What does this parsha, that we read every Rosh Hodesh have to do with us moderns? We who think that sacrifice today would be unpalatable—messy, dirty, noisy, smelly, not ecological? Dr. Nehemia Polen, in teaching Leviticus makes the point that what the Israelites were doing with their sacrifices was trying to recreate the pinnacle experience, pun intended, of Sinai. They were pushing the reset button. Remember at Sinai the mountain smoked, it quaked, there was fire and a pleasing odor. In the Israelites fear and trembling, they were privileged to experience the Divine. How many of us have stood on a mountain top, or watched the power of the sea and experienced the Divine and wanted to bottle that feeling, and bring it back with us into our every day lives. It isn’t easy. So this portion comes along to teach us something of how to do it. How to experience the Divine in our everyday lives. It comes with practice. It comes with routine. It comes with doing it every day, punctually, morning and night. This isn’t just for the priests. The text says clearly, “Command the Israelite people and say to them.” All of us. It continues… “as a regular burnt offering every day… one in the morning and one at twilight.” In the morning service, we read from Shabbat 127a that these are the obligations without measure whose reward is without measure. They include attending the house of study daily, punctually, morning and night. The rabbis understood that in study we can get another glimpse of the Divine. Sometimes it is hard to create that kind of structure. It takes discipline and practice.  I don’t want to go. I have too much else to do. I don’t want to conjugate another Hebrew verb. I don’t want to translate another verse, another sugiya. Yet the rewards are without measure. Religion comes from the Latin, religio, to tie back up. This is how we can tie back up, can reconnect with the Divine. This is how we can push the reset button today. So for me—even when I rebel against the structure. I do it. It is a privilege. We do it with other things—swimming laps in the pool or practicing piano scales. With every lap I swim, I get stronger and it gets easier. With every verse conquered we have a better connection and a better understanding of G-d. Why then does the portion continue with specifying additional sacrifices for Shabbat, for Rosh Hodesh and for Passover? Same idea. To bring us closer to the Divine and to express our gratitude for the Divine presence—for the return of the moon for instance, clearly it doesn’t wane. Twenty-two years ago today, on Rosh Hodesh Nissan in a chilly Boston, I married my husband. That morning, which was also the first day of spring: it snowed. My matron of honor told me that they were daisy petals from heaven—to remind us of G-d’s presence. May we all be fortunate to experience those signs of G-d’s presence and with practice to remember them each morning and each night. It is a privilege.

(delivered at the Academy for Jewish Religion, Rosh Hodesh Nissan 5770)