This week’s parsha (Torah portion) is an interesting parsha because what we read depends on where we are. If you are in Israel, then you will be reading parsha Shmini. If you are outside of Israel, then you will be reading a special Pesach (Passover) parsha.
Is this because we Jews like to make things difficult?
Not really.
It goes back to our roots. Without going into all the details, it has to do with how a Jewish month begins and how that information was shared.
A Jewish month begins when two people see the new moon and tell the Sanhedrin (the High Court) who then declares it a new month.
When the new month was declared, messengers were dispensed to inform all the Jewish communities. Israel was not that big, so it was easy to make sure everyone knew when the month began, and therefore, when to celebrate the holy days.
However, outside of Israel, sometimes the messengers didn’t show up until after the holy days had passed.
Those communities, in order to make sure they celebrated on the correct day, would celebrate for two days.
Why two days?
Because they could see the new moon too, and hence would know that the new month began on one of two days: the day they saw the moon or the day after. If they knew that the first of the month was one of two days, then they also knew that the holy day had to be on one of two days, depending one which day was really the first of the month. So, they would celebrate on both the possible holy days in order to make sure they celebrated on the proper day, whichever of the two days it was.
Today, we have a fixed calendar, so we don’t have the problem of knowing when the month begins.
However, the fixed calendar was created at a time this problem did exist, and so to honor, and remind ourselves, of how we did things, the Sanhedrin that fixed the calendar also decreed that Jews outside of Israel would add a second holy day to every holy day.
The bottom line of all this is that the seventh day of Pesach is a holy day, and so outside of Israel, an eighth day of Pesach is kept. This year that eighth day falls on Shabbat.
And just like all holy days, this extra day of Pesach has its own parsha.
However, inside of Israel, the eighth day of Pesach does not exist, and so they read the regular parsha, Shmini, which those outside of Israel will read next Shabbat.
(I know this is very complicated. If you have questions, or want a more complete explanation, then click here and I will send you a 2 page pdf file explaining how the Jewish calendar works)
Let’s get back to the Torah. Since most of you reading this are outside of Israel, I will follow the weekly reading according to what is read outside Israel. And that means this week, we have a special parsha.
The parsha we read starts in D’varim (Deuteronomy) and it starts on chapter 14, verse 22 and goes until Chapter 16, verse 17. It then jumps to B’midbar (Numbers) chapter 28, verse 19 and ends on verse 25.
Very quickly and briefly, it starts with the second tithe that is either brought to Jerusalem and eaten there, or is given to the poor. We then learn about the Shmitta year (the seventh year where all debts are forgiven, and also includes a warning to not withhold loans to the poor as the Shmitta year approaches).
The parsha moves on to talk about how to release indentured servants and the sacredness of first born animals.
The first section ends with some words about Pesach, the counting of the Omer (sheaves of grain brought to the temple and counted), Shavuot, and Succot.
The second part of the parsha, the 6 verses from B’midbar talk about the sacrifices that are required for the holy days of Pesach.
I realize this is already quite long, so I will keep the teachings I want to share short and sweet. I want to look at 4 verses.
The first 2 are from D’varim (15:28-9). These verses read as: “At the end of three years, you will take out your whole tithe of produce of that year, and place it at the gates (of your city). The Levi will come because he has no portion with you (he did not inherit land like the rest of Israel did, and so cannot grow his own food), and the convert, and the orphan, and the widow, that are in your gates (ie live in your city), and they will eat and be satisfied; for the sake that haShem (god), your God blessed you in all the deeds of your hands that you did.”
Keeping in mind that we are reading this during the time of Pesach, this is what I see it saying: Pesach is a time of starting anew. As we start anew, we need to remember who blesses us, and that the blessing comes from giving to those in need!
I now want to jump to D’varim (15:14-15) which reads: “You will gift to him (the one you are setting free) from your flocks, your threshing floor, and your wine vats, that haShem your God has blessed you to give to you. And you will remember that you were in the land of Egypt and haShem your God redeemed you, regarding thus, I command you this thing today.”
In other words, we are to give sheep, grain, and wine to our newly ex-indentured servants; they are not to go away from us empty handed. Why? Because they are just like we were when haShem took us out of Egypt – THE VERY HOLY DAY WE ARE CELEBRATING AS WE READ THIS – so don’t forget what god did for us.
This is yet another way that we can be godlike: just as god sent ex-slaves away with something, so too, we can send our servants to their freedom with something in their hands.
Providing for those in need, being willing to give loans to those who might not pay us back, setting people free and making sure they start out with something. All things haShem did for us when we left Egypt. Is it not a wonder that we are reminded to do the same now that we are free?
Chag Samayach/Happy Holy days.
About the Author
Shmuel Shalom Cohen spent 10 years studying Torah in Jerusalem. Six years ago, he started Conscious Torah to help Jews connect to their tradition in ways they didn’t think possible. Shmuel also started, and is the executive directory of Jewish Events Willamette-valley, a non-profit whose mission is to build Jewish community, pride, and learning. In his free time, Shmuel likes walks in nature, playing music, writing poetry, and time with good friends.