blogs/rabbi-huberman

Like so many of you, I have been spending at bit more time these days on the Internet.

If I'm not clicking on the dozens of writings, cartoons and jokes you've been sending me each day, I've been catching up on my subscription to Daf Yomi — a service that forwards a daily page of Talmud to consider.

Daf Yomi and I have committed to each other for the next seven years, hopefully covering 2,711 pages. We're up to 94.

What amazes me through these 1,500 year old discussions is how Jewish debates then were so similar to those we engage in now.

Is Judaism strict or lenient? Do we go by the book, or by the heart? And I've been wondering, "How would some of our great rabbis guide us through the current pandemic?"

Would Rabbi Akiva counsel us to stay at home rather than go to synagogue on Passover or Shabbat, or would he explore and eventually endorse streaming services on Zoom or Facebook?

Would Rabbi Tarfon insist we enter a supermarket in search of a vat of margarine with the "Kosher for Passover" insignia, or would he allow us to look at the ingredients, and do the best we can?

Would Rabban Gamliel insist we bury those claimed by the virus on the same or next day, or be patient with many funeral homes that are backed up to the middle of next week?

What would those rabbis have done? And in turn, what should we do?

In recent years, a misconception has emerged among many that the older the law, the older the interpretation, the more stringent it must be — and therefore the more authentic.

But that is not true. For alongside almost every strict and restrictive law, there exists a parallel — often more lenient — opinion.

My mentor, Rabbi Joseph Ehrenkranz, of blessed memory, once lamented, that too much of Judaism has inclined itself towards stringency, when actually it's kindness and flexibility that should be implemented whenever possible.

Or in his words, "Judaism is the perfect religion, often ruined by the people who practice it."

Indeed, this is a unique time, and this week, as Patte and I began preparing two home Seders shared with dozens on Zoom, we asked ourselves, "Where would we be this year without the Internet?"

It is the Internet that has kept us informed; it is the Internet that has kept us smiling. Through media such as Zoom, Facebook and Instagram, we have been gifted with the capacity to support each other.

Sadly, this has also involved saying goodbye to loved ones on FaceTime, or reaching across the miles to a parent, child or grandchild we have not been able to hold or hug in weeks.

Over the past few decades, there has been much discussion about who exactly invented the Internet. It may have been the US military. Al Gore takes credit.

But let's set the record straight. No human being invented the Internet. Indeed, mortals may have uncovered this amazing medium, but the seeds for this miracle existed at the beginning of time.

So many of us have been critical of a younger generation, which — much to the frustration of their elders — appears fixated on hand-held devices.

Billions of texts and entries are posted each day, often without filters or censure. Yet, without this crushing demand for new technology, there would not have been the market drive to develop computers and the Internet, which produced the technology for Facebook and Zoom.

This is all miraculous.

Friends, we are all worried, stressed and distracted about the current threat to our health and to those around us. We are keeping our social distance, and by doing so, we are protecting our neighbors and thousands we have never met.

But the glue keeping us together is contained within our capacity to remain connected.

And, I believe that if Rabbi Akiva, Rabbi Tarfon, Rabban Gamliel and scores of other rabbis were with us today, they would embrace this amazing gift in order to keep alive the core of Judaism, and its future.

So, during this time of Passover, with all its rites, let us let go of some of the stringency often embedded within our tradition, and ask, "What would the ancient rabbis in their wisdom have counseled us to do during these unique and uncharted times?"

More importantly, what would God want?

Most likely God would want us to survive, and at the end of this challenging time, work to make this world a better place.

So this year, let us incline ourselves towards the echoes of ancient voices instructing us to, "Do the best you can." "Take care of each other," and most importantly, "honor Pikuach Nefesh," the preservation of your health and the health of others.

Thank you, God for all of these things.

And please God, bless all those who are keeping us protected and sustained: Doctors, nurses, police, EMS and 911 operators, grocery workers, clerks, teachers and so many others.

God bless them, and God bless us.

Oh, and God, one more thing.

Please help us to remain healthy and well, as on this Passover, we direct our prayers into the heavens, with one simple message on our lips:

"Dayenu."

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Chag Sameach (Happy Passover). Shabbat Shalom.

Rabbi Irwin Huberman

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Please feel free to join us on Zoom or Facebook, Friday - 6:45 pm ET for candle lighting, followed by live Kabbalat Shabbat services.

 https://zoom.us/j/202374932

Click link below to view or download the abridged Friday Shabbat siddur: 

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or 

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