IEV y. k tkii4 N k k 1/1/11,11,11,11,111,11,111111,11VIIIP11,1,11,111, 11,1011,1111,11,1111 1, . Torah Portion IP le , Fan Faith's Fires With Enthusiasm the Tabernacle) on a daily basis? The offering of sacrifices, as described in this week's sedrah (burnt offerings, meal offerings, sin offerings, offerings of well-being), was a public event conduct- ed in response to the needs of each indi- vidual. The priests' duties at the Tabernacle were not scheduled accord- od spoke to Moses saying. ing to specific office hours. A trained, "Command Aaron and his qualified Kohen or Levi would always be sons ... A perpetual fire shall around to assist the Israelite who came be kept burning on the altar, to participate in the sacrificial cult. _not to go out." (Leviticus 6:1-2,6) Even if no one came for service, the We are in the midst of exciting, spir- obligations of Aaron and his sons to it-filled times. Certainly, as Jews, we offer the daily sacrifices were anticipate the upcoming continuous. The "urging" of Pesach festival. Families will Moses command led them to gather together for the tradi- a commitment never to miss tional seder meal. Songs, sto- a day. But it was precisely ries, memories, recipes, ques- because they (the priests) were tions and answers will help our always there that the Israelites generation relive the exodus could be assured of the 'from slavery in Egypt. opportunity to fulfill God's But there are also, in our commands. The excitement community, the sports orient- of the individual participating ed events of early spring every- in an extraordinary experience where we look: March RA BBI was possible only because of Madness (college basketball), NO RMAN T. the continuing zeal and the Pistons and Red Wings RO MAN enthusiasm of those who per- pursuit of playoffs in basket- Specia 1 to The formed the duty day by day. ball and hockey, the opening Jewish News Moses commanded urgency ,-- of a Tiger baseball season. It is and spirit to Aaron and his a time of great excitement, sons for the immediate moment so that attention and even urgency. Our every- they would constantly feel the signifi- day, ordinary activities all seem to fade cance of their duties and for posterity, in importance, while we concentrate for knowing that all who came, if only for a while on the extraordinary. (Ask any an infrequent experience, deserved the balebustah, about it while she prepares same excitement. her home for the seder, for example.) Jewish living, like the offering of sac- I recall a D'var Torah taught by rifices by the priests of old, is a daily Rabbi Reuven Bulka. When God spoke experience. It is quite difficult to fill to Moses about Aaron and the sacrifices each day with zeal and urgency to he offered, the phrasing was, (although we are told, in Pirkei Avot "Command Aaron and his sons." Why that "the time is short ... and the Master the imperative verb "command? Why of the House urgently waits"). The not instruct or teach or tell? Rashi com- Shabbat can come about only after we ments for us that the choice of the verb work for six days; the Passover Festival "command" implies an urging (the of Freedom has meaning only when we Hebrew is ziruz) for the immediate and envision ourselves as slaves. The peak of for the long term. a holiday season in the synagogue or To urge someone usually means Jewish home can be achieved only when that we see in a particular opportunity the everyday Jewishness is present and some pressing need or excitement. The functioning well. Kohanim (Aaron and his sons) were For, as Rabbi Bulka so aptly wrote, being told by God through Moses to "In Judaism, as in sports, you only make approach their sacrificial duties with the playoffs (Yom Kippur, Pesach, etc.) enthusiasm, spirit, vitality and zeal. if you have a good regular season." Our And, as Rabbi Bulka pointed out, the teams will only reach their champi- critical issue was not how they would onships if they play well throughout the perform their task the first time, nor regular season. Like the priests' sacrifices the second nor third; but rather, God of our history, our present-day Jewish and Moses urged them to "keep up celebrations will only have the excite- the good work" throughout their lives ment and fulfillment we desire if we as priests. Could they maintain their remember the verse from an opening enthusiasm for the Avodah (service at paragraph of our sedrah, "Keep the fire burning continually (daily, regularly) - Norman T. Roman is rabbi of Temple do not let it go out!" II Kol Ami. 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