Shabbat HaGadol

 Metzorah

Lev. 14:1-15:33

Précis: The parasha discusses laws for the purification of “lepers” with sacrifice and water. It also discusses growths on walls of a house which cause ritual impurity. The parasha concludes with a discussion of bodily secretions which are another source of ritual impurity

 

            This week, the parasha is read on Shabbat HaGadol, the “Great Shabbat '' immediately before Passover, and I’d like to turn to the upcoming holiday with some thoughts.

            Former JTS Chancellor Arnold Eisen asked, from the persona of the “wicked” son in the Haggadah, what is the point of all of this (JTS Holiday Commentary, 4/15/16)? Why celebrate an event from more than 3,000 years ago (if it even actually happened)? Why does the story have to be retold year after year (even though the Haggadah doesn’t spend much time on the story of the Exodus? Moses isn’t mentioned, and while the plagues are enumerated, they are not discussed).

            Eisen posits that the absence of detail about the Exodus is a clue “that the point of the seder is not to remember what happened in Egypt long ago, but rather to pay closer attention to what is happening here and now.”  We are told in the Haggadah that each individual is to look upon oneself as if he or she had personally come out of Egypt. In other words, the purpose of the seder is to apply the seder to the present day.

            Herein lies a problem. While in general terms we are given direction – slavery to freedom, hunger to plenty – we are not provided with the details needed to achieve the goals. As Eisen notes, “Disagreement among us on that score is inevitable. We must not let it paralyze us.” At our seder this year, we will offer special prayers for the release of hostages and for the safety of the IDF. At the same time, when we start the seder by welcoming all who are hungry to join us, we should not ignore the plight of Palestinians suffering under the rule of Hamas.

            Today, we are confronted with a world even more polarized than the one in which Eisen wrote a mere eight years ago. American politics are suffused with seemingly unbridgeable divides. Israel is isolated from the world, and antisemitism is on the rise everywhere. It might be easy to sink into despair, but even at the worst of times, celebrating the motivation of the Haggadah offers a light in the darkness.

             Finally, as Rabbi Joshua Kulp reminded my congregation at a retreat last weekend, we need to celebrate the achievements of the Founders of Israel, whose brave struggles have led to the creation of a modern, prosperous and worthy state. We cannot fail to acknowledge their stupendous achievements, particularly when Israel is faced by such dangers.

            May your Passover be meaningful and joyous.