tlhIngan-Hol Archive: Thu Aug 02 14:29:31 2007

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Re: mu' chu'

Steven Boozer ([email protected])



At 09:50 AM Thursday 8/2/2007, Qov wrote:

>paqDaq latlh mu' ghaj Okrand 'e' vIlegh. <'el'I'jaH> 'oHlaw'. 'ej
>"uninvited guest" 'oS.  mu'vetlh maqbejbe'mo' chaq mu'na' bIHbe'.

Pun alert:  For the benefit of the non-Jews on the list, there's a 
tradition that there should always be an empty place set at the Passover 
Seder and Shabbat table just in case Elijah turns up.  If a guest comes 
unexpectedly, he would sit there - after all, he may well be Elijah in 
disguise.

Rabbi Shlomo Riskin in Efrat (Israel) discusses this idea inter alia in his 
commentary on the portion of the week for Parshat Tzav/Shabbat Hagadol 
(Leviticus: 6:1-8:36) which I found in a quick Google search:

   The Sabbath before Passover, which is known as "The Great Sabbath"
   (Shabbat Hagadol), is dedicated to Elijah the Prophet who ­ as we
   read in the Haftarah ­ will herald the arrival of the "Great and
   awesome day of the Lord", the period of redemption (Malachai 3:23).
   Elijah is one of the most fascinating and ubiquitous personalities
   of the Bible, which describes him as having been "translated into
   heaven": this provides the midrash with the opportunity to say that
   Elijah never died, but rather continually travels between heaven
   and earth visiting important personages and sewing seeds of loving
   kindness and good works. We all become especially acquainted with
   Elijah since our Tradition suggests that he is present at every
   circumcision ceremony ­ indeed, the 8 day old baby is ceremoniously
   placed on a special chair known as the "seat of Elijah" ­ as well
   as every family seder, when the door is opened and a special wine
   goblet is filled specifically for Elijah the prophet. What prompts
   the midrash to invite Elijah's presence specifically on the two
   occasions just mentioned? What does this teach us both concerning
   Elijah as well as the Jewish people in general?

For the answer to that, see the rest of the article at
     http://www.ohrtorahstone.org.il/parsha/5767/tzav67.htm

Of course, the regular type of guest is a {meb}.


--
Voragh
Ca'Non Master of the Klingons




--
Voragh
Ca'Non Master of the Klingons






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