Simon Says, September 17, 2021: Rosh Hashanah Sermon

THE LAST TIME WE WERE IN THE SANCTUARY, WAS MARCH 14, 2020.  WE TOOK PRECAUTIONS.  EVERYBODY, EXCEPT FAMILY MEMBERS, SAT SIX FEET APART.  WE DID NOT PARADE THE TORAH.  PEOPLE WHO HAD ALIYOT RECITED THE BLESSINGS FROM THEIR SEATS.  THE GABBAIM FOLLOWED THE TORAH READERS FROM THEIR SEATS.  WE DID NOT RETIRE DOWNSTAIRS TO MAKE KIDDUSH.

I DON’T NEED TO TELL YOU THAT 2020 WAS A DIFFICULT YEAR, IN ALL WAYS.  DILIGENT HOUSES OF WORSHIP SHUT DOWN; DILIGENT HOUSES OF WORSHIP DIDN’T HOLD LIVE SERVICES.  WE STARTED ZOOM SHABBAT SERVICES ON MARCH 21, 2020.  I TAUGHT A SERIES OF CLASSES ABOUT THE HALLELUJAH PSALMS ON ZOOM, AND I TAUGHT A SERIES OF CLASSES ABOUT HALLEL ON ZOOM.  WE INSTITUTED HAVDALAH ON ZOOM TO KEEP THE COMMUNITY TOGETHER, AND EVERY NIGHT, 49 NIGHTS, WE COUNTED THE OMER ON ZOOM, TO KEEP THE COMMUNITY TOGETHER.  IN THE HEIGHT OF THE PANDEMIC, WE HELD HIGH HOLY DAY SERVICES ON ZOOM, AND WE HELD SERVICES FOR THE THREE PILGRIMAGE FESTIVALS, PESACH, SHAVUOT, AND SUKKOT, ON ZOOM.  WE HAD A HANUKKAH PARTY ON ZOOM, AND WE CELEBRATED PURIM ON ZOOM.

WE VIOLATED HALACHAH BY USING ZOOM.  I THOUGHT THE RULE THAT THE COMMITTEE ON JEWISH LAW AND STANDARDS, PROMULGATED IN APRIL 2020, WAS ILL-ADVISED FOR OUR CONGREGATION.  BRIEFLY, THE RULE THAT THE COMMITTEE ON JEWISH LAW AND STANDARDS PROMULGATED WAS IF THE CONGREGATION DOES NOT HAVE TEN LIVE BODIES IN THE SANCTUARY, YOU CAN’T SAY BARCHU, YOU CAN’T REPEAT THE AMIDAH, AND YOU CAN’T RECITE MOURNER’S KADDISH.

I AM NO SCHOLAR, BUT I THOUGHT THE RULE PROMULGATED BY THE COMMITTEE ON JEWISH LAW AND STANDARDS WAS A DEATH KNELL FOR OUR CONGREGATION.  WE HAD A CHOICE:  FOLLOWING HALACHAH, OR RISKING OUR LIVES.  TO SAVE A LIFE OVERRIDES THE MITZVOT, AND ANYWAY, THANK GOODNESS FOR YOM KIPPUR.

IN THE PAST RECENT YEARS, BEFORE 2020, WE HAD A PEAK OF ALMOST 200 PEOPLE IN THE SANCTUARY ON THE FIRST DAY OF ROSH HASHANAH AND ON YOM KIPPUR.  BUT WE HAD UNDER 80 DEVICES ZOOM IN IN 2020.

THE DIFFERENCE SHOWS THE IMPORTANCE OF COMMUNITY.  WE WANT TO BE IN THE SANCTUARY.  WE WANT TO HEAR SHACHARIT, MUSAF, TORAH READINGS, KOL NIDREI, AND NEILA IN PERSON.  WE WANT TO SHARE THE BREAK FAST AFTER YOM KIPPUR.  WE WANT TO GREET PEOPLE WHOM WE HAD NOT SEEN FOR A YEAR AND WE WANT TO GREET PEOPLE WHOM WE SAW ONLY LAST WEEK.

ATTENDING HIGH HOLY DAY SERVICES ON ZOOM IS NOT EQUALLY SPIRITUALLY GRATIFYING AS ATTENDING HIGH HOLY DAY SERVICES IN THE SANCTUARY.  IF WE ARE THE LEAST SPIRITUAL PERSON ALIVE, WE FEEL SPIRITUAL BEING IN THE LAST SYNAGOGUE IN NEWARK.  AT THE VERY LEAST, WE FEEL A CONNECTION TO THE GENERATIONS OF JEWS THAT CAME BEFORE US.  WE DON’T FEEL THAT CONNECTION ON ZOOM.

I KNOW THAT LIFE IN THE PANDEMIC IS FRUSTRATING AND DANGEROUS.  EVEN IF WE ARE VACCINATED, AND I HOPE THAT ALL OF US ARE VACCINATED WHERE CIRCUMSTANCES ALLOW IT, THE DELTA VARIANT IS REARING ITS UGLY HEAD.  WE READ EVERY DAY ABOUT BREAKTHROUGH CASES, AND WE HEARD THAT WE NEED A BOOSTER SHOT EIGHT MONTHS AFTER WE GOT THE SECOND SHOT.

WE ARE ALL SEARCHING FOR SPIRITUALITY IN THIS PANDEMIC, BUT IT IS TEMPTING TO GIVE UP SEARCHING AND LOSE FAITH IN OUR RELIGION.  THE PANDEMIC WEARS ALL OF US DOWN.  IN LATE SPRING AND EARLY SUMMER, WE SAW THE LIGHT AT THE END OF TUNNEL, IN TIME FOR THE LIGHT TO RECEDE AND THE TUNNEL GET LONGER.   

BUT WE ARE NOT ALONE.  WE HAVE OUR TRADITIONS.  WE HAVE OUR HISTORY.  WE HAVE OUR CULTURE.  WE HAVE OUR LITURGY.  WE HAVE OUR AHAVAS SHOLOM COMMUNITY.

EITHER ON ZOOM OR IN PERSON, THE FAMILIAR MELODIES COMFORT US.  AVINU MALKEINU.  AL HET.  SH’MA KOLEINU.  KOL NIDREI.  EITHER ON ZOOM OR IN PERSON, YIZKOR COMFORTS.  EITHER ON ZOOM OR IN PERSON, HEARING THE SHOFAR COMFORTS US.  EITHER ON ZOOM OR IN PERSON, THE MALCHUYOT, ZICHRONOT, AND SHOFAROT VERSES COMFORT US.  

KOL NIDREI STRETCHES BACK BEFORE THE NINTH CENTURY.  THE CONFESSSION, ASHAMNU, STRETCHES BACK TO THE NINTH CENTURY.  AL HET STRETCHES BACK TO THE FIFTH CENTURY.  BLOWING OF THE SHOFAR ON THE ROSH HASHANAH IS EMBEDDED IN THE TORAH AT LEAST 2700 YEARS AGO.  THE MALCHUYOT, ZICHRONOT, AND SHOFAROT VERSES STRETCH BACK TO THE SECOND CENTURY.  THE GREAT ALEINU STRETCHES BACK TO THE SECOND TEMPLE PERIOD.  AVINU MALKEINU STRETCHES BACK TO THE SECOND CENTURY.  COVID 19 CAN NOT DEFEAT A PEOPLE WHO FOLLOWS A TRADITION AS OLD AS 1000 YEARS, 2000 YEARS, AND 3000 YEARS.

EVEN ON ZOOM, WE GAIN COMFORT LISTENING TO FRED DAVEN MUSAF, KOL NIDREI, AND NEILA.  EVEN ON ZOOM, WE GAIN COMFORT LISTENING TO DUBRA CHANT THE TORAH READING ON ROSH HASHANAH AND CHANT THE HAFTAROT.  EVEN ON ZOOM, WE GAIN COMFORT LISTENING TO HOOSHMAND DAVEN YOM KIPPUR MINCHAH AND WE GAIN COMFORT LISTENING TO BERNIE CHANT THE BOOK OF YONAH.  EVEN ON ZOOM, WE ADMIRE THE FERVER OF ERIC, WHO WANTS AHAVAS SHOLOM TO GROW EVEN IN THIS CLIMATE.   

THE BIBLE IS FULL OF STORIES THAT TEST PEOPLE’S FAITH.  DAVID DID NOT LOSE FAITH IN THE DARKEST DAYS OF THE WAR AGAINST SAUL.  JOB DID NOT LOSE FAITH WHEN EVERYTHING WAS TAKEN FROM HIM.  IN THE TORAH READING ON THE FIRST DAY OF ROSH HASHANAH, ISHMAEL AND HAGAR DID NOT LOSE FAITH WHEN THEY WERE CAST OUT OF THE CAMP BY ABRAHAM.  IN THE HAFTARAH ON THE FIRST DAY OF ROSH HASHANAH, HANNAH DID NOT LOSE FAITH WHEN SHE DID NOT PREGNANT YEAR AFTER YEAR.  IN THE TORAH READING ON THE SECOND DAY OF ROSH HASHANAH, ABRAHAM DID NOT LOSE FAITH WHEN GOD TOLD HIM TO SACRIFICE HIS SON, HIS FAVORED SON.  AND EVERY PERSON WHOM I MENTIONED, THEIR FAITH WAS REWARDED.

JUDAISM SURVIVED THE BABYLONIANS.  JUDAISM SURVIVED THE ROMANS.  JUDAISM SURVIVED THE MEDIEVAL CATHLIC CHURCH.  JUDAISM SURVIVED THE NAZIS.  AND THE AHAVAS SHOLOM COMMUNITY WILL SURVIVE COVID-19.

WE CAN’T WAIT TO GET BACK TO THE BUILDING AT 145 BROADWAY.  A FRESH COAT OF PAINT, NEWLY SANDED FLOORS, NEW SEATS, AND A NEW KITCHEN.  BUT WE HAVE TO BE PATIENT.  WE ARE NOT ENDANGERING OUR LIVES FOR THE SAKE OF NEW DÉCOR.  WE SAY AT THE END OF EVERY PESACH SEDER, “NEXT YEAR IN JERUSALEM.”  IF WE STICK TOGETHER AS A COMMUNITY AND KEEP OURSELVES SAFE AND BEHAVE RESPONSABLY IN REGARDS TO THE PANDEMIC, WE WILL CELEBRATE THE HIGH HOLY DAYS NEXT YEAR IN THE SANCTUARY.