TORAH PORTION
c
s o
e Art at t
he Villa
Setting Aside Time
To Spend With God
Shabbat Emor: Leviticus 21:1-24:23;
Ezekiel 44:15-31.
Fine Art at the
Village of Rochester Hills
W
hat would we do without
appointments with another person
our Blackberrys and
— lest it be interpreted as a lack of
Franklin planners? That's respect or concern for that individ-
easy — we'd be lost!
ual — all the more so we should be
This week's portion presents the
attentive to our appointments with
biblical version of the
the Holy One!
Blackberry — providing
Perhaps the most pow-
a comprehensive list of all
erful dimension to this
the major biblical holi-
list of holidays is the addi-
days. Not surprisingly, the
tion of the word kodesh,
first of these sacred occa-
a designation that we do
sions is Shabbat, followed
not give to most of the
by the entire series of
appointments on our daily
chagim: Pesach, Shavuot,
calendars. It is in this bib-
Rosh Hashanah, Yom
lical list of holidays that
Kippur and Sukkot.
the word kodesh is repeat-
Rabbi Joseph
It is these special
ed again and again.
H. Kr akoff
moments in time that
Kodesh means to be
Special to the
give the Jewish people its
holy, set apart, special,
Jewish News
distinctive character, rein-
unique. And it is showing
forcing a sense of unity
up for this holy appoint-
and common purpose while keeping ment time in the proper season that
the generations connected one after
we create and nurture a feeling of
the other.
closeness to God and also to each
Yet despite the utmost importance other.
that these holidays play in our daily
So what keeps us then from mak-
lives, the list of these festivals at the
ing certain that God always has a
center of our portion sometimes
prominent place on our calendars
seems so familiar and so obvious
first?
that we do not always pay attention
It is a different answer for every-
to what the holidays are trying to
one. But the good news is that at
communicate to us.
minimum — once each week on
This list of the holiday cycle
Shabbat — we have the chance to
occurs just five times in the Torah
rejoice and to experience this spe-
and our portion contains the third
cial relationship anew.
recitation.
Since time with God is so pre-
The Midrash teaches that each
cious and fleeting, let us begin this
listing has a different purpose: "In
Shabbat by committing to doing a
our parshah it is for their sequence,
better job of making the most of
in Numbers for the sacrifices, and in this special opportunity. For if not
Deuteronomy for the intercalcula-
now, then when?
tion of the extra month for the leap
year."
Joseph H. Krakoff is a rabbi at
In particular, the holiday sequence Congregation Shaarey Zedek
of Oakland County.
in our portion reminds us that life
is made holy by agreeing to meet
with God when He requests it for the
holidays are God's way of asking for
Conversations
an appointment time in our weekly
What is your favorite activity
planners. Yes, God wants time on
to do on Shabbat? What is one
appointment on your calendar
our schedules — the Almighty actu-
you look forward to each week?
ally wants us to set aside time to be
What do you need to schedule
with Him!
And just like we would never want
that you have been putting off?
to miss or be late for our scheduled
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P
2009
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