Purim and Passover | The Pittsburgh Jewish Chronicle

Now that Purim is over, we’ve begun to barrel towards Passover. In the Shulkhan Arukh 429:1, which commences the subject matter of Passover, we are instructed to start off asking concerns and understand about the legislation of Passover. That is, the second we’ve survived Haman’s onslaught and celebrated Esther’s victory, we transform to the central story of who we are as folks.

Passover and Purim are opposing finishes of our tale, a tale of independence and determination. If we seem at the counting of the months, Passover is the beginning of the new yr and Purim is the completion of our journey. At the similar time, it also feels like we celebrate the finish followed by the starting.

In Passover, we begin the journey out into the wilderness, next God’s command. The heartache and hardship of suffering from the Exodus are severe. The men and women leave their houses, the only life they’ve ever identified, for the chance of dwelling a lifestyle extra intentional, far more guided, and their individual. They escape! They depart their previous guiding and enter a new lifestyle.

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But lifestyle is not so uncomplicated for the Israelites. The minute they enter the desert, the interior wrestle commences: intertribal strife, the golden calf, and last but not least the supplying of the Torah. This instant, reflected by Shavuot — the following holiday break just after Passover — is celebratory, and a little bit frightening. Right after all of the difficulties, we have ultimately obtained the Torah, but it’s not that simple.

In the Talmud, on Shabbat 88a, we’re taught about that Mt. Sinai instant: “Rabbi Avdimi Bar Hama bar Hasa stated: ‘The [previously quoted] verse taught that the Holy Blessing Just one turned over the mountain like a tub and reported to the [people]: if you settle for Torah, fantastic, and if not, this will be your grave.’” In this telling of the story, God threatened our people today into accepting Torah. We know that an individual coerced into accepting one thing is not liable for it. And nonetheless, here we are.

This is where Purim comes in. “Rava stated: ‘Despite this, the era [that lived with] Ahashverosh acknowledged it [the Torah]. As it is created [in the book of Esther 9:27]: “The Jews established and approved,” they proven what was currently acknowledged.’” Rava points out that regardless of the coercion that may well have took place in the desert, the Jews approved Torah anew on their survival in Persia. This is the moment we just remaining very last 7 days, the whole acceptance of the Torah at Sinai, generations later on. And as we pass from this acceptance, we change our focus back again to the starting.

This yr is distinctive. Purim and Passover past yr had been the threshold of Jewish holidays that divided our universe into pre- and pandemic. We have arrived back again once again to that moment.

But we’re not the exact same as we have been.

When I start to relearn the laws of Passover, as we’ve been instructed by the Shulkhan Arukh, I obtain myself thinking about the ability of resilience — the electricity of our people to leave the known and enter the mysterious and come to be stronger through the experience. It was not uncomplicated, with bumps on the highway, and possibly a handful of threats.

But each and every working day is a new chance. Every day can be our Purim instant of victory in the face of profound issues. Just about every working day can be our stepping into the journey out of our ease and comfort zone and developing as human beings. Just about every day is a opportunity to climb the multitude of mountains we each and every confront every day.

As I begin to relearn the legislation of Passover, I imagine about the toughness just about every of us has and I know we can keep out a tiny lengthier. In this week’s part, Ki Tisa, which is all about the census and counting, we can count all of the blessings we have in the encounter of our worries. As we sit at our tables yet again, divided from buddies and relatives, we can know that we have been doing the suitable factors irrespective of the issues.

And so, as we reside and relive the very same days, we locate ourselves beginning a new cycle. This pattern of getting into the unidentified, struggling with difficulties, and finding victory is our story. It is the story we notify every single yr. It is the tale we can convey to each day. We way too are the Israelites, we way too are the Jews of Shushan. We are the Jews of Pittsburgh. PJC

Rabbi Jeremy Markiz is director of Derekh and Youth Tefillah at Congregation Beth Shalom. This column is a assistance of the Greater Pittsburgh Rabbinic Affiliation.