The Counting of the Omer

by Shira Schechter (Moderator) | f 19, 2022 | Counting the Omer, Emor, Passover, Shavuot (Pentecost), Temple

On the night after the Passover Seder, the second night of Passover (the 16th of Nisan), Jews begin to perform the commandment of counting the seven complete weeks of the Omer which culminates in the pilgrimage festival of Shavuot on the 50th day. This commandment is...

The Omer Wave Offering

by Shira Schechter (Moderator) | f 13, 2022 | Emor, Nisan, Passover, Temple

The Omer, a biblical measurement of approximately 43 ounces, refers to the wave offering of barley that was brought to the Temple along with a sacrifice of a lamb. Before Passover, emissaries of the Sanhedrin would go out to the field of barley and tie the grain into...

The Biblical Symbolism Of Passover Foods

by Shira Schechter (Moderator) | f 11, 2022 | Bo, Israel, Passover, Redemption, Temple

The home-based Passover service, known as the Passover Seder, is brimming with Biblical symbolism. Seder is the Hebrew word for order, alluding to the idea that God runs the world in an orderly manner. Similarly, there are 15 steps to the Seder and they are completed...

Understanding the Healing Process for a “Leper”

by Shira Schechter (Moderator) | f 8, 2022 | Community, Free Will, Metzorah, Temple

The healing process for tzaraat (a spiritual malady frequently mistranslated as leprosy) requires a series of sacrifices in the Temple. Two live birds are brought to the priest. Springwater is placed in an earthenware vessel, over which one of the birds (traditionally...

The “Great Sabbath”

by Shira Schechter (Moderator) | f 3, 2022 | Bo, Nisan, Passover, Redemption, Shabbat

The Shabbat that precedes Pesach (Passover) is called ‘Shabbat HaGadol’ (the big/great Sabbath). There are several reasons for this. According to Jewish tradition, the first Shabbat HaGadol was the last Shabbat (Find out more about the laws of Shabbat) that the Jews...