Parshat Acharei Mot
April 28th-29th, 2000
24 Nisan, 5760

At our Seder meals last week, we concluded our eating with the afikoman, the matzoh that symbolizes the paschal lamb of old.  Halachah stipulates that no tasty food or drink should follow the afikoman, so that its flavor should linger in our mouths for the duration of the night. (Practically speaking, that means the two minutes it takes most of us to drag ourselves to bed after finishing Chad Gadya-so much for discussing the Exodus until the morning Shemah!)

The taste of the afikoman should linger in our mouths.

And so, too, should we take care that the lessons and insights of Pesach, the z'man cherusenu (season of our freedom), linger in our conscious minds at least a day or two beyond the return to business (or should I say, bagels?)-- as-- usual.

"Praise, you servants of Hashem, praise the name of Hashem!"  So we sang in one of the psalms of praise that directly precede the drinking of the second cup of wine at the Seder. 

The S'fas Emes (p. 109) points out that the Psalmist, in this verse, is implying something by exclusion: Praise, you servants of Hashem-and NOT you servants of Pharaoh!  For every servant feels some measure of sorrow at his diminished status, and, therefore, feels no impulse to give praise except the individual who is a servant of Hashem.  This "servitude" brings a person to simchah (joy), he writes.  Every servant looks for strategies to break free of his master except the person that serves Hashem; he, on the contrary, seeks out opportunities to extend his acceptance of the "yoke" of G-d's Kingship.  He rejoices in additional directives; he welcomes more mitzvos.

And the very essence of the joy of Pesach, continues the S'fas Emes, is our re-dedication to the acceptance of G-d's Kingship, our yearly re-experiencing of the awesome and miraculous sequence of events (known as the Exodus) through which the Jewish people were redeemed from the misery of Egyptian servitude to become servants unto G-d.  Or, more precisely, to become a free people able now to consider-and, then, accept willingly-that mission to live as G-d's servants (His "chosen people") proffered at Sinai.

The season of our freedom.to become servants of G-d!  The season of our liberation from a human master (Pharaoh) and his perverse will.to prepare for the acceptance of the Torah-G-d's will.  As we've said before, Shavuos (commemorating the Revelation at Sinai) is the completion and culmination of Pesach. 

It sounds very nice, I know, but do we (do I!) really feel such joy in being servants of G-d?  King David rejoiced over G-d's Torah and mitzvos as if he had discovered much silver and precious gold, he tells us all through the Book of Psalms (see Chapter 19 and Chapter 119, for example).  Myself?  I like mitzvos, sure, but I rejoice over my morning coffee-and to claim that I do so primarily because it gives me the strength to learn Torah and do mitzvos may duly impress my readers, but is, frankly, a bit short of the truth. 

And, yet, that is the goal.  To serve G-d with joy, to rejoice in the Torah and mitzvos (and not just after a few shots on Simchas Torah).  This itself is service, of course, and requires a lifetime of dedicated effort.  Where can we start?

First, it can help to consider a verse in this week's Torah portion, a verse which introduces the section on prohibited sexual relations: "You shall observe My decrees and My laws, which man shall carry out and by which he shall live-I am Hashem." (18, 5; Artscroll translation; my emphasis)  

Why rejoice?  Because the laws of the Torah enable us to live, to bring true and lasting meaning into our earthly existence by enabling us to connect with the Source of all life.  They also, Rashi reminds us in his comments on this verse, give us eternal life in the world beyond this one.  Caffeine-great as it is-can't quite match that.  

Second, why not bring to mind the taste of that afikoman (with which we started), and the pleasant memories I'm sure we all have-in one form or another-of the just departed holiday.  Every Jewish holiday is called a "yom tov," a good day!  How kind of Hashem to give us such magnificent "goo  days" throughout our calendar year and, best of all, there's one each week (Shabbos) that is the holiest and, perhaps, most delightful of them all.  For weary work-obsessed souls like us, it's a blessing and true cause to rejoice.

And it's rather quickly approaching.  Which is why I'll close with the beautiful words of Rabbi Samson Raphael Hirsch, in an essay entitled, "Jewish Joyfulness"  (Collected Works, Volume 8), absolutely required reading on this most important topic of serving G-d with simchah.  

"[The festival days, including Shabbos] are all reviving waters for the soul, cleansing away unseemly dust that covered those removed from G-d and returning the soul to the source of all joy and true life, to bathe the soul in the fountain of Divine nearness.  And now, with this nearness to G-d, the sanctification and bliss of all manner of life on earth will be renewed and refreshed."

May it truly be so.

Good Shabbos!

DON'T MISS THE RETURN OF THE LIFE CYCYLE SERIES: RABBI YOSEF EDELSTEIN WILL LECTURE ON MAY 9TH, AT 7:30 AT THE J.E.A., ON "THE SIGHTS AND SYMBOLS OF THE JEWISH WEDDING."