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Your 2020 Pesach Guide RABBI DR BENJAMIN ELTON

CHAG SAMEACH!

Hinda, Lizzie and I offer the whole congregation very warm wishes for the Festival of Freedom.

We are sending this booklet out by post because we knowthat not everyone has easy access to email, and we want tomake sure you hear from us at this very special time.

Of course this year will be very different. We will not bemeeting together in shule, our Sedarim should be smallerthan in previous years to respect the need for socialdistancing. We will deeply miss sharing our Seder withcongregants. But the spirit of Pesach remains the same.You might wonder how it is possible to celebrate freedomwhen we are so restricted in our physical movements.

I will share a thought from Rabbi Abraham Isaac HaCohenKook, scholar, mystic and Ashkenazi Chief Rabbi of the Landof Israel 1921-1935. Rav Kook argued that freedom is notdependent on our physical position. Freedom exists when weare faithful to our inner essence, when we know that we arecreated in the image of God, and we live according to thatknowledge. When we are not ruled by others and externalsocial conventions, but by what we know to be right and true.Freedom is essential, not external.

CHAG SAMEACHAPRIL 8, 2020 • APRIL 16, 2020

Contents:

GUIDE TO PESACH PAGE 02

Your stay at homePesach Timetable

PAGE 16

WE WISH YOU A HEALTHY, HAPPY & KOSHERPESACH TO YOU AND YOUR FAMILY

Almond Lemon Cake RecipePAGE 15

Message from the GMLynn Niselow

PAGE 14

Pesach MessageRabbi Phil Kaplan

PAGE 12

Presidents MessageJustice Stephen Rothman AM

PAGE 12

Special Prayers for PesachPAGE 8

Preparing for PesachPAGE 6

Your 2020 Pesach GuideRabbi Dr Benjamin Elton

PAGE 2

GUIDE TO PESACH PAGE 03

The English poet Richard Lovelace (1617-1657) expressed this very beautifully:

Stone walls do not a prison make,Nor iron bars a cage;Minds innocent and quiet takeThat for an hermitage;If I have freedom in my loveAnd in my soul am free,Angels alone, that soar above,Enjoy such liberty.

That can be more true than ever now. We know that the precautions we aretaking are going to save lives. We carry them out conscientiously and with a fullheart. We are never more free than when we choose to restrict our humaninteractions for the benefit of the people around us and wider society. That issomething we can celebrate with great joy this Pesach.

Some Practical AdviceAs many of us will be making Pesach in a different way than previous years Iwant to offer some practical religious advice. If you need further clarification,please be in touch.

Cleaning for Pesach should not be over-arduous. Clean you homes thoroughlyto remove any chametz. Any you want to keep, seal away in cupboards and sellvia the Sydney Beth Din at this link: https://www.bethdin.org.au/sale-of-chametz. If that is not possible for you, send me a message and appoint meyour agent to do so. In addition to chametz food, you should put away chametzpots, pans, cutlery, crockery etc. And bring out your Pesach utensils.

The KA has published a useful guide for making a kitchen kosher for Pesach here:http://www.ka.org.au/consumer-resources/pesach-guide/kashering-kitchen-guide

This year Eruv Tavshilin, should be recited on Erev Pesach to allow preparations forShabbat to be made on Yom Tov. All the instructions you need are in an edition of a Siddur,or here: https://www.aish.com/h/hh/rh/guide/48972096.html.

You can find a complete Haggadah with Hebrew, English and instructions here:https://www.sefaria.org/Pesach_Haggadah%2C_Kadesh?lang=bi.If you are not able to print out copies, let us know and we will post some to you.

In addition to three matzot (ideally shemura, and even more ideally handbaked, but ifnecessary regular kosher for Pesach matza will suffice), you will need a Seder Plate. The Asheknazi arrangement of the Seder plate looks like this:

GUIDE TO PESACH PAGE 04

EGG BONE

MARRORCHAROSET

SALT WATER

KARPAS(parsley)

For the mitzvah of eating matza, the equivalent of half a machinemade matza is sufficient. That amount should be taken from thebroken middle matza and a small piece from the top matza. Youdon’t need the full amount for the sandwich (Korech).

For Afikoman at the end of the meal eat the equivalent a further halfmatza from the hidden piece of the middle matza.

For marror, romaine lettuce tends to be used and that is easilyavailable. A single large leaf of romaine lettuce is enough for marror.

For the four cups of (red or white) wine or grape juice, 100ml percup is sufficient.

Read through the Haggadah, in English or in Hebrew and English,but use Hebrew for the blessings. Talk about the text, discuss the Exodus, excite the children, andmake it memorable.

In terms of amount of matza and marror to eat, I will share the position of myprincipal teacher of halacha, Rabbi Yaakov Love:

GUIDE TO PESACH PAGE 05

Wishing the whole community a happy and healthy Pesach!

These could be amazing Sedarim; unusual certainly, we hope they will bememorable and meaningful.

GUIDE TO PESACH PAGE 06

WHEN SHOULD BEDIKAT CHAMETZ BE DONE?At nightfall on the evening of the fourteenth of Nissan, thenight before Seder night.

PESACH IS

PREPARING FOR PESACH The Mitzvah of Disopsing of Chametz

IS A BLESSING RECITED OVER THE SEARCH?Before beginning the search one should recite the blessing:

"Blessed are You, Lord our God, king of the universe,Who has sanctified us with His commandments, and

commanded us about removing the chametz."

SHOULD EVERY PERSON WHO IS GOING TO ASSIST IN THE SEARCH RECITE THE BLESSING?No. They should listen to the blessing that the homeowner recites and say "amen."

WHAT SHOULD ONE LOOK FOR WHEN DOING BEDIKAT CHAMETZ?Every part of the house must be checked for chametz and it is not sufficient to simply look for the "tenpieces of bread". Even if many days have already been spent cleaning the house, one must utilizethis opportunity to confirm that every part of the house has indeed been thoroughly cleaned and thatchametz has not been brought there since. Before the search, one should put out of children's reachall chametz that is to be sold to a non-Jew or that one yet wishes to eat. Similarly, all chametz foundduring the search should be put in a safe place until it is burned the next morning.

GUIDE TO PESACH PAGE 07

PESACH IS ATIME TO

REMEMBER WHO WE AREAND WHY WE

ARE HERE!

WHEN SHOULD THE FIRST NULLIFICATION OF CHAMETZ BE SAID?Immediately after concluding the seach for chametz, say:

"Any chametz or leaven that is in my possession which I have not seen,have not removed and do not know about, should be annulled and

become ownerless, like dust of the earth."

If one forgot to nullify the chametz immediately after the search, heshould say the nullification as soon as he remembers.

Excerpted from "Guidelines" - over 500 commonly asked questions about Pesach(Targum/Feldheim).

WHEN SHOULD THE SECOND NULLIFICATION OF CHAMETZ BE SAID?In the morning, recite the above nulification of chametz for a second time,and burn the chametz. After burning the chametz, say:

"May all leaven and leavened products that exist in my property —whether I have seen it or have not seen it, whether I have observed it orhave not observed it, whether I have purged it or have not purged it —

be considered nullified and ownerless, like the dust of the earth."

On the first day of Pesach we change a line in the liturgy in Mussaf, the additional service. Reflectingthe seasons in the Land of Israel, we have been adding the line ‘Mashiv Haruach Umorid Hagashem’which praises God who makes wind blow and rain descend, ever since the end of Succot. From nowon, until next Shemini Atzeret, we omit that line.

That shift is marked by a special prayer in the repetition of Mussaf, that the Chazzan would say if hewere leading a minyan, that is Tefillat Tal, the Prayer for Dew. In the Sephardic tradition a line isadded in place of ‘Mashiv Haruach Umorid Hagashem’, ‘Morid Hatal’, God who makes dew fall, butthat is now part of our tradition. The Shemini Atzeret parallel to Tefillat Tal is Tefillat Geshem, thePrayer for Rain

There was some controversy as to whether the Southern hemisphere should follow its own season,and reverse the practice, or maintain the traditional order. Although some Rabbis in Australia,including Rabbi Cohen at The Great, did make amendments or substitutions, Rabbi Porush restoredthe regular arrangement, stressing our connection to the Land of Israel. Rabbi Porush was born inJerusalem and was a Zionist – Rabbi Cohen was neither! The text of Tefillat Tal is very beautiful,here are some excepts, to treasure even more as they won’t be recited this year:

Dew, precious dew, unto Your land forlorn,Pour out our blessing in Your exultation,To strengthen us with ample wine and corn,And give Your chosen city safe foundationIn dew.

Dew, precious dew to make the mountains sweet,The savour of Your excellence recalling.Deliver us from exile, we entreat,So we may sing Your praises, softly fallingAs dew.

Dew, precious dew, our granaries to fill,And all our youthful excesses pardon.Beloved God, uplift us at Your willAnd make us as a richly watered gardenWith dew.

You are Lord our Godwho causes the wind to blow and the dew to fall.

For a blessing, not for a curse, Amen.For life, not for death, Amen.For abundance, not for famine, Amen

GUIDE TO PESACH PAGE 08

Tefilat Tal (Prayer for Dew)

SPECIAL PRAYERS FOR PESACH

S’firat Ha’omer (Counting of the Omer)

These verses create the obligation known as the Counting of the Omer. An omer is a unit of measure. On the second day of Passover, in Temple times an omer of barley was harvested and brought to the Temple as a first fruit offering, marking Pesach as the festival of the barley harvest. This grain offering was referred to as the Omer.

Every night, from the second night of Passover to the night before Shavuot, we recite a blessing and count of the omer in both weeks and days. So on the 16th day, you would say ‘Today is sixteen days, which is two weeks and two days of the Omer.’ You can find the text in the Green Siddur on pages 238 and following.

The counting reminds us of the link between Passover, which commemorates the Exodus, and Shavuot, which commemorates the giving of the Torah. It teaches us that the redemption from slavery was not complete until we received the Torah, that true freedom comes when we are involved in and carry out God’s Torah. This is something to look forward to, so we count in eager anticipation, like a child counting the days until their birthday. We count up, rather than down, because this should be a time of increased enthusiasm and excitement, every day rising a new level.

This period is a time of partial mourning, during which weddings, parties, and dancing are not permitted, in memory of a plague which wiped out many of the students of Rabbi Akiva. Haircuts during this time are also forbidden. The thirty third day of the Omer (the eighteenth of Iyar), known as Lag’B’Omer is a minor holiday commemorating a break in the plague. According to one opinion mourning practices of the Omer period are lifted on that date. Others only begin mourning on the first day of Iyar and lift them two or three days before Shavuot. As a result, some people will have a wedding or a party in the first few days, and others in the last few days. We allow both, because there is not reason for a family to choose one custom over another, they just cannot adopt the leniencies of both!

GUIDE TO PESACH PAGE 09

On the second night of Pesach we have a new mitzvah which lasts forty nine days until the arrival ofShavuot. The Torah tells us in two places:

You shall count for yourselves -- from the day after the dayof rest, from the day when you bring the Omer of thewaving -- seven weeks they shall be complete. Until theday after the seventh week you shall count, fifty days’ -Leviticus 23:15-16

You shall count for yourselves seven weeks, from when thesickle is first put to the standing crop shall you begincounting seven weeks. Then you will observe the Festivalof Shavuot for the Lord, your God - Deuteronomy 16:9-10

GUIDE TO PESACH PAGE 10

Message from the PresidentJUSTICE STEPHEN ROTHMAN AM

"Passover has amessage for the

conscience and theheart of all mankind.

For what does itcommemorate? It

commemorates thedeliverance of a

people from degradingslavery, from most

foul and cruel tyranny.

And so,it is Israel’s – nay,

God’s protest againstunrighteousness,

whetherindividual or national.”

Morris Joseph

Dear Friends,

CHAG PESACH KASHER v’ SAMEACHAND ESPECIALLY KEEP WELL!

The traditional greeting is for a Kosher and Happy Festival and Iand the Board extend it to each of you.

These are extraordinary times and we are trying to cope as bestwe can. Be careful and be positive.

We have now a number of learning sessions into which you cangain access. Coincidentally, we have just updated ourcomputer facilities/software and will shortly be commencing aZoom (interactive video link for up to 100 people at a time) Q &A with the Rabbis, about all sorts of issues. It will break themonotony of isolation and give our members (100 at a time) theopportunity for social interaction, beyond their immediate family.Zoom is extremely easy to use; even I can use it!

My family is, for the first time, having separate Seders, so thegrandchildren don’t “mingle” with us! Many are doing likewise. I am hoping that first night Seder, we will do some of the songsand prayers before Pesach commences and interact by Zoom. But, Halachically, we can’t do that after Yom Tov commences. And we’ll have to do Seder in the order it is designed – after allthat’s why it’s called Seder!

We wish everyone celebrating Simchas a hearty Mazal Tov, andwe pray that the whole community will be blessed with goodhealth happiness, peace and prosperity over many more years.

Pesach commences on the night of 8 April. The Shule haspublished on our website recordings of the songs for SederNight, for those who have not had to conduct one in earliertimes and for those who might appreciate a refresher in thetunes we only half remember and through which we stumble.

NO ACT OFKINDNESS,

HOWEVER SMALL IS EVER WASTED

This crisis will last for a while. Keep positive and, if you are feeling low or lonely (or unwell), ring us, we are here for you and we will do what we can. There are on The Great Synagogue Facebook page, sermons and many other activities – we encourage you to make use of them!

The Jewish Community’s Yom Hashoah Commemoration, Yom Hazikaron and Yom Ha’atzma’ut have all been cancelled. For one activity relating to the Shoah, read the Full Court of the Federal Court’s judgment in the Frydenberg Citizen case – it has a very interesting history of the deportation of Hungarian Jews, and their murder and non-citizen status after the War.

These difficult times give us the opportunity to see that which is truly important – health; our family; interaction with friends; and the homogeneity of humanity. We will get through this, but society will not be the same afterwards. We will appreciate more our own health; the planet on which we live; and the precious nature of life. Perhaps some good may come from all of this!

We thank all who have made Pesach donations/offerings, despite the lack of Services. The Shule must and will survive this chaos, both financially and communally.

To all those commemorating a Yahrzeit, or who haverecently suffered a loss, we wish you a long andgood life, full of Simchas. And for all those who areunwell, we wish you a Refu’ah Shaleima!

Keep Well & Chag Sameach!

Our staff members, both Ministerial and Administrative, are working even harder, doing allthe usual tasks (except services) and supporting the new and innovative services that arenow or will soon be on offer. All except one (who is rostered to alternate) work from home. The Shule, and the Jewish community, extends to them a huge vote of thanks for their work.

GUIDE TO PESACH PAGE 11

A Pesach Message RABBI PHIL KAPLAN

PESACH MESSAGE

GUIDE TO PESACH PAGE 12

CHAG PESACH SAMEACH!

Abra and I would like to wish the entire congregation a joyous Passover. This will be our first Passover as a married couple, and we were greatly looking forward to having many of you at our Seder table. Instead, we will all be havingsmall sederim, likely of just our households. While this is disappointing for many of us,given the current circumstances of the Coronavirus pandemic, our vigilance for protectinghuman life and health takes precedence, and is an integral part of how our Passover thisyear will be in fulfillment of God’s will.

While there will undoubtedly be a sense of loss that we are separate from family andfriends during what is typically such an important holiday for gathering together, we shouldfind other opportunities to connect to one another. We should all call and video chat withfriends and family before the holiday begins. We should plan with each other to sing thesame songs, and possibly incorporate some shared customs into our seder nights. Pesachthis year certainly has challenges, but we can also challenge ourselves to find newmeaning.

There is a famous story about Rabbi Yosef Dov Soloveitchik, also known as the BetHaLevi. On Erev Pesach, just hours before the holiday, he received a knock on his door.He was greeted by a man, who said he had an important halakhic question to ask aboutSeder night. “Is it permissible to drink milk for the four cups at the Seder?,” asked the man.After inquiring as to why the man was asking this question, and discovering it was becausehe couldn’t afford wine for Seder, Rabbi Soloveitchik gave the man 25 rubles and sent himon his way. After the man had left, the Rebbetzin confronted her husband. “Yoshe Ber, whydid you give him so much?,” she asked, “5 rubles would have been more than enough forwine.”

He replied, “Didn’t you hear him say he wanted to drink four cups of milk?That means he didn’t have any money for meat either. What kind of sederwould his family then enjoy?”

This story teaches us two important lessons, both relevant for our currentmoment in time. Firstly, it reminds us of the value of Lifnim MiShurat HaDin,going beyond the letter of the law, and secondly, about Chesed, kindnessand compassion. Many in our community may be struggling with a widevariety of challenges during the Passover season. Some may be havingfinancial challenges, or practical challenges in finding everything needed forSeder. Others may have more personal challenges, such as the isolationand loss of having to spend the holiday without particular loved ones, oreven alone. Others yet may be challenged by leading a seder for the firsttime, unsure of certain rituals, texts and tunes.

We all have the opportunity to compassionately go beyond the letter of thelaw, to help to the best of our ability those in need prepare for Passover thisyear, whether that be financially, practically, emotionally or spiritually.

We hope this Pesach Guide is helpful. We’ll also be putting up recordings ofall the Seder tunes on the shule’s website. They can be found here:https://www.greatsynagogue.org.au/Recordings_Music

Rabbi Elton and I are always available if you have any questions relating toPesach or otherwise. Please let us know how else we can help you.

We wish everyone a Chag Kasher v’Sameach. May we all be blessed with goodhealth and a meaningful holiday.

GUIDE TO PESACH PAGE 13

Message from the GMLYNN NISELOW

CHAG PESACHKASHERV'SAMEACH

PAGE 14

Dear Great family,

We are living in uncertain times, so much anxiety and worry.

Having to be apart from family at any Yomtov is difficult, but when we are in the midst of a Pandemic it can be distressing. And so we eat, we feed people, our families, friends and those dear to us.

As Jewish people food is something that ties us together. It’s how we talk to each other, how we share, it is a universal language that is not distinguished by location.

For us our food is a cuisine which has been defined by our resilience, our adaptability and the adjustments we’ve made in our lives, it speaks of the longing and the remembering and often homesickness, even if home is no longer. Food reminds us of who we are and binds us to our history.

And so as we sit at our Seder table, apart from our loved ones, but in the knowledge that everyone is doing the same thing, practising the seder rituals, telling the stories and singing the songs, we are reminded of who we are and that at the worst times and the best times we are united. We remember our families who came before, their strength and resilience and their lessons, and the blessing of their memory reminds us that all will be well.

My wish for us all is that we have freedom from worry, and that we are able to celebrate our festivals and life as we know it soon.

Chag Pesach Sameach!

GUIDE TO PESACH

Mild Olive oil for brushing pan

6 tablespoons olive oil

2 cups + 2 tablespoons groundalmonds1 cup castor sugar (divided into3)

6 large eggs separated

3 tablespoons lemon juice

Grated zest of 2 lemons

½ teaspoon salt

½ cup flaked almonds

GUIDE TO PESACH PAGE 15

ALMOND LEMON CAKEKOSHER FOR PESACH

INGREDIENTS

Preheat oven to 175 C and grease a 21cm springform tin witholive oil and line bottom of tin

Take the 2 tablespoons of ground almonds and put into thegreased tin, shaking to coat the sides

In a bowl mix together, ground almonds, ⅓ cup sugar andlemon zest

Place egg yolks into the mixing bowl of a stand mixer, add⅓cup sugar and beat until light and fluffy. Beat in 6tablespoons olive oil slowly, then add the lemon juice, andlastly the dry ingredients.

In a separate bowl place egg whites and the salt. Beat until softpeak gradually adding ⅓cup castor sugar.

Fold the egg whites into the almond mixture in 3 stages, thenpour mixture into prepared springform tin. Sprinkle flakedalmonds on top of cake mixture.Bake for 40 minutes untilgolden brown and a tester inserted into cake comes out clean.Cool completely before removing from tin.This recipe can be made a day ahead.

TO PREPARE

Lynn

Niselow

Recipe

courtesy of

Pesach is atime of

reflection and joy,

this year andevery year.

4 . 5 8 a m - F a s t o f t h e f i r s t b o r n b e g i n s9 . 0 0 a m - F a c e b o o k L i v e S i y u m f o r f i r s t b o r n1 0 . 0 0 a m - L a s t t i m e f o r e a t i n g c h a m e t z1 0 . 5 8 a m - L a s t t i m e f o r b u r n i n g c h a m e t z 5 . 2 1 p m - C a n d l e l i g h t i n g6 . 0 9 p m - F a s t e n d s & e a r l i e s t S e d e r s t a r t t i m e

GUIDE TO PESACH PAGE 16

A TIMETABLE FOR A STAY AT HOME PESACH

5 . 1 9 p m - C a n d l e l i g h t i n g & Y o m T o v e n d s O m e r 2 - a f t e r n i g h t f a l l

6 . 1 6 p m - S h a b b a t e n d sO m e r 3 - a f t e r n i g h t f a l l

SHABBAT 11 APRIL, CHOL HAMOED

SUNDAY 12 APRIL & MONDAY 13 APRIL,PUBLIC HOLIDAY, CHOL HAMOED

5 . 1 4 p m - C a n d l e L i g h t i n g & Y o m T o v b e g i n sO m e r 6 - a f t e r n i g h t f a l l

a f t e r 6 . 1 1 p m - C a n d l e l i g h t i n gO m e r 7 - a f t e r n i g h t f a l l

FRIDAY 10 APRIL, PUBLIC HOLIDAYSECOND DAY PESACH

WEDNESDAY 15 APRIL, SEVENTH DAY PESACH

THURSDAY 16 APRIL, EIGHTH DAY PESACH

TUESDAY 14 APRIL, SIXTH DAY PESACH

WEDNESDAY 8 APRIL, EREV PESACH

THURSDAY 9 APRIL, FIRST DAY PESACH

6 . 1 0 p m - Y o m T o v e n d sO m e r 8 - a f t e r n i g h t f a l l

I n M u s s a f o m i t M a s h i v H a r u a c h U m o r i d H a g a s h e m6 . 1 8 p m - C a n d l e l i g h t i n g & b e g i n S e d e rO m e r 1 - C o u n t i n g o f t h e O m e r b e g i n s

O m e r 4 - a f t e r n i g h t f a l lO m e r 5 - a f t e r n i g h t f a l l