior to another person…” 

You and I are each our siblings' keeper! If we don't support them, who will?

Shabbat Shalom!

Rabbi Richard A. Flom
Rabbi Emeritus, Temple B’nai Hayim
הרחמן הוא יברך אותנו כולנו יחד בברכת אחוה, ובברכת אהבה,ובברכת שלום
May the Merciful One bless us, all of us as one, with the blessing of brotherhood, the blessing of love, and the blessing of peace.
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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@sbcglobal.net with the heading “Subscribe Cyber Torah”.
To unsubscribe from Cyber Torah, send an e-mail from the receiving address to: ravflom@sbcglobal.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@sbcglobal.net with the heading “Dedicate Cyber Torah” and provide details in the message body. 
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Wednesday, April 29, 2026

MAKING A CONNECTION

Parashat Emor
Iyar 15, 5786 /May 1-2, 2026
Torah: Leviticus 21:1 – 24:23
Haftarah: Ezekiel 44:15-31
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Lunch and Learn meets Mondays at 12:30 PM on Zoom and Facebook Live. On May 4, we'll be reading and discussing Ramban's Commentary on the Book of Genesis. You can find the material here:  
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MAKING A CONNECTION
 
“And you shall not eat bread, or parched grain, or fresh kernels until the very day that you have brought the (omer) offering for your God; it is an eternal decree for all your generations, in all your dwelling places." Leviticus 23:14
 
"When you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not completely reap all the way to the corners (pe’ah) of your field, and you shall not gather the gleanings (leket) of your harvest; you shall leave them for the poor and the stranger; I am the Lord your God." Leviticus 23:22

"Ruth Gleaning" - James Tissot, 1896
 
The Torah states at verse 14 that new grain, i.e., grain from the fresh crop, may not be eaten until the omer (a measure of barley) offering has been brought on the second day of Pesach, or, these days, until the time for making the offering has passed. And at verse 22, the Torah commands us concerning the harvests of our fields.
 
These commandments might seem pointless. How many of us have the direct connection with the land that is required for fulfilling the mitzvot of omer, pe'ah and leket? When we buy bread in a bakery, how do we know what crop the grain came from? How many of us have fields of grain?
 
There is a way to combine these commandments in a modern fashion that allows us to actualize them in a significant and meaningful way. True, we no longer make sacrificial offerings directly to God. And I suspect that there are very few farmers reading this. However, there are many poor and hungry people in our society. Before we eat, we are obligated to consider them, and do what we can to feed them as well.

I suggest that we should be offering grain (and other foods) to other people, who are, after all, created in God's likeness. The food comes from our pantries rather than our fields. We do the gleaning; they do the eating. I am sure that there are very few people reading this who cannot spare at least a few cans of food for those with nothing to eat at all. Why should we do this? Hosea (6:6) quotes God as telling us, "For it is loving-kindness I desire – not sacrifice." Further, we read just last Shabbat, “… And you shall love your fellow, who is just like you…” Leviticus 19:18

Gather up some cans or boxes pf unexpired, non-perishable food )no glass) and some unopened toiletries (hotel amenities are great for that) and take them to the local food pantry, such as SOVA, BTAC/HALA, or North Hollywood Interfaith Food Pantry. You can also make secure monetary donations on-line to those agencies, as well as Mazon. And next Shabbat, Saturday, May 9, you can even leave bags of groceries out for your USPS mail carrier!
 
It's a wonderful way for you and your (our) children to carry out the call that we made at the Pesach Seder just a month ago - "Let all who are hungry come and eat!" Nor is there any reason to be selfish in this regard. After all, it’s not really ours to hoard. "For the land is Mine, and you are sojourners and residents with Me." (Lev. 25:23)  God created it; God owns it; we are only workers in God’s vineyard. Give a little! Make the connection with God, Nature and your fellow human beings!
 
Shabbat Shalom!
 
Rabbi Richard A. Flom, DD (HC)
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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BTAC/Home Again LA: https://www.homeagainla.org/ 

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To subscribe to Cyber Torah, and receive Cyber Torah every week in your mailbox, send an e-mail with the subject heading “Subscribe Cyber Torah” to:  ravflom@sbcglobal.net 
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Thursday, March 19, 2026

DRAWING CLOSER - TO GOD, AND TO PEOPLE

Parashat Vayikra
Nisan 3, 5786 / March 20-21, 2026
Torah: Leviticus 1:1 - 5:26
Haftarah: Isaiah 43:21 – 44:23
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Lunch and Learn meets Tuesdays at 12:30 PM on Zoom and Facebook Live. On March 23, we'll be reading and discussing the Hagaddah Shel Pesach. You might want to have your favorite, complete hagaddah on hand for this. 
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My annual Pesach Resources page is now available! Check out:


The page will be updated as needed before Pesach.
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DRAWING CLOSER - TO GOD,  AND TO PEOPLE

“When a person from among you should offer (yakriv) an offering (korban) to the Lord ...” Leviticus 1:2

The word “korban” has an interesting etymology. The word is usually translated as “offering” or “sacrifice”. The book of Leviticus uses the word, or some variant of it, numerous times in this and succeeding parshiot, describing in graphic detail the various animal and grain sacrifices. The root of the word, and also of “yakriv”, is k-r-v, which means “to draw near”.

‘Rabbi Elazar said: “Doing deeds of charity is greater than all of the sacrificial offerings (korbanot).” …Our Rabbis taught: “Deeds of lovingkindness (gemilut chasadim) are greater than charity in three ways – charity is with money, for the poor, for the living - but deeds of lovingkindness are with direct personal contact, for rich and poor, for the living and the dead.”’ BT Sukkah 49b

Tzedakah Box


The rabbis wondered why the sacrificial rite should use this particular term. One classic explanation is that the smoke of the sacrifice rose up to God, and drew God near to the person making the offering.  Another explanation is that, by offering something of significant value, the person was bringing him/herself closer to God, a not-so-subtle difference. There were many types of sacrifices: atonement, freewill, thanksgiving, purification, and others. With the Temple destroyed and the sacrifices gone, we might ask how it is possible to draw close to God. And the answer is: through the performance of the mitzvot, the commandments. For Rabbi Elazar, the answer is a specific subset of the mitzvot – charity, aka tzedakah. For the Rabbis, it’s a different subset – gemilut chasadim.

I believe that Rabbi Elazar’s or the Rabbis’ answers are not sufficient as stated. Giving charity, or performing deeds of lovingkindness, do not inevitably make any spiritual connection for us, they don't by themselves substitute for the korbanot, even if fulfilling these commandments make us “feel good”.

Now consider this kavannah, a brief statement of intent, recited before donning tefillin: “For the sake of the unification of the Holy One Blessed is He, and His Presence ... Here I am, intending to fulfill the mitzvah of my Creator ...” The Kabbalists here teach that performing the mitzvah of tefillin brings us closer to God, and God closer to us, IF THAT IS OUR INTENT. I would go a step further. We ought to focus on bringing ourselves closer to God whenever we observe ANY mitzvah, and that includes tzedakah and gemilut chasadim. Maybe especially those, because they are done for the benefit of others, and not for ourselves.

Thus, every mitzvah is a “korban”, an offering that draws us closer to God, if we intend that it be so. There is a world of difference between lighting candles for atmosphere and intending that act to bring on Shabbat and bring us closer to God. And there is a significant difference between acting mindlessly by rote alone and by intending that one truly bring God into one’s life through a mitzvah. Especially when the mitzvah brings us and others together. But that is a sacrifice that should be easy to make.

Shabbat Shalom!

Rabbi Richard A. Flom DD (HC)
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, and receive Cyber Torah every week in your mailbox, send an e-mail with the subject heading “Subscribe Cyber Torah” to: 
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 
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Thursday, March 12, 2026

SERVICE OF THE HEART

Adar 25, 5786 / March 13-14, 2026
Parashat Vayak’hel/Pekudei - Shabbat HaChodesh
Torah: Exodus 35:1 – 40:38
Maftir (HaChodesh): Exodus 12:1-20
Haftarah (HaChodesh): Ezekiel 45:16 – 46:18

This d’var torah is offered in memory of my father-in-law, Abraham Kronzek, whose yahrzeit falls on Thursday, Nisan 1/March 19. Y’hi zikhro liv’rakhah – his memory is a blessing.
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Lunch and Learn meets Tuesdays at 12:30 PM on Zoom and Facebook Live. We're continuing to read and discuss Mishnah Pesachim in preparation for Passover.
On March 16, we'll be at Pesachim 10:6. The text is available on-line at:

https://www.sefaria.org/Mishnah_Pesachim.10.6?lang=bi 
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My annual Pesach Resources page is now available! Check out:


The page will be updated as needed before Pesach.
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SERVICE OF THE HEART

"Take from among you gifts to the Lord; everyone whose heart so moves him shall bring them ... Every man and woman whose heart moved them to bring anything for the work that the Lord had commanded to be done, through Moses; the Israelites brought free will offerings to the Lord." Exodus 35:5; 35:29

The Ark in the Tabernacle (1984 illustration by Jim Padgett, courtesy of Distant Shores Media/Sweet Publishing)

The free-will gifts mentioned here relate to the construction of the tabernacle and the ritual objects and vestments utilized by the Israelite priests. With no more Temple in Jerusalem, we have found different ways to make holy gifts, in the form of tzedakah (charity) and gemilut chasadim (deeds of lovingkindness). For Purim, we have Mishlo’ach Manot (sending gifts of food) and Matanot L’evyonim (gifts of food or money to the poor). For Pesach we have Ma’ot Chittin (tzedakah specifically so the poor can observe the festival). We also have the commandments to leave the corners of our fields and gleaning of fields, vineyards, and olive groves for the poor. Although these are mitzvot, acts which are commanded, we must admit that we give more and we do more when our hearts are moved to do so.

We have been told by our Rabbis that the Temple was destroyed because of sin'at chinam, senseless hatred, and that we will be redeemed through ahavat chinam, senseless love of our fellow human beings.

Observance of the mitzvot may be seen as a form of worship – just as our prayer services are. Perhaps our path to redemption, for ourselves, for our communities, and for our world, is for our hearts to be constantly moved with love of these mitzvot and of those who benefit from them, so that we continually engage in Avodat HaLev - the service of the heart.

Our society too often appears to be engaged in a struggle between love and hate, between caring for each other and treating people like they were disposable. Yes, Pesach is coming in less than three weeks – but members of our community are in need NOW!

God promises us through Ezekiel (36:26 – the haftarah we read last week for Shabbat Parah), "I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit into you; I will remove the heart of stone from your body and give you a heart of flesh."

Don’t wait for God’s heart transplant! Don't wait until your heart moves you! Move your heart! Do it today!

Shabbat Shalom!

Rabbi Richard A. Flom DD (HC)
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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To subscribe to Cyber Torah, and receive Cyber Torah every week in your mailbox, send an e-mail with the subject heading “Subscribe Cyber Torah” to: 
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Wednesday, March 11, 2026

PESACH RESOURCES – 5786 (UPATED MARCH 16, 2026)

 PESACH RESOURCES – 5786 (UPATED MARCH 16, 2026) 
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Chaverim yekarim - Dear friends:
 
Well, it’s almost time for Pesach! You know, the “Festival of Freedom”, the holiday on which we celebrate our release from slavery to Pharaoh in Egypt by abiding by the very strict dietary and ritual rules created by the Rabbis and Jewish Tradition, including eating the hardtack called matzah for eight days. Freedom, you say? God said, “Send forth My people, so they may serve me.” That’s how it is typically translated. But the Hebrew word for “so they may serve me”, “v’ya’avduni”, might easily be translated as “so they will slave for Me”. The root for “serve”, “avad”, is also the root for “eved” – “slave”. So, how do you manage Pesach in such a way as to avoid complete slavery?
 
Here are some simple rules:
1. Accept that you are not perfect – and neither is anyone else! You don’t have to do it all! You can’t do it all!
2. Prepare the house by cleaning and removing the chametz. A short but very useful guide to kashering your kitchen and home and identifying foods that are or are not kosher for Passover 5786/2026 can be found at: 
3. Prepare the food for the Seder.
4. Prepare the food for the remainder of the holiday by shopping for it before Pesach.
5. Prepare yourself and your family spiritually.
6. Prepare yourself and your family intellectually.
7. Do not drive yourself or anyone else crazy – see number rule #1.
8. Remember that Pesach really is about freedom; freedom is fun; have fun! See rule #7.
9. Any questions? Ask a rabbi!

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Seder Plate with Orange





Shmurah Matzah


Are you looking for ways to make your Seder more meaningful, more accessible, more involving for children, more interesting, shorter, etc.? Then check out these resources on-line:
 
a. The Rabbinical Assembly’s Pesach Guide 5786 can be downloaded at the following site: 


b. Additional Pesach kashrut and other resources from the Rabbinical Assembly may be found at: 


c. Pesach kitchen kashering from a strictly Orthodox perspective can be found at:
 
https://artscroll.files.wordpress.com/2010/03/kosher-kitchen_ch-15.pdf
 
d. MyJewishLearning.com is, IMVHO, the best Jewish educational resource on the web, and has material on virtually everything you might ever want to know about Judaism, but don't know how or whom to ask. The homepage is easily navigable. For Pesach, explore this page, with its 33(!) additional pages of links (!), 10-15 per page, over 350 links in all, to all kinds of information and resources - recipes, planning tips, DIY Haggadot, customs of different communities, and just about anything you might want to know about Pesach:


e. Passover according to Chabad in a straightforward manner. Lots of useful material. Follow the various links on this page:

f. Especially good for beginners, National Jewish Outreach Program’s extensive and accessible collection of how-tos, background materials and videos, from the folks who bring you Shabbat Across America (also has Shabbat and other holiday resources):
 
https://njop.org/passover/passover-seder-101-web-series/

g. How about a downloadable Haggadah? Check these out:


PJ Library has lots of accessible educational Jewish books and and other materials for free. This haggadah seems really long, but it's in big print with lots of illustrations.

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It might not be "the best", but this printable PDF covers all the halakhic basics in about 8-10 pages. I would definitely use this for a short but meaningful Seder if pressed for time (school night, hungry little ones, etc,)

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Some of the very nice things about this Chabad Haggadah - it's a printable PDF file; it has lots of explanations of the hows and whys of the seder; and, it has a modern, accessible, non-literal translation. One drawback - it's 114 pages long, including introductory material and appendices. You can print only the pages you want.

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Sefaria is a one-stop source for thousands of Jewish texts and teaching/study materials.

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Barebones, no explanation, but has transliterations for the bulk of the haggadah.

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6. Last, but not least, everyone's favorite:


Yep, that's right, a scanned version of the complete Maxwell House Haggadah. Ah, the memories ...

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NOTE: A Google search for "free downloadable haggadah" or "haggadah online" will lead to some useful and many not-so-useful resources. If you go this route, be sure they are legitimate and not come-ons from Christian missionary groups.
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h. Another very nice on-line resource is excellent, and includes material in Spanish and French (Be sure to follow all the internal links):


Exploring Judaism is a project of Conservative/Masorti Judaism.

i. Courtesy of the Rabbinical Assembly, a useful source sheet with discussion questions that is appropriate for group study or around the seder table can be found here:

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One of my seminary teachers suggested that, in addition to whichever Haggadah of choice you use for your Seder, you should every year acquire a new Haggadah with commentary and illustrations to help you prepare and make your Seder more enjoyable. Ask your local Jewish bookseller, consult with a rabbi, explore the web – there are beautiful and accessible Haggadot available. My Jewish Learning has a nice article about choosing a Haggadah for your seder here:  https://www.myjewishlearning.com/article/how-is-this-haggadah-different/ 

Here are some of my favorites for getting ready:

 
1. Passover Haggadah – The Feast of Freedom. The Rabbinical Assembly, 1982. Clear spiritual commentary. 



 
2. A Passover Haggadah – Go Forth and Learn. Rabbi David Silver. Jewish Publication Society, 2011. A new classic.
 
3. The Haggadah Treasury. Rabbi Nosson Scherman. Artscroll, 1978. Midrash and traditional teachings.
 
4. From Bondage to Freedom – The Passover Haggadah. Rabbi Abraham J. Twerski, M.D. Shaar Press, 1995. Tradition blended with insights relating to addiction and dependency.
 
5. A Different Night – The Family Participation Haggadah. Noam Zion and David Dishon. Shalom Hartman Institute, 1997. Difficult to use at the seder, but lots of great ideas - especially in the leader's guide.
 
6. Studies on the Haggadah from the Teachings of Nechama Leibowitz. Urim Publications, 2002. Deep Torah from a great scholar.
 
7. The Hirsch Haggadah. Samson Raphael Hirsch. Feldheim Publishers, 1993. The 19th century voice of Orthodoxy.
 
8. A Feast of History. Chaim Raphael. Steimatzky’s, 1972. (Out of print but available used) The lengthy historical essay is interesting and useful.
 
9. The Origins of the Seder. Baruch Bokser. JTS Press, 2002 (Paperback edition). Not a Haggadah, but for those interested in an academic treatise that opens the eyes to history.
 
10. Passover – The Family Guide to Spiritual Celebration. Dr. Ron Wolfson. Jewish Lights Publishing, 2010 (2d edition) A straight-forward how-to guide with explanations and insights for the table.
 
Some other important reminders about Pesach and the lead-up to the holy days:
 
1. All first-borns (except Levi’im and Kohanim) are obliged to engage in a fast, called Ta’anit B’chorot, others say Ta'anit B'chorim, in recognition of the 10th plague, from pre-dawn until the seder on the 14th of Nisan - this year on Wednesday, April 1. To avoid the fast, the custom has become for the firstborn to engage in Torah study and then have a festive "meal" (a siyyum) at the completion of their study. Temple B'nai Hayim and Adat Ari El will hold in-person (Deiber Chapel) and on-line morning minyan, Torah study and siyyum on April 1, at 7:30 am. Zoom details will be in the synagogue e-mail notices.
 
2. Adat Ari El is is holding an in-person Community First Seder this year, Wednesday, April 1, at 6:00 pm. RSVP at:


Temple B'nai Hayim is holding an in-person Community Second Seder this year, Thursday, April 2, at 6:30 pm. This seder will be at Adat Ari El - Russell Hall. RSVP at: https://tinyurl.com/TBHSecondSeder 

For more information on the TBH Community Second Seder, contact the synagogue at (818) 788-4664 or office@bethmeier.org  

For more information on the AAE Community First Seder, contact the synagogue at (818) 766-9426 

3.  DON’T FORGET TO REMOVE AND SELL CHAMETZ!! – AUTHORIZE RABBI VAN LEEUWEN TO SELL ON YOUR BEHALF NO LATER THAN 3:00 pm, March 25, 2026.

A fillable on-line form is available here: https://tinyurl.com/TBHChametzSale  
 
4. Kitniyot (beans, rice, corn) on Pesach? Yes! Read the latest from the Rabbinical Assembly at:
 
http://www.rabbinicalassembly.org/sites/default/files/public/halakhah/teshuvot/2011-2020/Levin-Reisner-Kitniyot.pdf 

I guess it's time to start thinking about Pesach!
 
Wishing you a Chag Pesach Sameach, Kasher U’Mashma’uti – A Passover that is Happy, Kosher and Meaningful!

Rabbi Richard A. Flom, DD (HC)
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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