
Today is Rosh Chodesh Nisan, considered the beginning of the Biblical year and the day that the Tabernacle (Mishkan) was assembled.
We begin the book of Leviticus with Parshat Vayikra and an extended discussion of sacrifices and all things Tabernacle. We finished Exodus with the assembling of the Tabernacle and in this book we discuss how it was to function. It may be difficult to relate to all these details but I think our present set of circumstances might serve as a bridge to understanding their significance.
As I experienced the slow drip of synagogue closings both far and local, the feeling of loss was inescapable. And for the first time in the 31 years since my mother's passing I could not recite Kaddish on her yahrtzeit. So I got to thinking that maybe this is a little sliver of the feeling we could have in recognizing the loss of that central place of our worship, the Holy Temple (Beit HaMikdash). May God restore it speedily in our days!
This Shabbat we take a short break from Passover themes but we will be issuing a bulletin early next week containing all the information necessary for observing Passover in this unique times.
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