Shalom,
First, I would like to thank all those who came to the Cantor's Concert last Sunday. We had approximately 200 people and everyone had a great deal of fun. I hope you will be able to see some pictures from the concert on the shul website soon.
Last Wednesday night we commemorated Yom Hazikaron and celebrated Yom Ha'atzmaut. I remember when I came to Stamford 11 years ago; other than a few additions in the service, there was no mention of these special days, and they were barely on the radar screen. Now, since we started producing our community event, I am very proud to see over 400 people coming together as an act of solidarity with the State of Israel.
In Stamford and throughout the world, this Shabbat you are going to read the parashiot of Acharei Mot and Kedoshim. However, here in Israel, we are going to read parashat Emor. The reason that Israel is one parasha apart is due to the fact that in the Diaspora, we observed the 8th day of Pesach, as opposed to only 7 days in Israel. Therefore, on that day, we read a special portion that is never read in Israel. It is read outside of Israel on the 8th day of Pesach, Shmini Atzeret and the 2nd day of Shavuot. This reading, taken from the Book of Deuteronomy, speaks of the mitzvah of "Aliya Laregel," or pilgrimage, during the three festivals. The rabbis of Babylonia who codified the Torah readings felt it was important for Jews in the Diaspora to remember the fact that in the times of the Temple they had to go to Israel at least three times every year.
The rabbis of Babylonia also instituted the rules about the reading of two parshiyot together (double parasha) based on calculations of events in the calendar. There are three double parashiot between Pesach and Shavuot: Tazria-Metzora, Acharei Mot-Kedoshim, and Behar-Bechukotai. In order to "catch up" while in the Diaspora, we need to read all of these parashiot together, in pairs. In Israel one of these pairs must be separated, and we must read each parasha on a separate Shabbat.
So why do we wait until we reach the last pair, to "sync up" the Diaspora reading with the Israeli reading? Why not do that as early as possible? Of course, you might ask; what's the big deal? Who cares? Well, one implication of this oddity is the fact that someone who travels "loses" one parasha.
I asked several Rabbis who did not have an answer for this question so I had to do some independent research. What I found out is that the answer is has to do with compatibility. We choose which parshiot to separate based on the level of compatibility between the topics. Tazria and Metzora discuss the same ideas; similarly, this occurs in Acharei Mot and Kedoshim. Although the topics of Behar and Bechukotai are somewhat different, and they are usually read together, this year they are read separately in Israel.
This made me think of how we seek compatibility in so many aspects of our lives: in marriage, with friends, our choice of occupation, the shul where we daven, and the community in which we live. If the Rabbis are so concerned about how the topics of two parshiot relate to each other, how much more do we need to evaluate all the compatibilities that we encounter, and value how much they enrich our lives.
Shabbat Shalom from Jerusalem,
Cantor Arik Wollheim
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