Sedernakht

Since this is my last entry before Passover in Jerusalem, I would like to wish you and yours a happy and kosher Passover. Why do we wish it to be kosher? I don’t know, perhaps some mazel for people to not screw up and accidentially (or purposefully) eat chometz.

Yesterday my dad and I explored the Davidson Center, which includes Robinson’s arch and the bottom of the west and southern retaining walls of the Temple. This includes the Hulda Gates, single, double, and triple gates that a pilgrim would ascend and enter to get to the Temple. These gates, by the way, predate Herod’s extension of the Temple Mount by some time.

We also had some subpar falafel, bought some kippot and looked at talleisim and t-shirts in the Cardo shops, and ran into a number of people I know. My parents and I proceeded to the Shuq. They really enjoyed that.

We went to dinner at Soya where we all got stirfry. Soya will actually be open on Pesach, which makes me very excited. They will have meat with matzah. Oh boy, all you need is maror and you will have a Hillel Sandwich (Hillel’s two pieces of bread surrounding meat predates the Earl of Sandwich by Millenia, by the way; we should be eating Peanut Butter and Jelly Hillels!)

Davened at the Shtiblach this morning for the Fast of the Firstborn and then attended a siyyum 45 minutes later that I couldn’t hear or understand.

Did you know that they reinstituted a Sanhedrin in Eretz Yisrael a couple of months ago, headed by the Nasi, Rabbi Adin Steinsaltz? Weird. Guess they’re going to have to bring back 39 lashes and the four death penalties they can mete out: stoning, burning, hanging, and decapitation. Israel has no death penalty. Are we sure this is a good idea?

I need to get ready for services (yes, I’m actually going to a minyan this time, which is rare for me on Sedernakht when I usually need to daven on my own as people are usually waiting for me. I'm also currently listening to "Go Down Moses/Let My People Go" as sung by Louis Armstrong.

Gut Yontiv to all.

לשנה הבא בירושלים הבנויה

-משהLove,(who for some reason is not in the Haggadah. What gives? See my paper BChol Dor Vador: Passover, The Holiday of Eternity for further information)