Prof. Boerner's Explorations

Commentary:

Today we switch our consideration from the observation of Holy Week from that of the Christian celebrations to that of the Jewish celebration of Passover. While Passover is more than a single day, it is the basis upon which the Christian celebration is founded. Passover reflects the celebration of the sparing of Jewish firstborn sons during the period of the Exodus from Egypt. So, take time to read this posting for a better appreciation of the real meaning of Easter.

Passover is a Jewish and Samaritan holy day and festival commemorating the biblical event of Hebrews’ escape from enslavement in Egypt.

Passover is one of the most widely observed Jewish holidays (Yom Tov), and is commemorated by many affiliated and nonaffiliated Jews alike as a time to contemplate the endurance of the Jewish people throughout history.

Passover begins on the 15th day of the month of Nisan (equivalent to March and April in Gregorian calendar), the first month of the Hebrew calendar’s festival year according to the Hebrew Bible.

In the narrative of the Exodus, the Bible tells that God inflicted ten plagues upon the Egyptians before Pharaoh would release his Hebrew slaves, with the tenth plague being the killing of every firstborn male, from the Pharaoh’s son to the firstborn of the dungeon captive, to the firstborn of cattle. The Hebrews were instructed to mark the doorposts of their homes with the blood of a spring lamb and, upon seeing this, the spirit of the Lord passed over these homes, hence the term "passover". When Pharaoh freed the Hebrews, it is said that they left in such a hurry that they could not wait for bread to rise. In commemoration, for the duration of Passover no leavened bread is eaten, for which reason it is called "The Festival of the Unleavened Bread". Matza (flat unleavened bread) is the primary symbol of the holiday.

But enough background. Let’s rake a closer look at today’s exploration…  GLB

These Introductory Comments are copyrighted:
Copyright©2011 — Gerald Boerner — All Rights Reserved

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Commentary:

Sport fans love not only their favorite teams, but many times the venues in which they play as well. I remember when the LA Rams moved from the LA Coliseum to Angel Stadium; somehow playing football in a baseball venue did not seem appropriate. It was like the Dodgers playing in the Coliseum, a football venue, when they first moved to LA. There was a tall fence in left field to compensate for the lack of distance. Wrigley Field in Chicago takes this local devotion to a higher level.

Wrigley Field is unique in many ways. Until recently, it was the only major baseball stadium without lights; all games were played during daylight hours. The outfield walls were covered by ivy. Games were viewable from rooftop of buildings across the street from the outfield, unlike most other stadia. The fans love it.

So now is the time to get on with our exploration of today’s topic…  GLB

These Introductory Comments are copyrighted:
Copyright©2011 — Gerald Boerner — All Rights Reserved

[ 4239 Words ]