It has been another surreal week in our community, the country, and the world. I would like to begin by offering a note about those who are suffering from Covid-19, both those afflicted with the illness and those who are related and connected to those with it. I was watching a news report of a man who was in the ICU with the Coronavirus. He asked his doctors what they could do for him medically, and with tears in their eyes they said, "Pray." If you know of anyone with the virus, please add their names to this list so we can pray for them. CLICK HERE FOR THE LIST.
Our world has ground to a halt, and the things that came instinctually to us is no longer allowed. To embrace others, to gather with others, to be out in public; all of these acts that brought us joy can now harm us and others. We made the difficult decision to completely close our building, and we moved our offerings online (please see the box below). But I wanted to share a video from our son and daughter, Harrison and Layla, who inspired me this week.
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| Harrison and Layla Lead Davening (Jewish Prayer) |
It was the first day without school for them at Donna Klein Jewish Academy, but he was up and dressed, bright and early. We went onto our patio and he asked me to film a video for him. He began the video with the following words: "Since we don't have school, do we still daven? Yes, and this is the prayer." He began with the prayer, Modeh Ani: I thank You (G!d), living and eternal sovereign, for Your kindness in restoring my soul. How great is Your faithfulness." We begin our day alone, thanking G!d for our lives. During Mah Tovu, the prayer after Modeh Ani, the word 'אני' 'I' is said three times. We wake up alone, but soon we know we will gather with other people. Sometimes it is hard to wake up, but are prayers teach us that if we are breathing, we should have gratitude. During difficult times, it is not so easy to get up and carry on.
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I am reminded of the popular sign that the British government distributed during the Battle of London, when Britain was
bombarded by the Nazi Luftwaffe:
Keep Calm and Carry On. In the face of fear and the unknown, we have to keep calm and carry on with our lives as best as we can. And that's why my son began his day with Modeh Ani and wanted the world to see it. "Since we don't have school, do we still daven? Yes, and this is the prayer."
So I began to put out daily video messages (click here for the one when I gave the drash on 'I'), and our congregants and leadership began calling our chaverim, our fellow congregants to check in. And put our classes online, and some of our kids started school again through online platforms.
But what about Shabbat? Shabbat is all about coming together as a community. What about Shabbat? How will we gather? How can we 'carry on' without Shabbat?
This week's parashah, Vayakhel-Pekudei, the end of the book of Exodus, is the culmination of the building project of the Mishkan, the Tabernacle, the place where G!d dwells in camp. But we begin the completion of the building of this structure on a strange note:
וַיַּקְהֵל מֹשֶׁה אֶת־כָּל־עֲדַת בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל וַיֹּאמֶר אֲלֵהֶם אֵלֶּה הַדְּבָרִים אֲשֶׁר־צִוָּה יְי לַעֲשֹׂת אֹתָם׃
Moses then convoked the whole Israelite community and said to them: These are the things that the LORD has commanded you to do:
שֵׁשֶׁת יָמִים תֵּעָשֶׂה מְלָאכָה וּבַיּוֹם הַשְּׁבִיעִי יִהְיֶה לָכֶם קֹדֶשׁ שַׁבַּת שַׁבָּתוֹן לַיי
On six days work may be done, but on the seventh day you shall have a sabbath of complete rest, holy to the LORD...
The commentators took note of the mentioning of Shabbat, connecting it to the Miskhan. Holy space and time converged together. In many ways, it prepared our people for a future without one exclusive holy space. After the Temple was destroyed, the Mishkan lost, God moved from that place to all of our spaces and places. Our synagogues became our Mikdashei Me'at, our small holy spaces.
This week is also another special Shabbat, Shabbat HaChodesh. On this Shabbat, we read from another Torah as we prepare for Passover. We read the following (Exodus 12:2)
הַחֹדֶשׁ הַזֶּה לָכֶם רֹאשׁ חֳדָשִׁים רִאשׁוֹן הוּא לָכֶם לְחָדְשֵׁי הַשָּׁנָה׃
This month shall mark for you the beginning of the months; it shall be the first of the months of the year for you.
This is the first mitzvah/commandment exclusively meant for the Jewish people: the commandment to create a calendar, in other words, holy time.
Our people was build to withstand the loss of space, and time is something we can never lose.
This Shabbat, we cannot gather together in a space, but we can bring in Shabbat together as a community in cyber space. So please join us for a special Zoom Shabbat with Cantor Hadash, me, and fellow community members Join Zoom Meeting
And spend this Shabbat with your families, marking holy time together, as this day was always meant to be celebrated. Turn your home, your dinner table, your patios, your living rooms, into holy space by marking holy time.
Meeting ID: 198 513 684
Password: 926034
Pray together using this Siddur for Friday and Shabbat
As we journey to this Shabbat of Gathering, a Shabbat where we mark the creation of a shared holy time, our Jewish calendar, and the holiday of Passover, let us all mark it together in our homes.
May G!d hold and keep us all, and may all those who are ill recover.
Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi David Baum
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