THIS COMING SHABBAT: SHABBAT HaGadol. April 8, 2022
SHABBAT HaGadol: THE “GREAT” SHABBAT
The Shabbat before Passover has a special name, the Great Shabbat. On the one hand, this refers to our special haftorah reading which ends with a vision of the “great and mighty day of the LORD.” Just as at the first Passover we experienced liberation, so too we hope that a future liberation will occur at springtime, a great day in the future.
A second interpretation applies the term Great not to the shabbat itself, but to the hallah eaten on this shabbat. This is our last chance to use the flour in our cabinets and people would make large (great) Hallot for this shabbat and donate them to the poor so they would have bread during the final days before Passover. Hence this is the shabbat of the great Hallot. Support for Yad Chessed is one way we can help ensure that Jews with limited resources have the food they need for the holidays. Yadchessed.org
As we continue to pray for peace in Ukraine and to organize to support refugees from the war, we hope that spring and the shared holiday season bring a turning towards safety.
KABBALAT SHABBAT : IDEAS FOR YOUR SEDER.
Shabbat HaGadol is traditionally the time when the Haggadah is studied in the synagogue as we prepare for the Seder nights. At our Friday night service we will review some ideas for making this Seder unique and meaningful. As we approach our third Passover under COVID how are you planning to celebrate this year? What new ideas do you have? How do we talk about Ukraine? How do we celebrate spring time and liberation while aware of the ongoing constraints of dealing with the pandemic? Bring your ideas.
Our service is on ZOOM and begins at 6:00 p.m. Join us for candle lighting, blessing one another, kiddush, motzei and invoking an angel to bless us during the week ahead.
Friday, 6PM:
Zoom Link for Friday evening services: all B'nai Tikvah services now use the same Zoom link | Meeting ID: 844 4705 9779 | Passcode: 183618
Shabbat Morning: Parshat Metzora (p. 663)
As the Sanctuary is undergoing a transformation we will be holding our services in the Social Hall and sit in the round. Please join us in person and through Zoom and YouTube for our services this week.
Our torah portion, Metzora, continues the discussion of public health in biblical times. Mold, mildew, and skin disease were seen as a danger and the priests, as public health agents, were responsible for knowing the relative dangers of different eruptions. The rules for quarantine will be especially familiar to us in our era of pandemic. The special Haftorah comes from the last (and latest) of the biblical prophets. Malachi looks to a glorious future of peace throughout the world for all peoples. Our study will continue the discussion of how to prepare for your seder and what new rituals you might want to incorporate into your celebration. We will also hear from one of our teen activists, Maddie Reiser, who will tell us about the JEWISH TEEN FOUNDATION OF GREATER BOSTON and their project for this year.
A PDF of our siddur is available hereLink to PDFso you can follow from home if you do not have a siddur. If you need a bible, please be in touch with our office or consider purchasing a copy of Siddur Lev Shalem and Humash Etz Hayyim for your home library.
In May, when I will be in Israel, Rabbinic Intern Lisa Feld will teach a four part class “Talking to God” and exploration of the meaning and practice of Jewish prayer. Details to follow.
Alternative Shabbat Programs We have two regular alternative shabbat programs, Starbucks Shabbat and Soul Stroll.
