TORAH FOR THE TABLE: PESACH 5775

TORAH FOR THE TABLE ENGAGING CONVERSATIONS TO ENHANCE OUR PESACH TABLE PESACH 5775

SEEING THE MIRACLES IN OUR LIVES A PROJECT OF THE SPIRITUAL GROWTH COMMISSION

In memory of Zila Besser, A”H Beloved mother of Rabbi Besser

USE THE SOURCES, QUESTIONS, AND THOUGHTS BELOW TO ENGAGE YOUR TABLE IN COVERSATION

DISCUSSION QUESTION

DISCUSSION QUESTION

WHAT IS A MIRACLE?

WHAT ROLES DO MIRACLES PLAY IN JUDAISM?

HOW DOES IT DIFFER FROM NATURE?

WHAT DO WE DO TODAY TO REMEMBER THE MIRACLES OF THE PAST? ‫ בשלח פרק יג‬- ‫רמב"ן שמות פרשת בא‬ ‫ ונעתיק הדבר אל‬,‫ יצוה אותנו שנעשה תמיד זכרון ואות לאשר ראו עינינו‬,‫ובעבור כי הקב"ה לא יעשה אות ומופת בכל דור‬ .‫וכן כל כיוצא בהן מצות רבות זכר ליציאת מצרים‬...‫ ובניהם לדור אחרון‬,‫ ובניהם לבניהם‬,‫בנינו‬ Hashem will not perform open miracles in every generation. He therefore commands us that we should make a constant remembrance of what we saw and we should pass this on to our sons, and they to their son, until the last generation… and we therefore have some many Mitzvot to remember Yetziat Mitzrayim.

-Ramban, Sefer Shemot

DISCUSSION QUESTION:

DISCUSSION QUESTION:

WHAT MIRACLES DO WE RECOUNT ON PESACH NIGHT WHILE READING THE HAGGADAH?

WHAT OTHER HOLIDAYS DURING THE YEAR REVOLVE AROUND MIRACLES? IS SHABBAT ON YOUR LIST?

On Chanukah and Purim we add “Al Hanisim” to the Amidah and Birkat HaMazon.

What is the focus of this addition? .‫בֹותינּו בַּ י ִָּמים הָּ ֵהם בַּ זְּ ַּמן ַּהזֶּ ה‬ ִֽׂ ֲ‫ית לַ א‬ ָ ‫ ֶׁשעָ ִֽׂש‬,‫ וְעַ ל הַ מ ְלחָ מֹות‬,‫ וְעַ ל הַ ְתשּועֹות‬,‫ וְעַ ל הַ גְ בּורֹות‬,‫ וְעַ ל הַ פ ְֻּר ָקן‬,‫עַּ ל ַּהנִ ִסים‬ WHAT DOES ‫ בימים ההם בזמן הזה‬MEAN?

‫ שאנו מודים לך על הניסים‬,‫אומרים על הניסים ועל הפרקן שעשית לאבותינו בימים ההם ובזמן הזה‬ ‫ שבכל יום ויום הוא עושה‬,‫ וגם אנו מודים על הניסים שעשית לנו בזמן הזה‬,‫שעשית לאבותינו בימים ההם‬ ‫עמנו ניסים נגלים ונסתרים בזמן הזה‬ ‫לבוש אורח חיים סימן תרפב‬ We say “for the miracles that he performed in those days, AND in these days, meaning, we are thanking him for the miracles that he performed back then, and we are also thanking him for the miracles he performs nowadays, that every day he performs hidden and open miracles for us.

- Rabbi Mordechai Yaffe

SOURCE: “While Pesach commemorates how Hashem alters nature to watch over us, Chanukah demonstrates how Hashem harnesses the laws of nature”. –R’ Levi Yitzchak of Berditchev

QUESTION: WHY DO WE NOT SAY “AL HANISIM” ON PESACH?

WOULD IT BE EASIER TO HAVE EMUNAH IF WE SAW MIRACLES IN OUR TIMES? QUESTION: IS SEEING OPEN MIRACLES AN AUTOMATIC WAY TO DEVELOP EMUNAH? LIST 3 EVERY DAY OCCURENCES THAT ARE INDEED ‘MIRACLES”

‫תהלים פרק קו‬ ‫אֹותיָך ל ֹא זָכְ רּו אֶׁ ת־רֹב חֲ סָ ֶׁדיָך ַוי ְַמרּו עַ ל־יָם ְביַם־סּוף‬ ֶׁ ‫בֹותינּו ְבמצְ ַרים ל ֹא־ה ְשכילּו נ ְפ ְל‬ ֵ ֲ‫(ז) א‬ ‫(ז) כי חסדים ונפלאות שעשית עמהם בהוציאך אותם מבית עבדים ביד חזקה ובמכות שהבאת על המצרים הפלית‬ Our forefathers in Egypt did not understand Your wonders; they did not remember your manifold deeds of ‫ כי מי שעשה עמהם במצרים כל הנפלאות יצילם‬,‫ ולא זכרו‬,‫ ואחר צאתם כשרדפו מצרים לא השכילו‬,‫בינם ובין מצרים‬ kindness, and they were rebellious‫להצילם‬ by the sea, by “Yam Suf‫ אלא המרו האל יתברך‬,‫מיד המצרים הרודפים אחריהם‬ ‫שלא יוכל‬ ‫וחשבו‬ ‫רד"ק תהלים פרק קו‬ All the wonders and miracles that Hashem performed for them while taking them out of Egypt and during the Plagues were forgotten by the people, and they doubted Hashem’s ability to save them.-Radak, Tehillim DO WE MISUSE THE ‘TERM’ “ MIRACLE”?

The "Miracle on Ice" is the name in American popular culture for a medal-round men's ice hockey game during the 1980 Winter Olympics at Lake Placid, New York, on Friday, February 22. The United States national team, made up of amateur and collegiate players and led by coach Herb Brooks, defeated the Soviet Union national team, which had won the gold medal in six of the seven previous Olympic games. Team USA went on to win the gold medal by winning its last match over Finland. The Soviet Union took the silver medal by beating Sweden in its final game. In 1999, Sports Illustrated named the "Miracle on Ice" the Top Sports Moment of the 20th Century. [1] As part of its 100th anniversary celebrations in 2008, the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) chose the "Miracle on Ice" as the century's number-one international ice hockey story. (wikipedia.com) DO WE SEE HASHEM IN OUR DAILY LIVES, EVEN OUTSIDE THE CONTEXT OF A MIRACLE? The story is told of a businessman who was running late for a meeting because he couldn’t find a parking spot.

After driving around for more than fifteen minutes, he looked up to the sky and said “God, if you help me find a parking spot, I promise to give one hundred dollars to charity.” As he completed his sentence, he noticed someone pulling out of a spot. He looked up and said “Never mind, God, I was able to find a spot on my own.”

LET THE CONVERSATION CONTINUE…