Teachings: Passover

The following story clarifies the traditional and spiritual elements of the process known as bedikat chametz, searching for chametz* in your home.

This Torah portion is largely concerned with laws of bodily purity. The descriptions of bodily secretions and infections remind us that the kohanim, the priests, were the first dermatologists and infectious disease practitioners. How can you tell what is pure, tahor and what is impure, tamei? Tazria, as it is called, is the least popular Torah reading in the entire year’s cycle.

When almost all your congregants raise their hands to the question "Do you have a Christmas tree up this season in your home?" it's quite unsettling for a rabbi. This happened to me back in 1989 in a rural pulpit. The Hanukkah-Christmas dilemma full-blown. What to do, if anything?

A creative program came to mind during a night of troubled dreams. The president of the congregation, ever a supporter of my tendency towards R&D on behalf of the Jewish future, organized everything perfectly to my specifications. And the virtually all of the congregation came.

   After asking the four questions, in some Moroccan families, the person leading the seder leaves the room and returns with the afikomen in a napkin draped over their shoulder (Tom Sawyer fashion, for Mark Twin fans) and then recounts the story of the exodus out of Egypt. This got me to thinking, if I was told overnight that I was leaving Egypt - what would I take with me? I recalled a Holocaust survivor showing me the little stack of photos she'd sewn into the leg of her pants just before she was taken prisoner......what would you take?

New SOUNDS OF SEDER (to the tune of Sounds of Silence) to sing during Maror, addressing some of our current social/political concerns with heart, strength, and a shtikele humor. 

The Sounds of Seder
by Rabbi Goldie Milgram, ReclaimingJudaism.org
 

Melody: Sounds of Silence

New SOUNDS OF SEDER (to the tune of Sounds of Silence) to sing during Maror, addressing some of our current social/political concerns with heart, strength, and a shtikele humor. 

The Sounds of Seder
by Rabbi Goldie Milgram, ReclaimingJudaism.org
 

Melody: Sounds of Silence

Middle Matzah and Afikomen Song
by Rabbi Goldie Milgram

Festival of Meaningful Song Seder Outline and Songsheet
A careful mix of silly and serious, learning and celebrating.
Adapt as you wish. Blessings for a sweet and meaningful Passover!