Parashat Pekudei – Shabbat HaChodesh
29 Adar 5785 / March 29th, 2025
By: R. Mordechai ben R. Shaul
This Week’s Readings:
Torah: Exodus 38:21 - 40:38; Exodus 12:1-20.
Haftarah: Ezekiel 45:16 - 46:18
Brit Chadashah: 1 Corinthians 5:6-8
I have struggled with active listening my entire life. I now experience the joy of watching my daughter, Maya, have a similar struggle – particularly with me. For example, “Maya, do not go to the front yard, but stay back here. We are about to leave. Can you say that back to me?” Maya: “Yes, Dada. I will go to the front yard and not stay back here.” (facepalm). Today, I hope to have us focus on two concepts: time and listening.
In our parshah Pekudei, we see the completion of the Tabernacle and priestly garments. While there is plenty in our sidrah to discuss, we have an extra reading maftir. Our maftir is right before the slaying of the firstborn in Egypt. G-D gives his first command to the Hebrew slaves: demarcate that this upcoming month, the month of Nissan, is to be the first month. For this reason, we have a special parshah for Shabbat HaChodesh, which is today. Before Passover each year, in the Shabbat service before the month of Nissan, we remember G-D’s commandment. Tomorrow is the first of Nissan. The ability to keep to the Jewish calendar was so important that alongside circumcision and Shabbat, it was forbidden by Antiochus Epiphanes as a way to assimilate the Jewish people. Yet, we are commanded by G-D to keep his calendar. It was the first commandment spoken to the Hebrew slaves while they were still in Egypt.
So, first, G-D gives them the time. Don’t be late! Don’t be surprised! We are announcing the upcoming holiday of Passover today! The 1st of Nissan is tomorrow! Next comes the command. Let’s listen:
G-D continues to say that the people would take a lamb into their home on the 10th of the month and to slaughter it on the 14th. This is extremely impractical. A lamb wouldn’t feed anyone and, in fact, would be quite wasteful. Let it grow up a little more and fatten at least! But the point isn’t the meal – the point is to remember what G-D was doing. See verses 14-20 again. Note that this is an “eternal ordinance” through “all of our generations.” How can we possibly defend ourselves to deny G-D? He has asked us at this time to eat this meal.
Perhaps someone thinks: “Oh, this was just for the first temple or the second temple, but is no longer relevant for us! We are in a different age 😊”. Consider our Haftarah: “In the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month, you will have the Passover, a feast of seven days when matzah will be eaten. ”The temple described is not the first or second temple, but rather some future temple. G-D commanded that we, the Hebrews, would keep Passover forever. Even Yeshua promised that He would drink the cup of joy, the 4th cup, with us at a future Passover seder.
So how do we heed the command? Get ready for Passover. Get ready for a memorial service or seder in two Saturday nights. Get rid of the chametz in your home. What does chametz mean? If you think “yeast,” you are wrong. Chametz is anything made from one of the five species of grain: barley, rye, oats, wheat, or spelt. Can I feed my pets with it? No! It has to be out of your house! “That sounds hard!” G-D asked us to do this. Like Paul mentioned in our Brit Chadasha, we need to expel the chametz from our hearts – this is the weightier command. We can start with the easier, more straightforward command to remove chametz.
Consider Exodus 12:42: this is a special night that G-D “keeps vigil” over the Jewish people today. Where are you going to be on the 14th of Nissan? G-D has put time with you on His calendar. Make room in yours and listen to His command. Get rid of the chametz – start with the physical stuff because it is easy. In doing so, you will begin to clear out the chametz of your heart.