A Cure for the Pandemic

Three Jews were discussing the wonderful powers of the Rabbis in the different villages they came from.

‘Our Rabbi was walking through a wood,’ said the first, ‘when he came to a part which was on fire.  He said, ‘Fire to the right, fire to the left,’ and he walked through unharmed.’

‘Our Rabbi went out for a walk one day when he came to a stream.  He said, ‘Water to the right, water to the left,’ and he walked through dry shod.’

‘That’s nothing,’ said the third. ‘Our Rabbi was on a journey and was returning home on Friday towards sunset when he was overtaken by Shabbat.  ‘Shabbat to the right and Shabbat to the left and he got home in time.’

I learned this tale while in England.  It made me laugh.  And now that I recall it, it makes me think.  

We face many obstacles in life.  At times we wonder of we can afford what we need.  There are moments when we wonder if love will leave us.  Do we have the strength to master our addiction?  We contemplate whether our life has had value.  Did our actions make us worthy of a place with God?   Or did we miss our turn some years back?  

So what does the quaint story teach me now?  Time, namely now, is all we possess.  All else is “vanity” as King Solomon taught.

Edging toward the New Year, Rosh Hashanah while dancing around the corona virus, wearing masks, learning new behaviors due to social distancing, coping with the inequities of social and skin differences, Israel and its new enemies, building defenses around our synagogues, the tidal rise of anti-Semitism and let us not forget the political chasm which has never been more divisive or wide.  How do we cope with all these dilemmas?  Even the Gamecocks cannot distract us from the issues facing us.

For the Jew we are taught from the earliest age that time is kodesh, holy.  We are given that God charged us with the responsibility of taking time and making it holy.  One day each week we set a side time to make kiddush (you are thinking “wine” but the word is basically the same as holy, kodesh).  Candles are lit.  We prepare special foods in advance to enhance the evening.   We say prayers from our siddur and it becomes holy as we have invited God into our homes and asked each family member to set aside this time to be a family, a whole.  Shabbat to the right and Shabbat to the left… but do we make it?  Do we see it?

What this novel year has brought to us is an understanding of the value of time and how easily it slips away, often unwanted and unobserved, while Judaism teaches the values of making it sacred.

Mark time.  Create sacred moments.  Have a Shabbat meal.  Bring Hallahs.  Buy a bottle of kosher wine and add your favorite food.  You can do without the blare of video games or the TV for a while.

Softly sing the Sh’ma before going to sleep.  Invite God into your daily life, whether by thanking Him for the food you eat or the breath you take.

God has given us the ability to be free, not slaves to people or the forces of nature or the innumerable demands we imagine.  Here is the real question: Can you master the full freedom that is yours, transforming the mundane into the holy?  If you can master this, you and your family will get through these turbulent times not only intact but more cohesive and with a deeper love and appreciation of God in your lives.

Missing You

Dear friends,

Some of you I see quite often on Zoom or at our internet services.  Then there are those whom I do not see, I miss.  

The synagogue feels very empty without you.

I know these months have been vexing for us all.  We are trying our best to navigate the minefield of contagion, understand how we can better protect citizens of all colors and faiths, our concern for Israel continues gnaw at our frayed nerves, our children’s education, parent’s health and so many other day-to-day issues that are worrisome.  We are all fixated at the multitude of issues swirling around us.  And there’s still precious little of worth to watch on tv!

These concerns flit around in the mind and are a nuisance.

I want to share a story with you about the Baal Shem Tov.  A wealthy man from a neighboring town invited the Baal Shem Tov to teach his son Torah.  So he invited the famous Rabbi to stay and educate his son.  Entering the home, the Baal Shem discovers that the house is full of demons raising havoc everywhere.  They throw things break dishes and make terrible noises.  The Baal Shem approaches them and speaks with them, telling the demons that they are welcome to stay in the house but they must live in the attic.  He could have tried to force them out but instead the Baal Shem limited their space.

Is there a space where we can put our demons?  Relegate them to a secure spot where their disturbances will be minimal?

Life always has had its problems.  We have dealt with them before, as have previous generations.  Your wellbeing is paramount.  Take time to enjoy the silences that you used to yearn for.  Take advantage of the outdoors, which beckons with its foliage, flowers and birds singing merrily from the treetops.  The intimacy that we can create during this time is priceless.  The demons can be vanquished to the attic.  That does not mean they do not exist.  What it does mean is that they do not have control over our house (us).

Life is fragile and uncertain.  That was true last year and last century.  It is precisely the challenge to see the golden hues of the world that makes life so precious and meaningful.

Blessings and Love,

Rabbi Jonathan Case

“Heal me God and I shall be healed!”  -Jeremiah 17:14