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7 Nisan 5766 - April 4, 2006 | Mordecai Plaut, director

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OPINION & COMMENT

Pesach in a Jewish Home — Holy Activity in a Holy Environment

A Jewish family is not just a convenient social structure that can be altered or discarded. Rather it is an essential part of life itself as envisioned by the Torah. Nothing makes this more clear than the yom tov of Pesach.

HaRav Yitzchok Hutner's Mesibos Chasal — Bidding Yom Tov Farewell
Excerpts from Reshimos Lev, written by Reb Leibel Rutta

Reb Leibel wrote us that the Mesibos Chasal always took place in the dark — lights out, lasting some two hours after Yom Tov. Following each piece, niggunim of deveikus or of Shiras HaYam were sung. "These gatherings were lessons in holding on to the Yom Tov as one returned to normal life that have not left me to this day."

Telolei Oros: Parents and Children, Day and Night — A Selection of Thoughts for the Seder Table

Each Son Has Potential

In the Torah, the questions and answers of the four sons do not appear in the same order as they do in the Haggodoh. In response to the question of the rosho (Shemos 12:26), the posuk gives an answer that is suited to the chochom. The she'eino yodei'a lish'ol receives the answer that is given in the Haggodoh to the rosho, (Shemos 13:8), while the question of the chochom, (Devorim 6:20) gets an answer that is suited for the tam.

The Day before the Night: Which Melochos are Permitted on Erev Pesach?
By Rabbi Daniel Yaakov Travis

Last Minute Preparations

Shimon and Sarah Gold, together with their seven children, were planning to travel from Israel to spend Pesach in America. On the 12th of Nisan, the day of their flight, their daughter Rachel suddenly became extremely ill and was running a dangerously high fever. After examining Rachel for a few minutes, Dr. Brown told the Golds that their daughter could not travel and they would have to make arrangements to spend Pesach in Israel.

Detzach, Adash, Be'Achav — The Signpost
by D. Leitner

The Maharil in his introduction to the section dealing with the different minhogim that apply to the yom tov of Pesach, notes that all customs pertaining to the Seder have profound and deep mystical sources. One must therefore be stringent in observing them all, even those that seem trivial to us. This also applies to the actual text that is said as part of Maggid in the reciting of the Haggodoh.

Leil HaSeder and its Haggodoh: Annual Milestones on the Path to Our Redemption
By Rabbi Shlomo Furst

The Promise of Geulah

The Beis HaLevi explains the geulah from Mitzrayim according to the opinion in Chazal that Hashem cut short the afflictions of our captivity and redeemed us before the complete end of golus Mitzrayim.

Pesach, the Inner Meaning
by Rabbi Yechezkel Spanglet

The chag of Pesach is also termed "zman cheiruseinu" (the era of our freedom). This message seems almost contradictory in the context of the labor of the pre- Pesach scramble to get rooms clean, finish drawers and closets, and scrub the kitchen. After a short sigh of relief, one's heart begins racing again in the rush to finish the kitchen, bring out the pesachdik dishes and begin cooking.

Politica: The Social Revolution
By E. Rauchberger

To The Editor:

Like it or not the 5766 elections will be recalled throughout the generations as the elections that were decided by social issues. Many chuckled at Labor Chairman Amir Peretz for focusing on social and economic issues, but he was right. Kassam missiles fell and terror attack warnings were reported right and left, but in the end the public voted against bare refrigerator shelves.

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