Rabbi Alon Anava – Brings back the topic of Pesach Sheni which we actually had on the Jewish calendar over a month ago but is brought up again in this week’s Torah Portion. Why is there a second chance for the holiday of Pesach (Passover) specifically? Why are there no second chances for other Jewish holidays? What is so special about Pesach that it “requires” a second chance? Why are we talking about this now (isn’t it too late)? Why is this related to Brit Milah (circumcision)? Listen to the calls by Rabbi Anava to learn the answers to these questions.
Rabbi Yitzchak Breitowitz – Interesting take on when did the Jewish people really receive the Torah and why it’s not necessarily accurate that we received it specifically on Shavuot like we typically celebrate. Most important however is how and why G-d gave us the Torah to help in forming the Laws instead of just telling us exactly what to do.
Rabbi Asher Baruch Wegbreit – On these two short videos Rabbi Wegbreit shares with us on how we can greet others and listen to the Torah reading on receiving the Torah both with kavanah (intent) to help elevate our Shavuot experience and connect to Hashem.
Rabbi Mendel Kessin – Fascinating (final) class on the Pesach/Shavuot role in the tikun process which culminates this Saturday night on Shavuot. Rabbi Kessin explains how Adam (HaRishon “the first”) was so closely connected to Hashem at the very beginning of his existance until he lost that connection after the sin of eating of the fruit of the tree of good and bad. After that sin, he was then separated from Hashem. Before the sin he knew at an intrinsic level that he was nothing and there is only Hashem, after the sin he lost that knowing. Then not only was (and the rest of mankind subsequent to that) required to work for their sustenance, unlike before when work was not necessary at all, but that very work has an additional punishment in that it causes man to thinking that its him alone providing his sustenance and Hashem is separate from that process. Man lost his very knowing that there is only Hashem. To try to claw that knowing back we now need to do mitzvot (which were given on the original Shavuot and through the 2nd set of tablets) and/or through suffering. The mitzvot help us to reconnect and humble ourselves to do Hashem’s will even if we don’t “think” its the right thing to do which gets us closer to fixing our reality that there is just Hashem. Then there is suffering which does the same thing because it forces us to know we are nothing because we cant help ourselves out of suffering which makes us feel powerless and again gets us closer to know that there is only Hashem. Both are the tikunim collectively and individually for that original sin of Adam HaRishon. Shavuot is the giving of the Torah which is a gift to get back to the original state before the sin.
Rabbi Moshe Pinto – Shares with us the goal to achieve kedusha (holiness) can only occur when both elements combine (the physical/material and the spiritual). Without one of these elements our level of connection to Hashem is always incomplete. To bring the geula (redemption) we need not ignore the physical/material but to incorporate and elevate it towards a spiritual goal. Pesach was physical redemption and Shavuot is spiritual redemption – the time in between (the Omer period) is the way to connect them both. Powerful lecture by Rav Pinto.
Rabbi Alon Anava – If you have kids no matter what age Rabbi Anava shares what prayer parents can say that is specific to this day (Rosh Chodesh Sivan – the first of the month of Sivan) to bring down the energy leading up to the Jewish holiday of Shavuot. This energy is the same energy as the original ancient energy when the Jewish people received the Torah at Har (Mount) Sinai that becomes available to us every year at this time.
The prayers Rabbi Alon Anava references are available in both Hebrew and English here:
Rabbi Yitzchak Botton – BREAKING: LAG BAOMER is NOT the Day Rabbi Shimon Passed Away! The mystery of the 33rd day of the Omer Lag BaÓmer continues. Many call it the yahrzeit (passing) of Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai, while others say, based on Kabbalah it is the day he was given Smicha, rabbinic ordination , and some say it is both. After watching this video you will better understand Why Lag BaOmer is considered a Jewish Holiday.
The Period of the Omer and Love Your Neighbor as Yourself – Rabbi Breitowitz shares how the current Omer counting period has both a positive and negative perspective. The positive is the joyous period between leaving slavery (Pesach) and receiving the Torah (Shavuot). The negative is 24,000 students of the great sage, Rabbi Akiva, dies during this period of time – which makes the Omer a time of mourning. The ultimate goal of this mourning is to rectify the character trait of not giving kavod to others (“love your neighbor as yourself”). Watch the video to get filled in on all the details in between.
Rabbi Dr. Akiva Tatz – In this podcast, Rabbi Tatz focuses on how counting the Omer helps build us up piece by piece, step by step towards the destination. Always an interesting question of why we don’t count “Day 50” when the Torah itself says count fifty days – listen in for the answer.
Rabbi Yitzchak Breitowitz – Shares about the Omer period of time that we are in between Pesach and Shavuot and explains some very interesting disagreements between Jews of the past and present on when actually to start counting the Omer. The Rabbi made some very clear distinctions about the difference between Shabbat and the Jewish Holidays and our relationship as Jews to each one (a fascinating discussion).
