Dear Temple Emanu-El family,
How differently we begin this week than we began last, as we keep ourselves apart in order to keep our community as safe as possible. Our Temple leadership, and truly every member, has an opportunity to actively practice caring for one another as we never have before. Coronavirus is sometimes carried without symptoms in people who appear healthy, but it is virulent and extremely contagious, and can be fatal. As we know from Torah, the mitzvah of pikuach nefesh, saving life, overrides all other obligations, including to Shabbat. The most important way we can keep one another safe is to stay home. Practice safe social distance, at least six feet apart; avoid unnecessary trips into public spaces. This is your
cantor
telling you to stay away from synagogue, instead of urging you to come to it. This is serious.
Social distancing is a difficult discipline. We people want to come together, and we want to congregate in spaces that help us sense holiness. In our parashah this week, the b’nei Yisra’eil, after chapters of instruction, finally bring the materials together to build the mishkan, the holy space, according to God’s word. Dolphin skin and acacia wood, fine purple and red twisted linens, gold and copper and silver—they bring it all, eagerly, rushing, they trip over themselves to bring it, and Moshe finally has to tell them “you’ve brought enough—stop!” B’tzal’eil and Ocholiab craft, from these offerings, a splendid space, for God and the people to come together.
Our virtual Temple life, as we’ve begun it, is not housed in our wonderful building. It doesn’t shine with worship-worn wood, or the lights of the yahrzeit plaques; we can’t greet one another in it with a handshake or a hug. But it is nevertheless a space that we have created together, in order to come together for prayer and study and social connection. And to me, it is just as beautiful, and just as holy. It is truly a space of avodat lev, service of the heart, in which we give all the energies of our minds and hearts to reaching out through the airwaves, stretching our souls toward Torah even when the scroll is not in front of us to kiss.
China built hospitals in days. We’ve built an online k’hillah k’doshah, holy community, just as quickly. Our needs for connection with one another and the Divine are as urgent as our need for lifesaving healthcare. Let’s tend to them so.
Every hand that we don’t shake must become a phone call that we place. Every embrace that we avoid must become a verbal expression of warmth and concern. Every inch and every foot that we physically place between ourselves and another, must be a thought at how we might be of help to that other, should the need arise.
—Rabbi Yosef Kanefsky
As we say when we finish a book of Torah—as this week’s reading does—chazak, chazak, v’nitchazeik. Much strength to us in this trying time, and blessings of the season and the chodesh, the month. See you on Zoom!
Cantor Vera
