Dear SHA Community,
With Purim in the rearview mirror, we now look forward to Pesach! Today our eighth grade students visited the United States Federal Courthouse and had a wonderful time.
This week will be our Annual SHA STEM Fair in which our students engage guests in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math activities and in which the Middle School students present the STEM projects that they have been creating over the past weeks.
The STEM Fair will be held this coming Thursday, March 16 from 3:30 to 5 pm at the school. It is open to the public.
A thought on Perashat Ki Tissa:
Three laws listed together at the end of this week’s portion
- To keep the Jewish holidays with special emphasis on Passover
- To bring all first fruits to the Temple
- Not to cook a baby goat in its mother’s milk
Question
Why are these laws listed together? What meaningful connection exists between them?
Commentary - Rabbenu Ovadiah Seforno
Seforno explains that these laws deal with birth and rebirth in the natural cycle.
Lesson
Births, rebirths and firsts in nature are brought about by a dizzying number of cause-effect relationships.
These moments can be viewed from a strictly naturalistic perspective: cell division, DNA, proteins, hormones and many, many other factors work in harmony to produce a new or renewed living being. However, when looked at in totality, the intricate system of natural birth and rebirth begs for an explanation.
Seizing upon these unique moments – moments when a person is open to reflecting on the wonder of creation – the Torah obligates us in these special commandments to orient us towards appreciating G-d as the source of our success.
Spring and the Passover season is readily approaching. As we enter this season, let us aim to appreciate all of the ways that we benefit from G-d’s miracles, kindnesses and wonders.
Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Owen