1. The month of Nisan is about to end. The upcoming Shabbat is called "Shabbat Mevarchim" because we bless the month of Iyar, which will begin next week. Rosh Chodesh (the new month) will occur on Monday and Tuesday.
2. Additionally, we are already in the midst of the Counting of the Omer period, from Passover until Shavuot. On Shabbat we will count 13 days of the Omer.
3. This week's Torah portion is Parashat Shemini, the third parsha in the Book of Leviticus. At the beginning of the portion, Aharon the Kohen Gadol’s two sons die because they offered "foreign fire" in the Mishkan, meaning they acted contrary to the instructions and commandments they had received. Aharon becomes a bereaved father, and from within his mourning and pain, he rises and continues his sacred work.
4. Later in the parsha, a series of important and sacred commandments and instructions appear that are still relevant today: the laws of kashrut. Which animals are permitted to eat and which are forbidden? How does observing these laws increase holiness among the people? Even after thousands of years, these words are connected to kitchens in Jewish homes throughout the world.
5. On the first Shabbat after Passover, there is a tradition that is becoming increasingly popular: eating challah in the shape of a key during the Shabbat meal. After the holiday of freedom, we now seek to unlock abundance, livelihood, and good tidings.
Shabbat Shalom. May all locked gates be opened.
