Vacation Ruminations
I am deciding where to take my family for Pesach. My first inclination of course is to go to Miami Beach. Spending the Festival Of Freedom on Collins Avenue will be a delight! The food will be plentiful and the sun as bright as ever. And the beach! Ahhhh, the beach!! Nothing like it.
But then I hear that there is a glatt kosher hotel in Cancun, Mexico that has a great Pesach package. Now, I never even heard of Cancun until two days ago and frankly I don't even know if I am spelling it right but if so many people are going it must be good. Plus, I know a few words in Spanish. After all, I spent some time in Washington Heights! Que pasa, mon?
However, it is not so simple! I have the internet! So I go online and I find out that I have attractive offers in Italy, Switzerland, Hungary [returning to my roots], Arizona [where is THAT? I am a native New Yorker, outside of Queens is already like a foreign country...] and the list goes on and on!!!!!!!!!
But wait! "Pesach". Jewish holiday. I am Jewish. Shouldn't I celebrate it in the most Jewish way??! The Rambam was Jewish. He said that it is forbidden for me, a resident of the Holy Land, to leave. The Mishna Brura similarly rules that it is forbidden to leave Israel for a vacation. [For a mitzva some say that one may leave but that is not our topic.]
Maybe, maybe ......... Jerusalem!!!!!!!!!!! Yerushalayim Ir HaKodesh! Yes, what an original idea. So when we sing [THANK YOU MAXWELL HOUSE!] "Lishana Haba'a Birushalayim Habinuyah" we will mean it. "Look Hashem! We are in Yerushalayim now even before it is completely built with your Home in place. Please finish the job!"
That's it. I'm going. Or better - I'm staying. I won't be able to socialize with other peoples wives but I WILL be able to socialize with my own wife! My children won't be able to run around everywhere unsupervised but I will have the opportunity to spend quality time with them in a controlled Torah environment where not only the food will be kosher but the atmosphere as well.
Yes, but what about the 30,000 dollars that are burning a hole in my pocket? Hey, if I want I can share it with families that don't have enough money to buy food and clothing for Pesach. How could I possibly enjoy frolicking in the sun when I know that so many of my brothers and sisters are destitute. So the plans are set.
Can't wait!!!!
But then I hear that there is a glatt kosher hotel in Cancun, Mexico that has a great Pesach package. Now, I never even heard of Cancun until two days ago and frankly I don't even know if I am spelling it right but if so many people are going it must be good. Plus, I know a few words in Spanish. After all, I spent some time in Washington Heights! Que pasa, mon?
However, it is not so simple! I have the internet! So I go online and I find out that I have attractive offers in Italy, Switzerland, Hungary [returning to my roots], Arizona [where is THAT? I am a native New Yorker, outside of Queens is already like a foreign country...] and the list goes on and on!!!!!!!!!
But wait! "Pesach". Jewish holiday. I am Jewish. Shouldn't I celebrate it in the most Jewish way??! The Rambam was Jewish. He said that it is forbidden for me, a resident of the Holy Land, to leave. The Mishna Brura similarly rules that it is forbidden to leave Israel for a vacation. [For a mitzva some say that one may leave but that is not our topic.]
Maybe, maybe ......... Jerusalem!!!!!!!!!!! Yerushalayim Ir HaKodesh! Yes, what an original idea. So when we sing [THANK YOU MAXWELL HOUSE!] "Lishana Haba'a Birushalayim Habinuyah" we will mean it. "Look Hashem! We are in Yerushalayim now even before it is completely built with your Home in place. Please finish the job!"
That's it. I'm going. Or better - I'm staying. I won't be able to socialize with other peoples wives but I WILL be able to socialize with my own wife! My children won't be able to run around everywhere unsupervised but I will have the opportunity to spend quality time with them in a controlled Torah environment where not only the food will be kosher but the atmosphere as well.
Yes, but what about the 30,000 dollars that are burning a hole in my pocket? Hey, if I want I can share it with families that don't have enough money to buy food and clothing for Pesach. How could I possibly enjoy frolicking in the sun when I know that so many of my brothers and sisters are destitute. So the plans are set.
Can't wait!!!!
Today, Pesach Sheni on the 14th of Iyar has the status of a very minor holiday (so much so that many of the Jewish people have never even heard of it, and it essentially does not exist outside of Orthodox and traditional Conservative Judaism). There are not really any special prayers or observances that are considered Jewish law. The only change in the liturgy is that in some communities Tachanun, a penitential prayer omitted on holidays, is not said. There is a custom, though not Jewish law, to eat just one piece of Matzah on that night. There's alot of Kosher Resorts that you can held you pass over.
Posted by
arLeNe |
6:13 AM
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