Perashat Sav - Shabbat HaGadol
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Perashat Sav - Shabbat HaGadol
Friday, March 27, 2015We always speak of the Jewish Spirit, the Jewish Soul, that burning fire that has kept us throughout the millennia. Whenever we meet a Jew, wherever we are in the world and without knowing him or her, there is an immediate connection, a sense of kinship, and a sense of oneness.
This Shabbat, known as Shabbat HaGadol, marks the day of that first Shabbat that the Israelites in Egypt celebrated their first Shabbat as a free people. In a sense of defiance against their Egyptian taskmasters and enslavers, they took a lamb representing a deity of the Egyptians and tied it. It eventually became the Pascal Lamb. That action marked the first act in disobedience as a united people and demonstrated conclusively the total subjugation of Egypt to the will of G-d.
This event, as many subsequent events in Jewish history, was instrumental in forging a nation with a fiery spirit within each person; a blazing spirit that nothing in history, no discrimination, no persecution, no tragedy, no inquisition and no Holocaust has been able to extinguish. A spirit that continues to bring Jews together from every corner of the world to Israel, in order to defend Jewish rights and to save the Jews from repressive regimes. It is a spirit that is transmitted from generation to generation, from father to son, from mother to daughter.
This spirit is alluded to in this week’s Perashat Sav. At the beginning of the Perasha when G-d instructs Moshe to command Aharon regarding the “Elevation offering”, he commanded that the fire of the Altar should remain aflame on it all night. In an emphatic statement, the paragraph concludes with the verse saying “"אש תמיד תוקד על המזבח לא תכבה - “A permanent fire shall remain aflame on the Altar; it shall never be extinguished’.
This permanent fire is also found in every one of us, every Jew and Jewess in the world who passionately safeguards the commandments of the Torah, and lives their life based on Jewish Values and Traditions. Just as a torch is passed from one person to another, this permanent fire is also passed from one generation to another. At times unfortunately, it diminishes its fire, and at times it increases; however it is never extinguished. This is the Jewish Spirit!
This past Shabbat a tragedy of great proportions occurred. A fire consumed a home resulting in the death of 7 pure and innocent children who were taken to Heaven while asleep. There are no words to explain it, to understand it or to comfort the family and the community. As our Sages say: ה״ מחשבות עמקו – the thoughts of G-d are too profound to understand. In keeping strong with our faith in Hashem, in His ultimate Wisdom and Compassion, we will keep the Jewish Spirit. Our heartfelt condolences go to the father Gabi, our prayers of speedy recovery and Refuah Shelema to the surviving mother Gila bat Frances and daughter Sippora bat Gila. May the blessed memory of the departed bring blessing and consolation to the entire family, the community and indeed to the Jewish People; Tehe Menuhatan BeGan Eden Mikedem.
Jan 11 2025
Tebet 11 5785