Dear CBO Congregants,
Community means standing together during the good and also the challenging, offering support and words of comfort. We see a glimpse of this in our Torah portion, Tetzaveh.
“You shall further command the Israelites to bring you clear oil of beaten olives for lighting, for kindling lamps perpetually (le-ha’alot ner tamid)” (Exodus 27:20).
What is interesting about the concept of the ner Tamid, the lamp which we must perpetually light, is that one would think that it does not need to be lit during the day time, only the night. The sun provides the light that the Israelites might need in the desert. Our portion tells us that we keep the light alive even when there is an abundance of light. There is more to the light than utility. Not only is it symbolic of our dedication, but we perpetuate it so that we never forget how to light it.
I’ll use the example of a wind up watch. Even on days when you don’t need a watch, one must keep up the practice of winding it because the gears might rust and it won’t be present when you need it the most. The same is true of community, prayer, and study. We support the community and maintain these ties so that we can be together in great joy and in heavy challenges.
We are currently in a time of uncertainty. The Corona Virus is spreading across the world. While it takes the lives of some and upends the lives of others, we look for things to steady us, the parts of the world that remain constant. This is the concept of “Tamid.” Our Torah and our prayers articulate our hopes, our fears, and our needs. If you need to speak to anyone, feel free to reach out to the synagogue at 516-781-3072 or rabbi.bernstein@cbohr.org.
We remind you to take all precautions to be safe and healthy and please stay home if you are ill.
Let us offer a prayer for healing:
May the One who blessed our ancestors —
Patriarchs Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, Matriarchs Sarah, Rebecca, Rachel, and Leah — bless and heal all who are ill. May the Holy Blessed One overflow with compassion upon them, to restore them, to heal them, to strengthen them, to enliven them. The One will send them, speedily, a complete healing — healing of the soul and healing of the body — along with all the ill, among the people of Israel and all humankind, soon, speedily, without delay, and let us all say: Amen!
