Living the Story About Life in the Midst of the Coronavirus Pesach Guide
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ב״ה Wellspringswww.chabadlehighvalley.com Spring 2020/Pesach 5780 DEVORAH’S RECIPE CORNER HOW TO BE Passover CONTAGIOUS ALMOND COOKIES 10 Things I’m Learning Living the Story About Life in the Midst of the Coronavirus Pesach guide A Little Nosh for the Soul Compliments of Chabad of the Lehigh Valley St. Luke’s has been named one of the IBM Watson Health™ 100 Top Hospitals in the Nation. Shana Tova, To learn more visit: stlukes100top.org NOTE FROM THE RABBI Wellsprings Magazine Passover is here... the snow is gone, the weather is turning warmer and the birds are Dedicated to back from their trip to the south. Spring is the Love and in the air! Inspiration of the In Judaism, the proximity of Passover to Lubavitcher springtime is not coincidental. The Torah Rebbe calls Passover “chag ha’aviv” the Holiday of OB”M Spring. In fact, every few years, the Jewish calendar which is lunar-based, is recalibrated to match the solar calendar, for one purpose: to ensure that Passover is in spring. Wellsprings Why spring? The reason is simple, yet profound. While Rosh Ha- shanah marks the beginning of the world’s creation, Passover com- memorates the birth of the Jewish people. For 210 years, the Jewish people were in a womb-like state during the Egyptian servitude. Like a fetus that has all its limbs developed but is unable to control them, our ancestors were living in a suspended state, “a nation within a nation.” And on the 15th of Nissan, they were “born” into freedom. As we celebrate Passover amidst the chirping of the birds and the Editorial flowering of our gardens, we not only remember the birth of the Jewish people 3,300 years ago, but actually re-experience our own Rabbi Yaacov Halperin rebirth. We not only recall our ancestors’ flight to freedom, but also follow in their footsteps, embarking on our own path towards re- Contributing Writers newal, leaving the limitations and challenges of the past behind. Bentzion Elisha, Devorah Halperin, Tzvi Freeman, Yanki Tauber, Dovie Schochet, Simon Jacobson, Chana Weisberg, Cha- Wishings you good health and a happy passover, na Sara Puza, Yaacov Halperin Rabbi Yaacov Halperin Design Chana Sara Puza P.S. Please be so kind as to help us bring the holiday of Passover and the meaning of freedom to all members of our community with your Advertising generous tax deductible donation in the enclosed envelope. [email protected] Distributed by Chabad Lubavitch of the Lehigh Valley Crackersport Rd Allentown PA 4457 א 18104 This Wellsprings Magazine is Published by ב Chabad of the Lehigh Valley. 4457 Crackersport Road- Allentown, PA 18104 and is sent free to our Members and Friends ג 610.351.6511Igniting a Spark of infrequently throughout the year. [email protected] Issue #61 Judaism in Every Child THE FRIEND King’s By Bentzion Elisha nce there lived a gentile king who delighted in having an audience with a particular rabbi who Months passed, and the king’s injury slowly healed. His Olived in the kingdom’s capital. The two would hand was getting stronger, and his desire to go on one converse on various subjects, and the rabbi’s acuity and of his outings finally made him plan a most extravagant sharp intellect amazed the king again and again. No one trip to many far-off lands. could compare in counsel and wisdom to the charming rabbi. Throughout his trips, he missed the wisdom and com- panionship of the brilliant rabbi. The king had a fascination with outings to the country, and he would invite the rabbi so that they could discuss the kingdom’s happenings. The king was warned not to leave the camp grounds, because The rabbi had a way of always weaving into the conver- hostile natives lurked. sation the idea of hashgacha pratit, divine providence, constantly seeking to connect the unfolding events with In one particularly exotic location, the king was warned G-d’s underlying presence and guiding hand. not to leave the camp grounds, because hostile natives lurked. But the king’s adventurous spirit was sparked by the idea of seeing the area as it was. The rabbi fumbled with the rifle, and a shot accidentally On one of his forays outside the camp, the king was escaped from the weapon. captured by cannibal tribesmen. As was their custom, they inspected their “merchandise” before cooking. They were alarmed to find that the enticing specimen before On one of these outings, the king decided to go hunting. them had a missing finger. Immediately they declared it Accompanied by the rabbi, his companion of choice, the a bad omen, and discarded the king close to his camp- king insisted that the rabbi also hunt together with him. grounds. Unfamiliar with the sport, the rabbi fumbled with the The king was beside himself with joy. The rabbi’s “blun- rifle, and a shot accidentally escaped from the weapon. der” had saved his life. A bitter scream pierced the forest, a scream from none other than the king himself! The rabbi had mistakenly He immediately changed course and directed his en- shot the king, damaging his hand forever by shooting tourage to return home. He had to speak to the rabbi. off one of his fingers. When they arrived at the capital, the king immediately Enraged, the bleeding king had his guards imprison the set the rabbi free. rabbi immediately, with swift orders to put him into one of the dungeon’s prison chambers. He asked him: “Dear rabbi, you have always spoken of divine providence, and how everything comes down from heaven for our good, and I see that here. But rabbi, I have one question: what was the divine providence as it relates to you? You were in the dungeon for months; where is the good in that?” If I wasn’t in the dungeon, I would have been with you. The rabbi smiled as he answered, “Your majesty, if I wasn’t in the dungeon, I would have been with you, and the cannibals would have eaten me, G-d forbid.” “What lesson can we take from all this?” asked the king. After some thought, the rabbi answered. “Perhaps the lesson is that everyone is essentially a friend of the ultimate King, the Creator of heaven and earth. Since He is a true and good friend who wants the very best for us, we must have faith that all our experiences, even the seemingly negative ones, are really for the best.” Rabbi Bentzion Elisha is the author of 18 Frames of Being. In addition to being a writer, he is an award-winning photographer. He resides with his family in NYC. hofreid_20_004_HAPPY PASSOVER_ad vFinal.pdf 1 2/27/20 4:09 PM VISIT DANIELS BMW, MENTION CHABAD OF THE LEHIGH VALLEY AND RECEIVE $ 1,000 OFF YOUR BEST DEAL! Daniels BMW 4600 Crackersport Rd Allentown, PA 18104-9553 (610) 820-2950 danielsbmw.com Pesach Guide The Story After many decades of slavery to the Egyptian pharaohs, during which time the Israelites were subjected to back‑ breaking labor and unbearable horrors, G‑d saw the people’s distress and sent Moses to Pharaoh with a message: “Send forth My people, so that they may serve Me.” But despite numerous warnings, Pharaoh refused to heed G‑d’s command. G‑d then sent upon Egypt ten devastating plagues, afflicting them and destroying everything from their livestock to their crops. At the stroke of midnight of 15 Nissan in the year 2448 from creation (1313 BCE), G‑d visited the last of the ten plagues on the Egyptians, killing all their firstborn. While doing so, G‑d spared the children of Israel, “pass‑ ing over” their homes hence the name of the holiday. Pharaoh’s resistance was broken, and he virtually chased his former slaves out of the land. The Israelites left in such a hurry, in fact, that the bread they baked as provisions for the way did not have time to rise. Six hundred thousand adult males, plus many more women and children, left Egypt on that day and began the trek to Mount Sinai and their birth as G‑d’s chosen people. The Seder The Seder is a feast that includes reading, drinking wine, telling sto- ries, eating special foods, singing, and other Passover traditions. As per Biblical command, it is held after nightfall on the first night of Passover (and the second night if you live outside of Israel), the an- niversary of our nation’s miraculous exodus from Egyptian slavery more than 3,000 years ago. This year’s Seder(s) will be on April 19 (and 20), 2019. Kitniyot The medieval Jewish sages placed a ban on eating legumes (kitniyot) on Passover, because they are similar in texture to chametz (even bread can be made out of their flour) so people might assume that if, for example, cornbread can be eaten on Passover, wheat or rye bread can be eaten too. This prohibition includes rice, beans and corn. This in- junction was unanimously accepted by Ashkenazic Jews; many Sephardic Jews, however, continue to eat kitniyot on Passover. If you are Sephardic, speak to your rabbi to determine your family and community tradition. The prohibition is only with regards to consumption of kitniyot; there is no obligation, however, to get rid of or sell kitniyot products before Passover. Fast of the Firstborn In the tenth and final plague inflicted upon Egypt, G‑d killed the firstborn in all of Egypt. But, as in all the plagues brought upon Egypt, the Children of Israel were spared.