From Rabbi Craig Mayers
April / May 2020
“TOP RABBIS IN ISRAEL ALLOW ‘ZOOM PESACH’ IN UNPRECEDENTED RULING” read the headline in the Times of Israel just a few days ago. To some, the notion of Orthodox rabbis ruling that one could video-conference a seder and be within Jewish law* was profound! A few notables in Israel have expressed opposition to this ruling, but as of this writing none have offered any substantial halachic proof of their negative positions. So as it stands, many of us will welcome friends and family (and possibly the prophet Elijah) into their homes this Pesach via electronic means. In this “new normal” Covid-19 world, that’s okay!
[* Provided of course that the conference was set up and activated before Yom Tov]
Judaism, for all its reputation of being an ancient religion practiced by stubborn people, is actually quite flexible. It is in fact a desirable quality for a person to have, as written in the Talmud:
“TOP RABBIS IN ISRAEL ALLOW ‘ZOOM PESACH’ IN UNPRECEDENTED RULING” read the headline in the Times of Israel just a few days ago. To some, the notion of Orthodox rabbis ruling that one could video-conference a seder and be within Jewish law* was profound! A few notables in Israel have expressed opposition to this ruling, but as of this writing none have offered any substantial halachic proof of their negative positions. So as it stands, many of us will welcome friends and family (and possibly the prophet Elijah) into their homes this Pesach via electronic means. In this “new normal” Covid-19 world, that’s okay!
[* Provided of course that the conference was set up and activated before Yom Tov]
Judaism, for all its reputation of being an ancient religion practiced by stubborn people, is actually quite flexible. It is in fact a desirable quality for a person to have, as written in the Talmud:
“Rabbi Elazar, son of Rabbi Shimon, entered the study hall and taught: A person should always be flexible like a reed and he should not be stiff like a cedar, as one who is proud like a cedar is likely to sin. And therefore, due to its gentle qualities, the reed merited that a quill is taken from it to write with it a Torah scroll, tefillin, and mezuzot.” (Taanit 20b)
We have been living out this ideal in a very real and visible way in these times of Zoom, social distancing and quarantine. The Conservative movement’s leading rabbis have had to come up with sound and realistic rulings on short notice and have done a commendable job. We here at TBS had to learn how to shift our rituals, education, and even social programs to an online experience.
All of this of course is in the interest of pikuach nefesh, the preserving of human life. This, too, is a central tenet of Judaism and states that almost any commandment can be overridden if it is to save a life. The Torah says in Leviticus 18:5: “You shall keep My laws and My rules, by the pursuit of which man shall live.” Scholars including Rambam and Rabbi Akiva, interpret this passage to mean that one is obligated to protect life; that the commandments are life-affirming, not life-risking.
This Covid-19 crisis has brought out – as all good crises do – the best and worst of humanity. Hopefully by the time you read this you will be able to buy toilet paper in Brevard County once again. (Failing that, please feel free to print out this bulletin article and use it as needed.)
All of this of course is in the interest of pikuach nefesh, the preserving of human life. This, too, is a central tenet of Judaism and states that almost any commandment can be overridden if it is to save a life. The Torah says in Leviticus 18:5: “You shall keep My laws and My rules, by the pursuit of which man shall live.” Scholars including Rambam and Rabbi Akiva, interpret this passage to mean that one is obligated to protect life; that the commandments are life-affirming, not life-risking.
This Covid-19 crisis has brought out – as all good crises do – the best and worst of humanity. Hopefully by the time you read this you will be able to buy toilet paper in Brevard County once again. (Failing that, please feel free to print out this bulletin article and use it as needed.)
But just as we’ve seen some people resort to hoarding and other bad behaviors, we’ve also seen our community rise to the challenge, as many others have sought new and innovative ways to make sure the needs of our most vulnerable are still being met. Food and meal distribution centers have been set up, adhering to the “no-contact” guidelines. Kids who rely on school meals were given a way to keep receiving them even while attending “Zoom school” from home. And of course, we learned and embraced these new technologies so we could connect with each other even from isolation. We watched as “Social Distancing” got renamed to “Physical Distancing” as we learned to socialize in new ways, not wanting to be alone.
May we take from this trying time only the best lessons. May we learn the value of human contact, now having been deprived of it. May we learn how much we need to come together, now that we have been forced apart. And may we learn to see the best of humanity in a crisis as Anne Frank did: “…in spite of everything, I still believe that people are really good at heart.”
May Hashem protect you and your loved ones from illness and worry. May the time come again speedily when we can gather safely in our beautiful House of God to observe Shabbats and Festivals together and enjoy the many simchas granted to us in love by God.
L’shalom,
Rabbi Craig Mayers
May we take from this trying time only the best lessons. May we learn the value of human contact, now having been deprived of it. May we learn how much we need to come together, now that we have been forced apart. And may we learn to see the best of humanity in a crisis as Anne Frank did: “…in spite of everything, I still believe that people are really good at heart.”
May Hashem protect you and your loved ones from illness and worry. May the time come again speedily when we can gather safely in our beautiful House of God to observe Shabbats and Festivals together and enjoy the many simchas granted to us in love by God.
L’shalom,
Rabbi Craig Mayers
