|
Ok, so being on your own isn’t what you had in mind when you made your Pesach plans a couple of months ago. It is a harsh reality and it is unfortunate. So, what comes next? The way I see it, we don’t really have a choice. Moaning and groaning won’t help change the situation. What’s the alternative? Like every other moment of life, it is an opportunity. “Really?” You’re probably wondering, “What is Rabbi Stewart talking about?” I have an idea. The normal “והגדת לבנך” – “And you shall tell the story of the Exodus from Egypt to your children and grandchildren,” is not going to happen this year. Let’s come up with a different plan. Pesach night is a time of Mesorah. It is a time to hand down our traditions, our history, to our children and grandchildren. It is a time to bridge the gap between my grandparents and my grandchildren. Do we really have to be there to do that? Does it have to happen at a shared Seder? What if we wrote a letter to them? What if we shared the same lessons and stories we would want to share if we were there in person? I know that if my parents and grandparents wrote these sorts of letters, they would be priceless. If our children and grandchildren were here with us, what would we say to them? What messages can we share that will be a lasting legacy of faith, hope and perseverance for them? What messages do we hope for them to treasure? Perhaps we can share our vision and understanding of what it means to have a relationship with G-d; or to share what it means to us be a part of G-d’s chosen nation. My suggestion is simple. Send letters to your children and grandchildren to be read at the Seder. Take advantage of the opportunity to take paper and pen [or a computer] and use some time to formulate your thoughts. This would be the greatest [akifomen] gift you can ever give your progeny.
2 Comments
March 30, 2020 Good Morning Westwood Kehilla Family! Let's go back to basics: Deuteronomy [8:17-20] says it best: הַמַּֽאֲכִ֨לְךָ֥ מָן֙ בַּמִּדְבָּ֔ר אֲשֶׁ֥ר לֹא־יָדְע֖וּן אֲבֹתֶ֑יךָ לְמַ֣עַן עַנֹּֽתְךָ֗ וּלְמַ֙עַן֙ נַסֹּתֶ֔ךָ לְהֵיטִֽבְךָ֖ בְּאַחֲרִיתֶֽךָ׃ who fed you in the wilderness with manna, which your fathers had never known, in order to test you by hardships only to benefit you in the end-- וְאָמַרְתָּ֖ בִּלְבָבֶ֑ךָ כֹּחִי֙ וְעֹ֣צֶם יָדִ֔י עָ֥שָׂה לִ֖י אֶת־הַחַ֥יִל הַזֶּֽה׃ and you say to yourselves, “My own power and the might of my own hand have won this wealth for me.” וְזָֽכַרְתָּ֙ אֶת־ה׳ אֱלֹקיךָ כִּ֣י ה֗וּא הַנֹּתֵ֥ן לְךָ֛ כֹּ֖חַ לַעֲשׂ֣וֹת חָ֑יִל לְמַ֨עַן הָקִ֧ים אֶת־בְּרִית֛וֹ אֲשֶׁר־נִשְׁבַּ֥ע לַאֲבֹתֶ֖יךָ כַּיּ֥וֹם הַזֶּֽה׃ Remember that it is the LORD your God who gives you the power to get wealth, in fulfillment of the covenant that He made on oath with you I share the video below because he does a great job telling it as it is. May we merit sharing a korban Pesach this year! Shavua Tov! Avi Stewart March 29, 2020 I think it is fascinating that people's minds are so powerful that the way they think about situations will determine how they feel. In the 1831 there was a cholera epidemic and Rav Akiva Eiger was asked about taking measures to protect one's self from contracting the disease. HIs recommendations were prescinet. Among other directions, he advised social distancing. In his letter to his student he also impressed upon him the importance of not worrying and not getting depressed. The video attached below is in Yiddish with English subtitles. Rav Elimelech Biderman is the Maggid of Jerusalem. He speaks multiple times every week in both Hebrew and Yiddish, and his words have been translated into many languages. He is arguably the most popular teacher of Torah today. In this short clip he also speaks about maintaining a positive and happy attitude. I wish you a relaxing and happy Shabbat Shalom and Chodesh Tov. Avi Stewart March 26, 2020
Good Morning Westwood Kehilla Family! No one knows what G-d wants from us. We do not have prophets to whom we can turn and ask what it would take to end the plague. Every speech you hear from different rabbis will encourage one thing or another. They are all worthy and worthwhile efforts at turning the tide. Perhaps you were aware, Wednesday, Erev Rosh Chodesh, was declared by many different organizations to be a day of prayer. Many people fasted. People engaged in acts of Chesed. And for many of us it was a day of introspection. One of the Psalms we recited as a group yesterday was Psalm 41. The second verse caught my attention: Praiseworthy is he who looks after the poor; on a day of calamity the Lord will rescue him. Many commentaries offer explanations. Who is the poor person mentioned in the verse? What type of calamity is he suffering? And why will Hashem rescue him? The verse though can be read simply. There will be calamitous or harmful times in history. King David offers advice. Look after the poor. Look after people who need your help. Make sure you are there for the people who need that extra bit of assistance. Some translate the verse as, "Happy is he who is thoughtful of the poor." So, let's make sure we are smart about it. I encourage you to heed King David's advice. Let's look out for people who need our help, and let's be smart about it. I encourage everyone to sign up for a special program we have here at the Kehilla. Go to http://www.kehilla.org/helping-hands.html. Even if you yourself need assistance, perhaps there is some way you can be helpful to others as well. If you think you know someone who needs assistance, please let me know. Have a wonderful day! Chodesh Tov! Rabbi Avi Stewart Yesterday, I asked you what you would do differently today if I told you that Moshiach was coming tomorrow. Rav Yisroel Salanter had a unique perspective on the coming of Moshiach. I have found it more helpful than some other approaches.
He used to say: “Everyone asks, “When will Moshiach come already?” I say, “Lest Moshiach arrive today… Am I ready? Have I prepared myself? Once he comes, I can no longer work on myself. Free choice will be limited and I won’t have the opportunity to do a free-willed Teshuvah.” This is a radically different approach than we are used to hearing. Rav Yisroel is not saying he does not want Moshiach to come. He is saying, I have to prepare myself for his arrival. And so, if you were to ask me, “What would I do differently if I were to know Moshiach were to come tomorrow?” I would simply say, “I am going to try to take advantage of the time I have remaining. I am going to try to improve and better myself in every realm of avodat Hashem [service of G-d]. And so, as I have encouraged myself, I’ll encourage you as well to try to better ourselves in our avodat Hashem. One way or another, whether Moshiach comes tomorrow, or whether he tarries longer, it will position us better to welcome his coming. March 24, 2020
Good Morning Westwood Kehilla Family! Moshiach! Moshiach! Moshiach! [Ay yai yai yai yai yai] Moshiach! Moshiach! Moshiach! [Ay yai yai yai yai yai] We long for Moshiach. We pray for Moshiach. We hope for Moshiach. We sing songs about Moshiach. It’s times like these that we can feel Moshiach coming. We can hear his footsteps. Historically, and thus presently, Adar and Nissan are times of Geulah [redemption]. I can’t tell you how many times in the past few weeks people have asked me about Moshiach. I must have received tens of emails, texts, WhatsApp notes and calls about Moshiach. Moshiach is certainly on everyone’s mind. I’ve got a simple question for you: What would you do today if I told you that I know for a fact that Moshiach is coming on Thursday [Rosh Chodesh Nissan]? [Obviously, this is a hypothetical…] What would you do different? What would you do to prepare yourself? Good Morning Westwood Kehilla Family!
I’ve been thinking about heroes and heroines. We don’t need Marvel or DC Comics to tickle our imaginations. We no longer have superstars performing feats of fantastic athleticism. Yet, life today is replete with heroes. When I think about heroism, one of the first images that come to mind is photos of the first responders headed towers the towers on 9/11 while everyone else was running away from the horror and madness. Covid-19 offers us a different brand of hero. A man or a woman in a white lab coat. A nurse wearing scrubs. A respiratory therapist casually saving lives. The men and women on the front lines of this war. Perhaps you have seen the short clip of people standing on their porches, clapping and cheering for the doctors at what seems to be a shift change at one of the Israeli hospitals. Then there are the patients. A friend sent me a short clip of Eli Beer [head of United Hatzalah] who is in an ICU in Florida and was about to go on a respirator. He pled with people to continue to support his organization and do the chesed they regularly do. This is what was on his mind as he contemplated intubation. There are doctors and community leaders who have spent every waking moment bringing awareness to their communities. Heroes and heroines saving lives. And much closer to home. People who live alone who still greet each day with a smile. People who think about others, people who pick up their phone to call in and check in on others. Teachers and Morahs taking the time to inspire their students. Moms and Dads juggling challenges to ensure the security and safety of their children. Single parents who have the weight of the world on their shoulders. Children and teens whose routine is awry and sense of normalcy need to be rewritten. We don’t need to look past our front doors to identify heroes and heroines. All we really have to do is look in the mirror. When you look in the mirror and you see a self who is optimistic, who is praying for other people, who is caring and sensitive to others’ needs, who is going with the flow; when you see yourself, you see a hero. We are a community of people living beyond ourselves. We are looking hard for ways to pierce the isolation and help each other in any way that we can. We are looking at people in the community with health challenges or who are elderly, who cannot take advantage of even the leniency of essential services. People who cannot go to the grocery store or run errands. And we are here for them. We are their support network so that their isolation is not debilitating. We are a community of heroes. Keep up the good work. Well, here we are, it is almost one week in, and as we suspected changes are still happening. “The situation is fluid.” I don’t think I ever heard this sort of terminology before last week. Following the news and checking our phones like addicts who can’t wait for their next fix, only to be stormed with more and more doomsday predictions and apocalyptical prophecies. When are we going to get a break from it all? As I write these words, news has come out, that the State and County have more or less shut down life as we know it and we are instructed to “Stay at Home.” Earlier this week, my brother in law reached out to me and asked me to start an initiative. He said, “Listen, we are home for Shabbos anyways. The pubs, theaters, and malls are closed. The parks and nature reserves are off-limits. The world is more or less already keeping Shabbos, let’s be proactive about it and encourage the world to keep Shabbos.” Rabbi Yonason Schippel, our dear friend and son of our beloved member Norma Schippel, must have read my mind and actually released a video to the same effect. This thought was likely inspired by the fact that most of the laws of Shabbat are learned from this week’s Parsha. Additionally, this past week, the Daf Yomi studied the Talmudic teaching [Shabbat 10b] concerning G-d’s greatest gift to the Jewish people, the Shabbat. Rav said: One who gives a gift to another must inform him that he is giving it to him. As it is stated: “Only keep My Shabbatot for it is a sign between Me and you for your generations to know that I am God Who sanctifies you” (Exodus 31:13). When the Holy One, Blessed be He, gave Shabbat to Israel, He told Moshe to inform them about it. That was also taught in a Baraita: The verse states: “For I am God Who sanctifies you,” meaning that the Holy One, Blessed be He, said to Moses: I have a good gift in My treasure house and Shabbat is its name, and I seek to give it to Israel. Go inform them about it. From here Rabban Shimon ben Gamliel said: One who gives a gift of bread to a child needs to inform his mother that he gave it to him. The Gemara asks: What does he do to the child so that his mother will know that he gave him a gift? Abaye said: He should smear him with oil or place blue shadow around his eye in an obvious manner. When the mother of the child notices and asks him about it, he will tell her that so-and-so gave him a piece of bread. A very similar passage in Talmud Beitzah [16a] is explained by Rashi: צריך להודיע את אמו - לעשות לו אות וסימן שאם יאכלנו קודם שיבא לאמו תראה את האות ותשאלנו מי עשה לך כך והוא יאמר פלוני וגם נתן לי פת ומתוך כך ידעו אביו ואמו שהוא אוהבם ותרבה אהבה ורעות בישראל Why must you make sure to leave a sign indicating the child received a gift? So that his father and mother will know that you care for them. This will increase the love and friendship amongst the Jewish people. I was thinking that perhaps the reason why G-d says, “I have a good gift in My treasure house and Shabbat is its name, and I seek to give it to Israel. Go inform them about it,” is the same principle. G-d wants us to know how much He loves us and cares for us. He gave us a great gift, and He wants us to know that he did so. Shabbat this week is a different kind of Shabbat. It is not what we are used to. It may not be the usual gift, but it is still a magnificent gift nonetheless. This Friday night and Shabbat day, is going to be 25 hours that will indeed be fluid. Our family will go with the flow. Davening, meals, walks, spending time together, singing, dancing, learning, joking and laughter, will flood our home. True, we won’t have our usual Shabbat structure, but we will have Shabbat. And we will celebrate this wonderful gift G-d gave us. March 19, 2020
Good Morning, Westwood Kehilla Family, I hope you are managing well. Many of us are isolated. Perhaps we are bored. The things we are used to doing have been taken from us. We can no longer do them. We have been told to stay home as much as possible. Some of us have even been told that others should do our shopping for us. This is not easy. My mother in law called today and told me that she came up with a new way to connect to her grandchildren. She is reading them books via FaceTime and she has a schedule of when each family is called. I think it is brilliant! I think she has identified a challenge and come up with a solution. The challenge is this: G-d has given me more time than I know what do with. How should I use my time well? What are some creative things I can do so that: a] I use my time well [avoid boredom]; and b] I connect with other people [so that I do not feel too isolated]? Let's utilize both Torah and Chesed: Torah: There is a so much to learn. Most people have a hard time finding the time to learn. All of a sudden, we have that time. But learning on your own can be boring. So learn with your spouse. Learn with a friend. Find a "Partners in Torah." Utilize technology [the telephone :)] or Skype to connect to someone you've always wanted to [re]connect with. Chesed: At least five people in your inner and outer circle can use a call, a text, or an email. You've got the time. Find the courage :) Family: We cannot connect to family in the usual way. Perhaps we won't be spending Pesach together. Focus on what you can do. Connect now, help your your children by connecting with your grandchildren. Read to your grandchildren, tell them stories or otherwise just check in with them. Call your siblings. Essentially, my suggestion is this: Let's make sure that we are in essence telling Hashem: "G-d, you have given me so much time. I am going to use it to serve You. I am going to make the most of it!" Rabbi Avi Stewart |
Rabbi Avi StewartRav of the Westwood Kehilla. ArchivesCategories |
RSS Feed