Cantor Ben Moshe’s Message
This Shabbat, on which we read Parshat Tzav, is the Shabbat before Passover, known as HaShabbat Hagadol, the Great Shabbat. Originally, there was a “Great Shabbat” before each Festival, on which the traditions of the holiday would be explained. In our day, the one before Pesah remains, most likely because Pesah has more rules than other Festivals. One of these rules is that we may not possess any hametz, any leavened products during the week of Pesah. In the agrarian society in which our ancestors lived this wasn’t a problem, but now we are accustomed to keeping quantities of food which doesn’t spoil, and disposing of it all could be a considerable hardship. It is therefore permissible to sell our hametz to a non-Jew, thereby removing it from our possession, and then buy it back after the conclusion of the holiday. Those who wish can appoint me as their agent to sell their hametz-the sale would take effect on Friday, April 3, midmorning, and the buyback would be Saturday evening, April 11 at the conclusion of Shabbat. A sign-up sheet will be in the entrance lobby of Beth El before services Friday night, and then after Shabbat until next Friday morning. May we all approach this Festival of Freedom lighthearted and thankful for our liberty. Shabbat Shalom.