The Jewish Calendar itself is a mechanism or means of studying the ideas, ideals, and values of Judaism. Our method of celebration of a holiday is not simply to teach or read about the holiday, rather to experience and live the values.
Example: Shabbat– We create an ideal moment in time. What is Jewish idea of making Kiddush on Shabbat? The idea is shabbat is that shabbat is about many values. One is that G-d created the world. We stand while saying kiddush as we testify to G-d creating the world. Shabbat is the celebration of the human being, we imitate G-d by creating life on shabbat, just as G-d creates life. Only two creations are allowed on shabbat, creating life through sexual relations with one’s spouse and creating new ideas and thoughts by learning. We don’t only think about these, rather we act by creating life and by learning.
The Jewish Calendar is a great exercise not in celebrating holidays, but understanding Jewish ideas, ideals, and values.
Example: Pesach/Passover- We not only speak about freedom, rather we live and experience it. We learn by contrast. We do this by eating Matsah/bread of affliction, which allows us to understand how a poor man lives. A poor man doesn’t have time to wait for the bread to rise, because he is to hungry. In addition, we eat bitter herbs to represent and understand the bitterness we suffered through. In contrast, we then celebrate freedom by drinking wine/the beverage of kings and lean to the left to experience the glory. So much so that one who doesn’t lean to the left has not fulfilled their obligation of this experience.
Example: July 4th is supposed to be about celebrating freedom in the United States and some believe we shouldn’t say Tachanun, rather go straight to the happy texts as we do on Jewish holidays. However we don’t actually celebrate it. Jews always celebrate a holiday with a text. So if one truly wants to celebrate, read the Declaration of Independence to be aware of what this country is all about freedom, democracy, and pluralism. Perhaps, write the President a letter to thank him for leading our country. We should have a Barbecue, Sing the Star Spangled Banner, and read the Declaration of Independence. This way, we are understanding and experiencing what the holiday is about.
Example: During the three weeks during the summer we commemorate the many persecutions, Jewish tragedies, and Jewish losses commencing with the day of Tisha B’av. If we commemorated every tragedy the Jews have been through, then we would never eat.
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