Two weeks until Seder night. And it's not looking great. School closures. Businesses struggling. Stock market flipping faster than I can type this. Cases of the coronavirus continuing to rise, locally, nationally, and globally. Can we ever get out of this? Well, if we rewind 3,332 years ago, there was a crown wearing virus named Pharaoh. All the Jews in Egypt had contracted it, experiencing symptoms of slavery, hardship, and brick and mortar laying. The "enough thermometer" was red hot. No slave had ever escaped, there was no vaccine. The mortality rate was all newborn boys should be thrown into the Nile. All the supermarkets had left in stock was the bread of affliction. How could they survive? The transformative moment was "Vanitzak" - and we cried out. We turned to Hashem and said we need your help! We may be shackled in Egyptian chains, but you can give us immunity. Our caregivers are stretched too thin, but You can infuse them with energy and healing powers. We can't see the invisible separations of society (or a microscopic virus), but You can see Pharaoh's hardened heart and eliminate evil and sickness from this world. You can take us from the darkest night of Egypt to a glorious morning at Mount Sinai. You can get us past this virus, and keep us, our loved ones, friends, and the healthcare workers on the front lines safe and healthy. Matzah might represent the bread of affliction, but it also represents (remember the dough not having time to rise?) the speed at which the Jewish people suddenly and miraculously found themselves free. Passover happened once. It can, and will, happen again! In the meantime, stay safe, take all the recommended precautions, say an extra prayer to our Divine Healthcare Provider, and may all those who need, be blessed with a complete recovery.
From the Rabbi's Desk
It's Passover season
A funeral in Corona Times
What. A. Week. If you had to encapsulate this whole experience in one word, what would it be? I'm choosing unforgettable. Not scary, unsettling, crazy, or desperate. And here's why: This week we have seen this virus disrupt our lives. Last night was our But is life really going to the movies? Is life attending a concert? Our assumption of what life is has been totally rocked. Over the last week, we have all had a hard reset on what Life is truly about, what is meaningful, what is essential. We have had time to reflect on our blessings, to appreciate the beauties found within the challenge, the abundant silver linings. The layers have been stripped away, exposing us to the purity and essence of relationships, values, and interactions. We lift our hands in collective surrender, acknowledging that as many technological and scientific advances have been made over the millennia, we can ultimately rely on Hashem alone. So this Shabbat, the Shul may be empty, yet our hearts are full. We may not be in the same room, but we are together stronger than ever before. There may be a virus spreading, but our care, compassion, and kindness will spread faster, farther, and stronger. Haman rose up to annihilate us? Not to fear, Esther is there to save the day. Pharaoh enslaved us for hundreds of years? Not to worry, Moshe is there to split the sea. Can Hashem help us get through this one? Absolutely! We're all home this week. We're having dinner. Turn off the news, dress your finest, gather your family, take a candle or two, and kindle the Shabbat lights. The world needs it now more than ever. May each and every one of you be blessed with a healthy week, and may all those who need, be blessed with a complete recovery. May Hashem comfort the Forster family, and may the memory of Sura Chava bas Dovid and Miriam be for a blessing.
biggest non-event of the year (with 700 tickets sold before coronavirus altered its path). Today, I officiated a funeral without the customary Minyan, streamed virtually to the family and friends. Each of us has had our lives completely thrown up in the air. No movies, no dining in restaurants, the kids have moved to virtual schooling (hooray for no commute!), you can't even work in Starbucks! What happened to life as normal?
And how magnificent it is that the precautions that many of us are taking, is out of care for others. Senior hours at supermarkets, visiting Bubby and Zaidy only over the computer, going on errands so folks can stay safely in shelter. My kids will doubtless remember this life lesson; that though they may not be at serious risk, we all share a social and mitzvah responsibility to do everything in our power to help another, even a complete stranger.
How to Stay Sane when the World is Going Crazy
Question of the Week: This coronavirus thing has really thrown me. I feel like I've lost all sense of certainty. No one knows what will happen next. How do we stay sane when we don't know what's lurking around the corner? Answer: It is not that we have lost our sense of certainty. We have lost our illusion of certainty. We never had it to begin with. This could be majorly unsettling, or amazingly liberating. This tiny virus of 125 nanometres* has sent the entire world into chaos. All of our plans are up in the air, markets are going crazy, entire countries shutting down, and we have no clue what the future holds. But that is always the case. We never know what the future holds. We only think we do, and keep getting surprised when things don't pan out the way we expected. Now the mask is off. We have to admit our vulnerability. What will happen next? We don't know. Our experts don't know. Our leaders don't know. Only G-d knows. And that is the point. Only G-d knows. Close your eyes and feel the uncertainty, make peace with it, let yourself be taken by it. Embrace your cluelessness. Because in all the confusion there is one thing you know for sure. You are in G-d's hands. Keep calm. Panic and fear are also contagious. Take every precaution as advised by health authorities. Wash your hands well. And every time you do, remember whose hands you are in. - Written by Rabbi Moss, Sydney Australia
Purim is in the air