SHABBOS HAGADOL 5775

“RABBI’S
MUSINGS (& AMUSINGS)”
Erev Shabbos Kodesh Parshas Tzav/Hagadol
7 Nissan 5775/ March 27, 2015
After a particularly brutal last few
weeks of winter, we happily welcomed in spring this past Friday at 6:45 pm. But
within minutes of the onset of the new season, winter was back giving us five
more inches of snow.
On Shabbos morning I donned and buttoned
my winter coat yet again and headed to shul. When I arrived in shul and began
opening my coat the top button popped off. At that point the button became
muktzeh since it no longer had any use to me on Shabbos, so I let it fall to
the floor near the wall.
The purpose of a button is to connect two
disparate items and hook them together into one entity. I decided that my
button popping off was a sign that it was time to open my coat and allow the
spring weather in. So Shabbos afternoon I didn’t wear a coat.
Even more significant than my button
falling off is the fact that the holiday of Pesach always heralds spring.
Pesach is a holiday of national connection,
when a band of disparaged slaves were transformed into a nation. The laws of
Pesach reflect that transformation. The korbon Pesach must be consumed in
groups whose adherents pre-registered before the offering was brought.
While the holidays of Tishrei focus more
on the individual and his personal process of teshuva, the primary focus of the
holidays of Purim and Pesach are on national redemption. We celebrate as a
people.
This is part of the reason why we have
such an adverse reaction to the wicked son at the Seder. The question he asks
is essentially a good one – why are we busy with this service tonight? But it
is his attitude that so irks us. On the holiday of national unity when we
achieved nationhood and marched out as a free people, he wants to remain a
disparate loner.
We caution him that if he possessed such
an attitude at the time of the redemption he would never have left. It was a
unified nation that Hashem took out of Egypt, not a group of individuals.
In that sense the wicked son is popping off
the proverbial button – he wants to disconnect himself. That’s why we give him
such a harsh response, for he has effectively undermined our primary effort
tonight to celebrate the genesis of our nationhood.
I would conclude by saying that when the
button on the bottom of your shirt starts popping off, it’s also a sign – a
sign that it’s time to begin the post Pesach diet. But until then, enjoy!
Shabbat Shalom &
Good Shabbos,
           R’ Dani and Chani
Staum       

720 Union Road • New Hempstead, NY 10977 • (845) 362-2425

Sign Up For Our Email List

More Posts

Yom Kippur 5785

  “RABBI’S MUSINGS (& AMUSINGS)”   Erev Shabbos Kodesh – Yom Kippur 9 Tishrei 5785/ October 11, 2024 OH DEER For those living in New York City, it’s quite rare to see deer. But for those of us who live on the other side of the Hudson River it is quite common. In fact, recently the number of deer has grown exponentially. It is not unusual for a family of deer to sprint across our yard, or even be grazing calmly in our yard. (So far, my effort to get them to pay for their usurped meals haven’t been successful…) Often,

Read More »

Parshas Nitzavim-Vayeilech 5784

  “RABBI’S MUSINGS (& AMUSINGS)”   Erev Shabbos Kodesh Parshas Netzovim-Vayelech 23 Elul 5784/ September 27, 2024 Pirkei Avos – Perek 5-6 KUGEL JUICE It’s been said that more people become religious because of the Rebbetzin’s kugel than because of the Rabbi’s sermon. This past Friday I couldn’t stop thinking about my wife’s kugel all morning. While she does make a mean potato kugel (that’s a big compliment for those who don’t know), that’s not why I thought about it all morning. During a game played at last year’s Chanukah mesiba in my home for my students, one student won a

Read More »

Parshas Ki Savo 5784

  “RABBI’S MUSINGS (& AMUSINGS)”   Erev Shabbos Kodesh Parshas Ki Savo 17 Elul 5784/ September 20, 2024 Pirkei Avos – Perek 3-4 UNAPOLOGETIC PRIDE Each year before Tisha b’Av I spend a considerable amount of time working with the learning director of Camp Dora Golding, my rebbe, Rabbi Noach Sauber, to develop a program for our campers that will be engaging, inspiring and meaningful. That includes asking our talented rebbeim in camp to introduce each of the kinnos recited. On Tisha b’Av this summer, my friend and summer colleague, Rabbi Mayer Erps, shared the following personal anecdote[1]: “On occasion I’ve

Read More »
Scroll to Top