MESSAGE DU CLERGÉ DE LA SPANISH & PORTUGUESE
Le clergé de la Spanish a créé un service de prières sur Zoom.
(Vous pouvez télécharger l’application de Zoom gratuitement )
C’est une très belle initiative qui permet de prier avec un Minyan dans le confort de notre maison
Dans ces temps de confinement exceptionnels, Les Grands rabbbins d’ Israel ont permis de lire le kadish s’il y a 10 participants ou plus sur Zoom .
La prière du matin commence à 9 :00 am Link https :99289468
La prière du soir commence 7 :00 pm Link https :143414710
Il y a des cours qui suivent les prières
Stay safe / Soyez en santé
Message du Dr. Sylvain Chemtob
Nous vivons une situation sans précédent. J'espère que vous allez tous bien, et malgré la difficulté de confinement vous demeurez en isolement pour vous et nous tous. Notre communauté juive fait les manchettes pour de mauvaises raisons - le non-respect des consignes de la Santé Publique. Plusieurs médecins juifs travaillant dans les hopitaux affiliés à l'Université de Montréal avons été co-signataires d'une lettre envoyée à divers rabins de la communauté sépharade. Ces consignes sont généralement respectées par notre synagogue et notre congrégation, tel que souligné par les courriels de ces organismes. En somme, pour notre protection et celle de tous, nous insistons à ce que ce message soit renforcé, et SVP de ne pas se rassembler ni meme chez soi pour la Fete de Pessach, afin de limiter la propagation de ce Coronavirus; nos vies sont en danger; nous craignons une implosion du nombre de cas aux soins intensifs au cours des deux prochaines semaines.
Je partage avec vous une modélisation mathématique de l'impact du confinement sur la propagation du coronavirus; vous noterez qu'un respect de distanciation chez plus de 80% de la population serait très efficace.
Soyez prudent et en santé, et que D... nous protège.
Sincèrement,
Sylvain
From Rabbi Henry Hasson
Adding a second Adar
The Bet Din also had another very important job, regarding setting the calendar. Every year they needed to decide if they would add a second Adar, creating a leap year and pushing Pesah off by a month. This is because the Hebrew lunar year only has 354 days, while the Solar year has 365.25 days. This creates a situation where the holidays fall behind by 11 days each year. Therefore, every few years we add a second lunar month and catch up. This keeps the holidays in their seasons. The gemara recounts that the rabbis were so focused on this important decision that they would not even take a break from working on the calendar to stop and say the Shema or the Amida. They would just skip it and stay focused on the calendar calculations.
This year we have an interesting situation. It looks like at this rate, Pesah will coincide with the very peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, at least in NY (and possibly in other places as well). This means that many (if not all) people around the world won’t be able to eat together for the seder or pray in a minyan on Pesah. This would be the perfect time for a bet din to be established to assess the situation, do the proper calculations, and consider adding a second month so that we can push off Pesah for a month and have more time to prepare for this unique Pesah. In a time of crisis we need to come together. Establishing a Bet Din would entail all Jews agreeing on who the Bet Din is and inaugurating one.
Crisis has the potential for divisions to get stronger. I have seen this crisis divide us. Over questions like: should we fast for 6 hours or avoid fasting to strengthen our immune systems? Should we get together in large groups or stay secluded with our immediate families? Should our religious practices be put on hold or should we hold steadfast to our everyday practices?
I have also seen this crisis bring people together to help the hospitals and first responders. I have seen people use this time to practice the most human and most helpful actions to help those that may need extra help during this time.
Let’s get together (well not literally), help each other by prioritizing, avoid hysteria, stay calm, and staying responsible. Let’s make choices by thinking calmly and critically about our individual circumstances and about our communities’ circumstances. Let’s stop believing every WhatsApp COVID-19 cure we read about. Let’s get ourselves to a point where we can get together and create a bet din that can help guide us through times like this. Get outside (alone) and get some fresh air, enjoy your families, and let’s support each other, together. Wishing everyone a healthy Nisan, a healthy spring, and a healthy new year.
