A Pesach Piece

Pesach is almost over and we are finished with our Seder Plate for the year, but I figured it's not too late to post this.

I made this for a friend who wanted a Seder Plate she could also use as a regular plate for the rest of Pesach.  The plate illustrates a paragraph from Hallel that describes the rejoicing that took place when Hashem took Bnei Yisrael out of Egypt.  It comes with six small bowls that can be placed on the plate for the Seder.

Some thoughts- in general, Hallel is only said during the day.  The first night of Pesach is the only time we say Hallel at night.  Not only that, but we says it twice- once at Maariv, and once during the Seder itself.  Also, the first day of Pesach we say the full Hallel, while the rest of the week we only say half Hallel.  There are lots of interesting ideas about the strangeness of Hallel on Pesach.  I'll let you figure them out on your own.

Thank you to Chaya Solomon for her creative photography

Purim Sameach

Every year on Purim we read Megillat Esther.  In one sentence, the book (or scroll) tells the story of how right before they were to be massacred, the tables were turned and the Jewish people were saved.
For many people, the story is uplifting, their belief in God is strengthened and they appreciate and trust God and the plan he has for us.
Other people feel very uncomfortable with the occurrences of this dramatic tale.  They think that the tables were turned a little too far and that the Jews did a little too much massacring themselves.
Sound familiar?

Whatever your take is on the story and whether for you Purim is a spiritual adventure or merely a sudden burst of color, music, and funny looking people,  I hope you have a very joyful one.