This Shabbat is Shabbat Ha Hachodesh, the Shabbat of the Month, marking the beginning of the Hebrew month of Nissan and the imminent arrival of Pesach, on 15 Nissan.
This Shabbat will also mark a year since we went into physical isolation as a response to the COVID-19 pandemic and moved all our activities from our physical space to online. When we first went into lockdown it seemed this would be a short-term, temporary situation: a few weeks at most. Here we are now, 52 Shabbats later (but who is counting?) and we are still physically distanced and conducting our congregational life online.
As strange as it seems, we will be doing our second community seder online this year. I choose my words carefully here, I do not say socially distanced, but physically distant, because over the past year our congregants have worked mightily to maintain the cohesion of our community in the face of the essential physical distancing that keeps us safe. With the development and approval of three different vaccines and the accelerating pace of vaccinations, I hope and pray that we will soon be able to return to something that approximates the emotional and spiritual enrichment that physical connection provides.
This week’s Torah portion discusses the gifts that the Israelites bring to construct the Mishkan, the Tabernacle the Israelites used to worship God through the sacrificial service. “Take from among you gifts to the LORD; everyone whose heart so moves him shall bring them—gifts for ADONAI…” (Exodus 35:5). Commenting on this verse, Rashi (12th Century Germany) wrote, “Because his heart prompts one to generosity, he is called נדיב לב, one who is prompted to generosity by the heart.”
As we mark our year of physical isolation and living online, it is important to acknowledge all of our congregants who have so generously shared their gifts, of technological skill, of creative thinking, of time and energy, to make the continued spiritual life of our community possible. From enabling us to use Zoom to its highest potential, to helping design and deliver our “High Holy Days in a Box,” to improving the quality of our email update, to helping us strengthen our technological infrastructure, to continuing to generate and carry out new ideas and programs to keep us connected, to paying your dues.
We could not have survived this challenging time without you. There are too many people to name, but you know who you are and we thank you deeply for sharing your gifts with the community.
This week’s Torah portion ends the Book of Exodus. Whenever we conclude a book of the Torah the congregation stands and says, חזק, חזק. ונתחזק – Chazak, chazak, v’nitchazek – Be strong, be strong, may you be strengthened.
May all of us stay strong and continue to be strengthened by the care and generosity of our fellow community members.
~Rabbi Dean Kertesz
Vayakhel-Pekudei, Exodus 35:1-40:38, Parshat Ha Shavua for Shabbat, Saturday, March 13, 2021
March 12, 2021 by Dean Kertesz • Drashot
This Shabbat is Shabbat Ha Hachodesh, the Shabbat of the Month, marking the beginning of the Hebrew month of Nissan and the imminent arrival of Pesach, on 15 Nissan.
This Shabbat will also mark a year since we went into physical isolation as a response to the COVID-19 pandemic and moved all our activities from our physical space to online. When we first went into lockdown it seemed this would be a short-term, temporary situation: a few weeks at most. Here we are now, 52 Shabbats later (but who is counting?) and we are still physically distanced and conducting our congregational life online.
As strange as it seems, we will be doing our second community seder online this year. I choose my words carefully here, I do not say socially distanced, but physically distant, because over the past year our congregants have worked mightily to maintain the cohesion of our community in the face of the essential physical distancing that keeps us safe. With the development and approval of three different vaccines and the accelerating pace of vaccinations, I hope and pray that we will soon be able to return to something that approximates the emotional and spiritual enrichment that physical connection provides.
This week’s Torah portion discusses the gifts that the Israelites bring to construct the Mishkan, the Tabernacle the Israelites used to worship God through the sacrificial service. “Take from among you gifts to the LORD; everyone whose heart so moves him shall bring them—gifts for ADONAI…” (Exodus 35:5). Commenting on this verse, Rashi (12th Century Germany) wrote, “Because his heart prompts one to generosity, he is called נדיב לב, one who is prompted to generosity by the heart.”
As we mark our year of physical isolation and living online, it is important to acknowledge all of our congregants who have so generously shared their gifts, of technological skill, of creative thinking, of time and energy, to make the continued spiritual life of our community possible. From enabling us to use Zoom to its highest potential, to helping design and deliver our “High Holy Days in a Box,” to improving the quality of our email update, to helping us strengthen our technological infrastructure, to continuing to generate and carry out new ideas and programs to keep us connected, to paying your dues.
We could not have survived this challenging time without you. There are too many people to name, but you know who you are and we thank you deeply for sharing your gifts with the community.
This week’s Torah portion ends the Book of Exodus. Whenever we conclude a book of the Torah the congregation stands and says, חזק, חזק. ונתחזק – Chazak, chazak, v’nitchazek – Be strong, be strong, may you be strengthened.
May all of us stay strong and continue to be strengthened by the care and generosity of our fellow community members.
~Rabbi Dean Kertesz