So we know the Rambam (Rabbi Moshe ben Maimon, famous sage from 800 years ago) in the 12th of the 13 principles of faith states that we believe Moshiach may come at any moment. And there is no doubt that we truly believe this.

That being the case, R. Nati and I have prepared the following cost basis for your Passover sacrifice this year. Yes, this is 100% for real. All costs are in New Israeli Shekels (NIS), which run about 4.5 to the dollar.

• 1 Lamb - 300 NIS - per lamb, good for ~30 people - Remember the lamb is only eaten with the matzah/bitter herb sandwich and a single bite for afikoman.


• Olive & Fig Wood - 750 NIS - for roasting up to 3 lambs - olive and fig wood are the required types of wood for the fire for passover sacrifice roasting.


• Pomagranite Spits - 200 NIS - for roasting up to 3 lambs, since the passover sacrifice can't be boiled or steamed, a very dry wood is required (so the spit itself doesn't cook the meat from the inside). Pomagranite is considered the appropriate type.


• Oven Materials - 600 NIS - cinder block and cement for building the oven, assumes self construction. While multiple lambs can be cycled through, there's a practical time limit of about 5 lambs per oven.


• Transportation - 450 NIS - we've got to get all this stuff delivered to Jerusalem, within the city walls (the 'old' city).


• Slaughtering and Traiboring - 450 NIS - if there is, G-d willing, a Beis Hamikdash (a holy temple), then the slaughtering is free and done by the kohanim (temple priests). We're assuming we're going to need a shochet (a ritual slaughterer). As well, we don't eat the siatic nerve, the process of removing it requires a skilled butcher and is called traiboring.


• Location - ??? - the sacrifice must be prepared and eaten within the walls of Jerusalem. We need a small space for our oven and 30 people, hopefully we could rent one for NIS 5000.

So there you have it. Your passover sacrifice this year will run about US $20 per person, though the location may cost an additional $35, call it $55 total per person.

The halacha (Jewish law) states that one is required to bring the passover sacrifice, it doesn't specificly state the holy temple is required. There is some disagreement about whether the physical structure of The Alter is required or whether the blood can just be poured in it's former location (the temple mount) and whether the whole nation being ritually impure cancels the impurity concern (the current situation and most seem to agree this is true).

We're ready and have our shopping list, are you?

(Note the above costs don't include your matzah, moror (bitter herbs), wine for the 4 cups, or festive meal. I'm not sure which is the bigger sacrifice, the lamb or the cost of guarded wheat hand prepared matzah (shmurah matzah b'yad) and a decent glass of wine.)