Adam Carpenter – Head of Jewish Life Primary School

Weekly Torah Portion:

Parashah ויקרא VaYikra Leviticus 1:1 – 5:26.

 Leviticus, the third book of the Torah, was named after לווים Levites and the tribe of Levi. It is a guidebook for the כהנים Kohanim (Priests) and the Levites (members of the tribe of Levi) who were responsible for overseeing the Mishkan and facilitating the worship of the ancient Israelites. VaYikra describes the details of the various offerings and sacrifices and is concerned with the ritual laws and the sacrificial cult, with an emphasis upon purity and holiness. Parashat VaYikra introduces the main theme of the book, the sacrifices. The Hebrew word for sacrifice is קרבן korban means ‘draw near’ and is connected to the word קרוב karov meaning close. One of the purposes of the sacrifices was to bring the Israelites closer to God.

Family Discussion

Sacrifices were an important part of the ritual life of the ancient Israelites.

• Does your family have any special rituals? What are they and why are they important?
• Share your favourite Jewish ritual and why you like it.

Hebrew Word of the Week: סדר Seder – Order

As we approach Pesach it seems appropriate to reflect on the word central to our celebrations – the סדר Seder. סדר Seder means ‘order’

סדר – Seder: the Pesach meal. There are 15 steps and a set order to the Seder

סדור – Siddur: our prayerbook. Our prayers are organised into a set order

אני בסדר – Ani Beseder: ‘I am OK’ (I am ‘in order’)

 כל בסדר – Kol Beseder: ‘Everything is OK’ (literally everything is in order’)

מצה Freedom and Oppression, two sides of the same matzah?

We are all familiar with the idea of matzah being the bread of liberation and freedom, the food that the Israelites ate as they left Egypt in a hurry, not having time to allow their bread to rise. In the Haggadah, matzah is also called the bread of poverty – Lechem Oni. It was the food of slavery, cheap and filling, and like the Israelites, squashed flat by oppression. This idea is alluded to in the song found in the Haggadah called Ha Lachma, ‘This bread’, which concludes with the line ‘This year we are still slaves, next year, free people.’

So what are we to make of all this?

How can matzah be both a bread of freedom and a bread of oppression? And how are we still slaves today?

With an estimated 27 million people still enslaved in the world today, what does this mean for the freedom we enjoy?

Matzah is flat, symbolising humility. Regular bread that rises and swells symbolises arrogance. On Pesach, we remove all Chametz (leavened bread and grain products) from our homes, symbolising our desire to remove arrogance and egotism. By eating matzah, we express our desire to return to a state of humility.

Pesach on the Internet

מה נשתנה הלילה הזה ”Ma Nishtana ha layla hazeh” – “Why is this night different?” The סדר  פסח Pesach Seder is designed to be an engaging and interactive experience.

The following websites contain many ideas and insights that may bring freshness to your Pesach סדר Seder this year.

New Australia Haggadah: Stand Up www.haggadah.com.au   

Seder and Haggadah additional readings and supplements http://seder.today

Social Justice additional readings and supplements – NIF  www.theotherhaggadah.org

Shalom Hartman Institute Pesach Articles and Seder Resources.

https://hartman.org.il/SHINews_View.asp?Article_Id=85

https://shi-webfiles.s3.amazonaws.com/Article_NoamZion_2014_SederActivities.pdf

Chabad Pesach Resource www.chabad.org/holidays/passover/default_cdo/jewish/Passover.htm

Jacob Richman’s Hot Site: great links to Pesach websites: www.jr.co.il/hotsites/j-hdaypa.htm 

My Jewish Learning: Comprehensive overview and exploration www.myjewishlearning.com/holidays/Jewish_Holidays/Passover.shtml 

NSW Kashrut Authority Pesach Guide www.ka.org.au/ 

Tablet: Online magazine of Jewish news, ideas and culture: www.tabletmag.com/holidays

Greatist: 34 Heathy and Delicious Passover Recipes: www.cyber-kitchen.com/holidays/passover/foodlinks.htm 

Sephardi Pesach Customs: Detailed overview of Sephardi customs for Pesach and for how to prepare and conduct a Seder. www.angelfire.com/pa2/passover/sephardicpassovercustoms.html 

Pesach songs: transliterated and translated. www.hebrewsongs.com/pesach.htm 

Eliezer Segal’s Virtual Haggadah for Children www.ucalgary.ca/~elsegal/Uncle_Eli/Eli.html