Menachem Bluming Muses: Covid-19 Jewish Thought; Unity in Time Rather than Space


Has there ever been a time in Jewish history when practically all synagogues were closed?!  These are unprecedented times in so many ways.

It is interesting that in the same Torah portion in which the Torah commands us to congregate and create a sanctuary for G-d it also calls upon us to observe the Shabbat.

Maybe the coronavirus meaning of that, is that there are times when it is not possible to congregate to build a sanctuary for G-d and at that time G-d finds his sanctuary in your home through Shabbat. Instead of congregating in space, we can congregate in time. If the entire Jewish people are united through the observing of Shabbat each person to whatever extent they are up to, we become united as one.

It is not social distancing today, it is health precaution distancing but our social connections are finding deeper roots. We are finding so many ways to connect by being there for each other whether it is through online conferencing, face time looking out for each other in so many ways.

The Torah teaches me, Menachem Mendel Bluming and you, each of us, that you can build a sanctuary for G-d in space or when necessary in time too. When a synagogue needs to be physically closed it morphs into our homes where it expands to embrace all of us in that universal sanctuary of unity and holiness.

Wishing you good health and deep spiritual and social connection now and always

Mendel (Menachem) Bluming and Rabbi Sacks

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