RABBI SERMON SPECIAL -Staying Positive – Why is this Shabbat different from all other Shabbatots?
I saw the wonderful poem above – Pandemic – circulating the internet written by Poet Lynn Unger herself a Unitarian Universalist!
It was inspired by Unger’s contemplation of the restrictions placed on Jews keeping Shabbat and how restrictions can actually be in her words ” a spiritual discipline that is a source of beauty, a source of the holy”
In one way or another this Shabbat we are all sitting in our homes under the extra social restrictions that have been placed upon us in these extraordinary times.
Shabbat is supposed to be a time of togetherness and peace for families and communities. It is a time when the usual “space” that exists between one other due to the weekday pressures of life dissolves. A time of tranquillity. The Corona Virus has affected almost every aspect of our lives. There could not be greater uncertainty about our health and the economy and the entire way of life we have grown accustomed to. Could Shabbat also be another casualty of the Corona virus? The answer is a resounding NO!
Although this Shabbat we are not physically together as a community, on a spiritual level we are even closer.
Shabbat is a time of unity and through our personal prayers (especially praying for each other) this shabbat we will truly be united with all Jews around the globe and even all humanity. Whilst we are not united in space we are united in spirit. And the dimension of thought transcends physical limitations!
There is no coincidence that the first shabbat where we are “physically isolated” is Parshat Vayakhel- Pekudei which begins
“Moses called the whole community of the children of Israel to assemble, and he said to them: “These are the things that the Lord commanded to make”.
All Israel came together to build the Tabernacle which is the prototype for the Temple and later the Synagogues we pray in! Just prior to the work of building the Tabernacle Moses again reminded the people of Shabbat. This is of course no coincidence. Whereas the Tabernacle creates a sacred space, Shabbat creates sacred time.
How could it be that on this Shabbat of “isolation” we read Vayakhel meaning the coming together of ALL the people?
The Answer is as follows and will help us please God in the coming weeks.
From the Hebrew word Vayakhel we derive the word Kehillah meaning community. There is however another word for congregation “Eidah” (E.g. Adat Yisrael). The difference is as follows:
- An Eidah means an assembly of people who come together to fulfil a particular purpose for example to pray or even something secular. Once that function has been fulfilled the Eidah dissolves and the individuals return to their own lives and bubbles.
- A Kehillah on the other hand is something else entirely. In a Kehillah we bond together with a shared sense of purpose. We are enriched by each other’s presence in our lives. Your Simcha is my Simcha. Your loss is my loss. This is the essence of true community.
The true title of our community is “Kehilat Kodesh (Holy) St Annes by the Sea”
At the centre of a Kehillah is the Tabernacle (Mishkan). But as we know the Mishkan is not limited to the building.
The Torah states “Make for me a sanctuary and I will dwell in them – in each and every one of us!”
We are a community even without our building and place of worship. This Shabbat our homes and hearts become our sanctuary.
Let us all join in one spirit to allow the holiness of shabbat into our lives. This Shabbat we need it more than ever.
Let us contemplate every time we wash our hands that we are actually in Gods hands! He is ultimately the One in control of our world.
We may not understand God’s reason(s) for this pandemic but we can respond with even more love and kindness.
In the coming weeks our faith will be tested to the utmost. But in the heart of every Jew is the Emunah (faith) that everything comes from Hashem and is for the best. Not only that we have the power of Trust (Bitachon) in Hashem which is an even more powerful tool in the “armoury of the Jew”. Bitachon is defined as trusting Hashem that he will transform our situation so that we can once again live our lives fully.
A final thought.
A pandemic is defined as a disease that is prevalent over the entire world. Pretty much the only thing being spoken and thought about right now is this virus.
But as Jews we believe in a time when on the mind and tongue of every person will be thoughts of Hashem.
In the words of the prophet Isaiah “for the earth shall be full of knowledge of the Lord as water covers the sea “
May that day come very soon. Amen
Shabbat Shalom and may Hashem bless you with health and peace of mind.