Parashat Metzora - Leviticus 13:1 - 15:33
HafTorah - Malachi 3:4-24
Dear friends,
Pesach is finally upon us, and we complete our preparations with this week's Shabbat HaGadol, the Great Sabbath always observed on the Shabbat immediately preceding Passover.
The highlight of this Shabbat is the chanting of the Haftorah from the Prophet Malachi (Chapter 3, Verses 4-24) who predicts the coming of the Prophet Elijah and the ensuing messianic age. Indeed, we pour a 5th cup of wine at our Pesach Seder for Elijah and at the end of the reading of our Haggadah, we open the door for him to enter our homes and our lives "as he shall reconcile parents with children and children with their parents". Malachi prophesizes that if we turn back to Adonai, then Adonai will turn back to us.
We will also continue our reading of the Book of Vayikra (Leviticus) with the portion of M'tzora. We read about the dangers of spreading infections and how they were prescribed to be treated. And as Rabbi Daniel Mikelberg of Temple Israel of Ottawa points out in his "Encountering the Plague in our Midst" d'var Torah, just as our ancestors acted against the spread of disease, we are called upon to act against the spread of hate--"our communities ought to be havens of respect, love, and generosity".
Chris and I are looking forward to sharing this great Shabbat HaGadol and all of Pesach with you, our spiritual family. Shabbat services take place this evening at 7:30 pm and tomorrow morning at 9:30 am both in-person and virtually on Zoom. And here is our
Passover lineup of services and events:
Tuesday, April 23rd at 9:30 am - Passover Service in-person and virtually on Zoom
Tuesday, April 23rd at 6:30 pm - Community in-person Passover Seder
Friday, April 26th at 7:30 pm - Passover Chol Hamoed (intermediate days)
Service in-person and on Zoom
Saturday, April 27th at 9:30 am - Passover Chol Hamoed Shabbat Service in-person and on Zoom
Tuesday, April 30th at 9:30 am - Last Day of Passover Service including Yizkor memorial service in-person and on Zoom
The Shabbat services on April 26/27 will include the reading of Shir HaShirim (the Song of Songs).
Shabbat Shalom and Chag Pesach Sameach!
Ron Becker,
Spiritual Leader
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FRIDAY:
JCC is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.
Topic: Shabbat Service, Friday 04/19/2024 7:30 pm
Time: Apr 19, 2024 07:30 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)
Join Zoom Meeting
Meeting ID: 497 903 0958
Passcode: 5QdVaA
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SATURDAY:
JCC is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.
Topic: Saturday Service, 04/20/2024 9:30 am
Time: Apr 20, 2024 09:30 AM Eastern Time (US and Canada)
Join Zoom Meeting
Meeting ID: 497 903 0958
Passcode: 5QdVaA
***Additional Zoom Meeting links for Pesach will be sent in a separate email.