On all other Pesachs, we follow the regular Hagada service, reclining, reading, singing, eating and drinking. On this Pesach, we have alternate instructions to follow in case our seder is interrupted or cut short by sirens alerting us that an incoming missile is headed our way and we need to go into a sealed room or bomb shelter.

On a regular Pesach, tourists fly in and out of Israel and celebrate in the lap of luxury. On this Pesach, very few tourists will be able to get in to Israel and there are still Israelis who are stranded abroad who are waiting to come home.

On a regular Pesach, the Kotel is packed throughout the holiday and especially for the Birkat Kohanim service. On this Pesach, the Kotel will be closed as it is not safe to have large groups congregating when at any time they may need to run for cover.

On a regular Pesach, our homes are clean and sparkling and we gather to celebrate together. On this Pesach, over 4000 Israelis from cities such as Tel Aviv, Petach Tikva, Arad, Beit Shemesh, Dimona and Be’er Sheva who lost their homes will be spending the holiday in a temporary residence.

On all other Pesachs we wait for Eliyahu HaNavi to stop by for a visit. On this Pesach, we wait for loved ones to receive last minute leave from the army in order to spend the holiday with their families.

On all other Pesachs we travel the country and visit beaches and nature reserves. On this Pesach, we have to stay close to home in case there is a siren.

On all other Pesachs, Jews from around the world take the State of Israel for granted. On this Pesach, we must remind ourselves how lucky we are to have our own state and our own army to protect us from our enemies.

May we hear good news!

Pharaoh’s plan to destroy B’nai Yisrael with back breaking work fails and they are now reproducing quicker than ever. He decides to enlist in the help of the miyaldot. As we read in Shmot 1:15-16:

Pharaoh said to the Hebrew midwives, of whom the name of the first was Shifra and the name of the second was Puah: “When you deliver the Hebrew women and you see them on the birthstone; if it is a son, you are to kill him and if it is a daughter, she shall live.”

Chizkuni points out that Pharaoh thought the boys should be killed right away because he was afraid that B’nai Yisrael would rise up against him. Pharaoh figured that the men are more likely to fight than the women. Therefore, he let the girls stay alive. He didn’t see the women as a threat. Little did he know that the women were slowly rising up against him.

There is a dispute among the commentators as to who these midwives really were. The assumption is that Shifra and Puah were not their real names, but rather descriptions of the caring way that they did their jobs.

The Tamlud, Sotah 11a is the source for the opinion that the midwives were members of B’nai Yisrael:

Rav and Shmuel had a dispute:

Rav said they were mother, Yocheved and daughter, Miriam.

Shmuel said they were mother-in-law, Yocheved and daughter in law, Elisheva (Aharon’s wife).

Most of the commentators follow the opinion of the Talmud that miyaldot haivriyot refers to midwives that were Hebrew women, members of B’nai Yisrael.

However, it can be looked at another way. Maybe miyaldot haivriyot means miyaldot shel haivriyot, Egyptian midwives who worked for the Hebrew women. Josephus Flavius comments in his Antiquities that Pharaoh ordered the Egyptian midwives to supervise the labours and deliveries of the Hebrew women. Shadal supports this view. He believed that Pharaoh would not trust the daughters of Israel to destroy their own people and keep his plan a secret.

It’s amazing that these women, who may not have even been part of B’nai Yisrael, put their own lives in danger to help save the lives of the Hebrew babies.

They had a tremendous amount of courage to stand up to Pharaoh who was considered a God.

Pharaoh catches on that the baby boys are not being killed and confronts the midwives who are not afraid to stand up to him. They answer )Shmot 1:19): “The Hebrew women are not like the Egyptian women, for they are chayot (experts or animals). Before the midwife even comes to them, they have already given birth.”

The midwives gave Pharaoh a believable excuse. The words ki chayot hena could be interpreted in a positive or negative manner. Rashi says that the women were literally compared to chayot, animals. These women don’t need anyone to help them give birth, they do it on their own like animals. Pharaoh may have appreciated the negative undertone of comparing B’nai Yisrael with animals. Pharaoh was probably not aware that in the Jewish tradition being compared to an animal has positive connotations. For example, Yaakov used animal in the blessings that he gave his children.

Here the miyaldot did not compromise. They stood up for what they believed in. When a person strongly believes in a cause, they fight until the very end.

God benefitted the midwives by causing Pharaoh to have mercy on them and believe their excuses. If he didn’t believe them, they would have been put to death for disobeying him.

The midwives selflessly helped the other women give birth to healthy babies. They were not expecting anything in return. Going out of their way to help others, they lived with the fear that they could lose their lives. In spite of everything, they still had the courage to stand up to Pharaoh.

May we all have the courage to stand up for what we believe in.

Traditionally,
Ashkenazi Jews have the custom not to eat kitniot (legumes) on Pesach. There
may be less of a selection in the stores in Israel of foods that do not contain
kitniot but there is still plenty to buy. The army bases in Israel serve only
food that does not contain kitniot on Pesach and the soldiers have enough to
eat.

Unfortunately,
this year Israel is at war on a few fronts. Many soldiers will not be able to
be home or at their regular bases for Pesach and will be out in the battlefield
in enemy territory.

In areas where
the army will be able to distribute hot food to the soldiers, they will give
out food that is kosher for Pesach without kitniot.

In areas where
hot food can’t be delivered, the soldiers will receive matzah as well as
everything that is needed for the seder. Aside from that, they will be given army
rations without kitniot such as tuna in water, potato crackers, jelly, Pesach
cakes and cookies and nuts. They will also receive army rations that include
kitniot such as canned corn, beans, chickpeas, halva etc.

The Army
Rabbinate explains that Ashkenasic authorities throughout history (including
Chatam Sofer and the Mishna Brura) have allowed the use of kitniot during a
time of great necessity (sh’at ha’dchak) when there was a food shortage. They
also allowed a sick person to eat kitniot, even if they were not sick enough
for their life to be in danger (choleh she’ein bo sakana).

The Chief Rabbi
of Tzahal declared that a prolonged war on enemy territory would be considered
a sh’at ha’dchak if there is not enough satisfying food and therefore even
Ashkenasim would be allowed to eat kitniot. This would be a specific heter
(dispensation) due to the war and one would not need to do “Hatarat Nedarim” (annul their vows). Those who want to
be strict and not eat kitniot can certainly be lenient with products that
contain kitniot oils such as canola oil which may be found in tuna fish or
chocolate spread.

One must
remember that kitniot are not Chametz and may be owned by those who don’t eat
them. There is no dispensation for eating Chametz even while we are at war.

May this war end
before the holiday and then this information will no longer be needed.

Pesach Kasher
v’Sameach!

Now that the Jewish people have a
sovereign State of Israel, should we return to the practice of bringing the
Korban Pesach (sacrificing the Pascal lamb)?

According to Machon HaMikdash, The
Temple Institute, now that the exile has ended and we are back in the Land of
Israel, the Torah obligations that were observed before the destruction of the
Beit HaMikdash (Temple) are once again in effect. The Korban Pesach is one of only
two positive commandments whose lack of performance is punishable by Karet. The
other is Brit Milah (circumcision).

For more than fifteen years, there
have been ceremonies in Jerusalem called “Tirgul HaKravat Korban Pesach”, a
model sacrifice of the Pascal lamb a few days before the holiday led by leading
rabbis. In the past, participants have included Rabbi Aryeh Stern, Rabbi Yaakov
Medan, Rabbi Shabtai Rappaport and former MK Yehuda Glick. There are Kohanim
(priests) present dressed in full garb as biblically mandated. The lamb is
slaughtered and roasted and participants get to sample the meat.

The seders that we conduct on Pesach
with Karpas (green vegetables), Charoset (wine mixed with apples, nuts and cinnamon
to look like mortar), Maror (bitter herbs) and Matzah are missing the key
ingredient, the Korban Pesach which was the highlight of the evening until we
were exiled.

The purpose of this model ceremony
is to show us what we have been missing for 2000 years.

The ceremony was originally
conducted in a school courtyard in Jerusalem but more recently it has taken
place with police approval closer to the Kotel at the Davidson Archeological
Park at the footsteps of Har HaBayit, the Temple Mount.

Organizers would prefer to bring the
sacrifice itself on the Temple Mount. However, there are many issues that will
have to be overcome before that happens considering that Jews don’t have
official permission to pray on the Temple Mount, let alone to run a ceremony there.

A few hundred years ago, the Chatam
Sofer was asked if the Korban Pesach could be reinstated. His answer was that
the Turkish Sultan would not allow it.

Each year, there are Jews that attempt
to sneak onto the Temple Mount to sacrifice a lamb but they are always stopped
and turned away by the police.

Now that we have our own State of
Israel, maybe the time is approaching when the Korban Pesach can be reinstated
even before the third Beit HaMikdash is built.

It is interesting to note that the
Ethiopian community brought the Korban Pesach when they lived in Ethiopia until
the community made aliya and the Samaritans continue to bring the Korban Pesach
each year on Har Grizim.

I came across a worksheet with a different version of Ma Nishtana and it
really got me thinking about how much the State of Israel is taken for granted
today.

What is different in this generation than in all of the other
generations?

In other generations we were in the Diaspora and today we are in Israel.

In other generations we spoke different languages and now we speak
Hebrew.

In other generations there was no Jewish State and now for almost 75
years we have the State of Israel.

In other generations the Land of Israel was a deserted wasteland and
since the Jews came back, it is flourishing.

In other generations Jews didn’t have the opportunity to make aliya and
now that we have a State, Jews can immigrate.

As we get ready for Pesach, let’s take a moment to reflect on the things
that many of us take for granted: The opportunity to travel to and live in Israel,
to read and speak Hebrew and to eat the beautiful produce of the land while
observing the agricultural mitzvot.

Instead of focusing on the negative, we need to take a step back and
appreciate the miracle which is the Modern State of Israel.

Pesach Kasher v’Sameach from Yerushalayim!

In Shmot 12:17 we read “And you shall guard the matzot, for on this
day I brought out your hosts from the land of Egypt. You must preserve this day
for your generations, it is an eternal statute.”

In the Talmud, Psachim 38b we learn that to fulfil the mitzvah of eating
matzah at the Seder, not only must the matzah be free of chametz (leaven), the
matzah must be guarded from becoming chametz for the purpose of the mitzvah to
eat matzah. This matzah is called Shmura as it was guarded.

According to the Shulchan Aruch 453:4, it is preferable for the grain to
be guarded from the time of the reaping and onward.

Rashi explains “And you shall guard the matzot” so that
they do not become chametz. From this the Sages said (Psachim 3:4): “If the
dough has begun to rise, pat it with cold moisture”.

Rashi then quotes the Mechilta:

Rabbi Yoshiah said: Do not read the word as the matzot. Rather, read it
as the mitzvot (commandments). In other words “And you shall guard the mitzvot”
in order to teach us that just as one does not allow the matzah to become
chametz, so too should one not allow a mitzvah to become chametz (delayed).
Rather, if the opportunity to observe a mitzvah comes your way, perform it
immediately.

Just as we are meticulous in preparing the matzot, paying attention to
every small detail, so too should we give proper attention to our observance of
every mitzvah.

Many people put an extra effort into getting ready for Pesach, even taking
on extra stringencies, while they are more laid back about observing other mitzvot
over the course of the year. Many rabbis and spiritual leaders say that the
only time that they are asked Halachic questions is when it comes to preparing
for Pesach.

The month of Nisan, when we take the mitzvot of Pesach very earnestly is
a good time to focus on taking the year round mitzvot seriously as well. In
this way, we can carry the holiness and spirituality of Pesach as well as our
commitment to observing the entire Torah with us throughout the year.

The Mishnayot in Pesachim, Chapter
10 outline the Pesach Seder. Mishna 4 states: “According to the intelligence of
the son, his father instructs him. He begins with disgrace and concludes with
glory, and he expounds from ‘Arami oved avi’, ‘a wandering Aramean was my father’
(Dvarim 26:5) until he concludes the whole portion.”

What is the whole portion that the
mishna is referring to?

The portion that is read and
explained midrashically in our Hagadot is the portion of the Bikkurim, from
Dvarim 26:5-8:

…The Aramean destroyed my
forefather, then he descended to Egypt and sojourned there with a tiny
community; and there he became a great people, powerful and numerous. The
Egyptians treated us badly and oppressed us and they imposed hard labor upon
us. We prayed to God, the God of our forefathers, and God accepted our prayer,
and perceived our oppression, and our labor, and the pressure upon us. And God
took us out of Egypt with a powerful hand and with an extended arm, and with
great display, and with signs and with wonders.

Although the mishna said to conclude
the entire portion, the next verse (9) which speaks about the entrance into the
Land of Israel is not included in the Hagadah:

“And He brought us to this place,
and He gave us this land, a land flowing with milk and honey.”

Professors Shmuel and Ze’ev Safrai
explain that the verse may have been left out since at this point in the seder,
the Hagadah is focusing on Egyptian slavery and the exodus from Egypt.

Rabbi Mishael Zion, in his Hagadah
Eretzyisraelit points out that now that the Jewish people have returned to the
Land of Israel, it makes sense to include verse 9 which concludes this portion
which was read when the Bikurim (first fruits) were brought by the farmer to
the Beit HaMikdash.

When did our true freedom really
begin? When we left Egypt? When we received the Torah? When we arrived in the
Land of Israel?

If your answer is when we arrived in
the Land of Israel and now we are miraculously back to being a free people in
our own land, then it is time to truly conclude with glory and add the words “And
He brought us to this place, and He gave us this land, a land flowing with milk
and honey.”

Looking forward to seeing you in the
rebuilt Jerusalem!

In memory of Shoshi Meltser, Shoshi
bat Yitzchak z”l who passed away on the 9^th of Nisan, May her memory
be for a blessing

Pesach is a big travel time. A lot
of Jews from abroad fly to Israel to celebrate in Jerusalem and a lot of
Israelis take the opportunity to travel the country.

This year is different. There will
be no tourists and those who live in Israel are required to remain at home.
However, we can virtually tour Israel when we read Shir HaShirim, Songs of
Songs, the megillah which is traditionally chanted on Shabbat Chol HaMoed.

Song of Songs at face value is the
story of a young couple’s love but it is midrashically interpreted as the love
story between God and the Jewish people.

Whichever way you interpret it, you
can’t escape the references to the places in Israel and the fruits of Israel.

In chapter 1, we see the daughters
of Jerusalem (B’not Yerushalayim), the shepherds and the vineyards of Ein Gedi.

In chapter 2, we see images of
nature in the Land of Israel.  The woman
compares herself to chavatzelet hasharon (Pancratium maritimum), the white
flower that grows by the sea and shoshanat ha’amakim (Narcissus tzetta) which
grows in the valleys. Her boyfriend compares her to shoshana ben hachochim
(Lilium candidum) a flower which grows in the thorny area of Mt. Carmel and in
the northern region of Israel.

The woman compares her boyfriend to
an apple tree in the forest who gives off shade and sweet fruit.

Just as she is the flower among the
thorns, he is the fruit tree among the other trees which do not produce fruit.

The voice of her beloved is leaping
on the mountains, shipping upon the hills. He is like a gazelle or young hart.

Both of these animals live in the
wild and are good looking.

The spring season in Israel is
described as a great opportunity to go out on a date (2:11) “For the winter is
past, the rain is over and gone; the flowers appear on the earth; the time of
the singing bird has come, and the voice of the turtle is heard in our land;
the fig tree puts forth green figs and the vines of the blossom give their
scent.”

In chapter 4, the boyfriend compares
his girlfriend’s eyes to a dove and her hair to a flock of goats that cascade
from Mt. Gilad. Her cheek is like a pomegranate. Her neck is like the Tower of
David.

In describing her beauty, he is
using imagery from the Land of Israel.

In 4:6, the beloved invites his bride
to go with him on a trip in the north of Israel: “Come with me from Levanon, my
bride, with me from Levanon; look from the top of Amana, from the top of Senir
and Hermon.”

Lebanon was originally within the
Biblical borders of Israel.

In 6:11, we see a beautiful
description of a visit to a valley: “I went down to ginat haegoz (the garden of
nuts) to see the fruits of the nachal, valley, and to see whether the vine has
blossomed; whether the pomegranates were in flower.”

This can be a description of the
area where palm trees and dates grow, it can be referring to a wadi or it can
be referring to an orchard with different fruits growing together near the
water.

There is an area in Abu Ghosh where
all of these species grow together next to a spring of water.

Many of the images of fruits,
flowers, animals, nature and different locations in Israel are repeated over
and over again throughout Song of Songs. This helps us connect with the beauty
of the Land of Israel.

No matter where in the world you
will be spending Pesach, you can connect your seder to the Land of Israel by
including the fruits and nuts mentioned in Shir HaShirim in your charoset and
hopefully next year we will have the opportunity to once again travel the land.

In the 17^th century when coffee was
introduced in Western Europe, Rabbi Yaakov Reischer was asked if coffee can be
used on Pesach or if it is considered kitniot (a category of legumes that are
not permissible on Pesach for Ashkenasic Jews). After doing some research and
seeing that the coffee “bean” grows on a tree in a manner similar to a fruit or
berry and is in fact not a bean at all, he permitted it. Rabbi Reischler added
that even if coffee were kitniot, the fact that it is roasted and burned before
the holiday makes it unfit to be considered food and therefore permits it.

Rabbi Yosef ben David of Breslaum on the other hand
forbade coffee on Pesach and said that it was in the category of kitniot.

The HIDA, Rabbi Haim David Yosef Azulai explains
that coffee indeed comes from the fruit of a tree and therefore rabbis who
thought that it was kitniot were mistaken as it was unclear to them exactly how
it was grown.

In the 19^th century, Rabbi Chaim Moshe
Mordechai Margaliot wrote in his commentary, Shaarei Tshuva that there are some
foods that were almost considered to be kitniot but in the end they were
permitted. One example is coffee which they were afraid may have gotten mixed
with grains or beans. According to Rabbi Margaliot, coffee is allowed but it is
best to roast the beans before Pesach so that there are no concerns. Today the
coffee is processed before the holiday, so it should not be an issue.

In the early 20^th century, many new
immigrants from Eastern Europe arrived in America and assumed that coffee “beans”
were kitniot. To rectify the situation, Joseph Jacobs from a New York
advertising agency checked with rabbinic authorities to see if coffee is considered
kitniot. The rabbis ruled that coffee is not kitniot and certified Maxwell
House coffee for Passover. Maxwell House took out ads in the Yiddish Forward
starting in 1923 and in 1932 they began to print the Maxwell House Haggada
which was distributed free in supermarkets throughout the United States. Maxwell
House coffee became associated with Pesach and the question of whether coffee
was kosher for Pesach never came up again.

In memory of Beatrice Landsman z”l

When reading the Haggada, we come
across the verse from Shmot 1:7 which describes the growth of the nation: “The
children of Israel were fruitful (paru) and swarmed (va-yishretzu),
multiplied (va-yirbu) and grew (va-yaatzmu) more and more
(bimeod meod). The whole land was filled with them.”

Rashbam differentiates between each
of the verbs:

Paru: “they were fruitful” in pregnencies; va-yishretzu: “they
swarmed” with live births since tiny creatures are described as swarming on the
ground; va-yirbu: “they increased” in size, the small grew bigger and
did not die in infancy; va-yaatzmu: “they grew” and did not die but were
numerous and became very powerful.

In Midrash Lekach Tov, Rabbi Hiyya
teaches that the verse emphasizes the extraordinary nature of this population
explosion: Every daughter of Israel would give birth to six corresponding to
the six terms: Paru, va-yishretzu, va-yirbu, va-yaatzmu, bimeod meod.

The seder is set up as a family
oriented ritual focused on the concept of “you shall teach your children” with
the Ma Nishtana (Four Questions) recited by the youngest child, the discussion
of the Four Children, the different activities which keep the children
interested culminating with the search for the Afikoman etc. It can be
challenging for couples who are suffering from infertility to feel part of this.

In the Haggada, there is also the
aspect of hope for the fertility challenged. B’nai Yisrael multiplied despite
Pharaoh’s decrees, the midwives saved the baby boys, Pharaoh’s daughter adopted
Moshe and raised him as her own.

While enjoying our own seders, when
we recite the verse from Shmot 1:7, let’s keep in mind those who are fertility
challenged and let’s pray that their wishes come true, that their fertility issues
will be resolved and that they be blessed with healthy children as the
Israelites were in Egypt.