Weekly Parsha

Exodus 12:21-51

This Shabbat coincides with Pesach (Passover). Therefore, there is a special reading for Shabbat of Pesach which supersedes the usual weekly Torah portion. The Torah portion reading includes: The Passover offering, the 10th plague (death of the firstborn Egyptian), Pharaoh's surrender, the Exodus from Egypt, and additional laws of the Passover offering. Also read is Numbers 28:16-25 including: the laws of Pesach, the offerings of the holiday and the designation of Pesach as a seven day holiday.

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Dvar Torah
adapted from The Passover Survival Kit by Rabbi Shimon Apisdorf

During the Passover Seder we ask the Four Questions. So, why IS this night different? Because on this night we experienced our freedom. Because only on this holiday do all of the special observances, mitzvot, apply only at night. On Rosh Hashanah we blow the shofar only during the day. On Sukkot we sit in a Sukkah during the day or night. Only on Passover do so many mitzvot apply only at night. Why is this the only night of the year so brimming with mitzvot? Because on the night of Passover we not only commemorate the moment of our birth, but we express the very meaning of our existence as a people. Our sages tell us, "For the mitzvah is like a candle and the Torah a light."

The purpose of Jewish existence is to be a source of light where otherwise darkness would hold sway. No matter how dark the world around us seems to grow, no matter how dim humankind's future may seem -- the Jewish nation never gives up. Deep inside we all know that things can be different. Deep inside we feel the call to cast a light on a darkened life, or to illuminate a clouded corner of the globe.

As dark as our lives may seem, lost though the world may have become, we still believe in the power of light. To illuminate our lives and our potential. to be a radiant force for all mankind. This is our message and our goal. We will not rest until the dark night again shines like the day.

Dvar Torah:

What does it mean to be free? "Free" means not having outside control over your actions, thoughts, behavior. There are different levels of freedom: 1) The freedom over physical actions -- where you go, what you do. 2) The freedom over what you think about. 3) The freedom to make moral decisions. Deciding whether you are going to have chocolate or vanilla ice cream is not on the same level as deciding whether or not to return a lost wallet.

Moral decisions are a lot more difficult to make than physical ones. With physical decisions where one is enslaved, there is no choice because of physical restraint. With moral decisions it is the conflict between your free will and your body's desire.

Pirke Avot, Ethics of Our Fathers (6 chapters of succinct wisdom found in the back of most siddurim, [prayer books]) asks, "Who is the mighty person?" and answers, "He who conquers his passions." The free-est person is the one who controls his passions and his desires in order to make moral decisions.