Rabbi Howard Silverman

This week our Torah portion is about the installation of the priesthood and the seriousness of walking in holiness before God. It is appropriate for this time of year because we are at the beginning of the important season that we refer to as "Counting the Omer." This is the period between the offering of the early firstfruits and the offering of the latter firstfruits.

One of the names that describes Passover in the Haggadah is z’man cheruteinu, the “season of our freedom.” We gather around the Seder table remembering how God brought our ancestors out of Egyptian slavery to freedom in the wilderness.

This week there is a special Shabbat. In addition to its being the weekly day of rest, it is the Shabbat before Passover. It is called Shabbat HaGadol, the Great Sabbath.