Shabbat HaGadol: Ekhad Ani Yodea!

I come from a family of talkers. We talk loud, and we talk fast. Somehow, we manage to understand each other. But, the / effort / to / pace / our / speech/ to / speak / in / public for humans, who speak and listen at non-Fenster speeds, is a regular family goal.

That being said, when the songs at the end of the seder come around, all bets are off. A lightning fast Chad Gadya is a badge of honor, and Ekhad Mi Yodea, who knows one?, a year’s worth of bragging rights.

So, as I have been loosening my tongue and stretching out my jaw for a yearly speed-singing battle with my brother,I took another look at my favorite song: Ekhad Mi Yodea, who knows one.

Shabbat Parah: It's Time to Get Ready

Well, Passover is just around the corner, so it’s time to head to the store to pick up your brisket, 5-pound box of matza, some macaroons, those jelly rings that uncle Chayyim likes. Oh! And did you get some Parah Adumah?

What’s a Parah Adumah? Parah Adumah is Hebrew for: Red Heifer.

And this week is Shabbat Parah, the Shabbat of the Red Heifer. One in a cycle of pre-Passover Shabbatot to help us get ready for the holiday.