DVAR TORAH On the seventh day of Pesach, we retell the splitting of the Red Sea, a miracle of unimagined proportion, and one that the midrash adds to with a full litany of added miracles that occurred at that time. For example, the midrash describes that if a woman was holding a young child who was crying at the time of the splitting of the sea, she could stretch out her hand and, from the water, retrieve a fruit with which to calm the child. On the other hand, if the child was thirsty, they could drink from the sweet, drinkable water of the sea. And that the path between the walls of water was as dry as concrete.
Why did G-d make these secondary miracles? Was it not enough that He split the sea?
Rav Chaim Shmulevitz answered with the following parable: If a person sees a woman caring for a baby, there is a sure way to know if it is the mother or a nanny. If after the woman bathes or changes the baby, she gives the baby a kiss - then you know it is the mother. Similarly, all the “special features” of the splitting of the Red Sea are the “kiss.” G-d promised Avraham that He would take us out of slavery. However, G-d didn’t just want to save us - He wanted to show us extra love.
It is because of this that the reaction of the Jewish people to the multitude of miracles was “zeh Keli v’anvayhu”- "This is my G-d, and I will glorify Him" - which is the source of the obligation to beautify the mitzvot. When the Jews saw G-d going above and beyond what He had promised, they responded to that display of affection by doing the mitzvot not merely because they had to but rather in a fashion that conveyed “I want to.”
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HALACHA OF THE WEEK: CHOL HAMOED IN HALACHA According to the Talmud, during Chol HaMoed, the general rule is that “melacha” [lit. work]. And while there remains a dispute as to whether or not this prohibition is Biblical or rabbinic [Talmud Chagiga 18a and Moed Katan 29a; Shulchan Aruch Orach Chayim 530:1], all authorities agree that work that is prohibited on the festivals is also prohibited on the intermediate days unless one of five following exemptions are present: 1. Work, if not done, will lead to a significant financial loss. (The precise definition of financial loss varies from society to society and person to person [Mishna Berura 544:6].) 2. Work done to produce food for the sake of either the intermediate days or the holidays (including lighting fires, harvesting plants or turning on lights). 3. Work where the action is of benefit to many people. 4. Work done by a non-professional for the sake of the holiday. Therefore, one may turn on a light during Chol HaMoed to read or turn on the radio to listen to recreational music for pleasure [Shulchan Aruch, Orech Chayim 545:1]. 5. Work done by a poor person to earn money to buy food or other necessities. (It is preferable to do such work, rather than accept charity [Pri Megadim, Orech Chayim, Eshel Avraham 542]) It is preferable that such work be done in a private, rather than public. Obviously, what is prohibited and what is permitted depends on motives, intent and ease of activity — and in this sense the concept of prohibited work on Chol HaMoed differs from the notion of prohibited work on Shabbat and Yom Tov. However, what is important to remember is that Chol HaMoed, is a Moed [lit. holiday] and as such deserves, as much as possible, some modifications to our regular weekday routine.
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BIRTHDAYS Aviva Goldman (4/23) Mr. Lawrence Yablong (4/23) Mrs. Mandy Bachrach (4/24) Sarah Lipson (4/24) Mr. Sherwin Mishkin (4/24) Mrs. Vivienne Sklar (4/24) Mrs. Noemy Skidelsky (4/25) Mr. Jeremy Amster (4/26) Eliana Levitt (4/27) Mrs. Deedie Gold (4/29) Mr. Harold Katz (4/30) Mr. Howard Karesh (5/1)
ANNIVERSARIES Sam and Shuli Medow (4/23) Dr. Stephen and Cheryl Karesh (4/28)
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