We look at the observance of Three Weeks,(Hebrew Bein Hametzarim,- Between the Straits) which commemorates the days between the first breaching of the walls of Jerusalem in 586 bce by Babylonian troops under Nebuchadrezzar to the subsequent destruction of the First Temple of Jerusalem.
You don’t need a religion to do soul management, but having a sacred calendar certainly helps. Far from being an endless list of tasks, the Torah itself is a blueprint for management.Judaism, and especially Leviticus, wants us to build a civilization that prioritizes the parts of us that make us most human – our fragility, [...]
In Corona time many people got time to think about which way to go with their faith. Now more people feel the need to go back to the shul after all the lockdowns.
In the story of Kayin and Hevel we come to hear to what jealousy and envy can lead.
Bereshith 4 shows us what can go wrong when we have no good intentions and when our heart is not pure and honest in our actions.
All our life we must strive for more and more perfection and prepare our way to come in front of our Most High Elohim. Let His Word be the best Guidebook we'll use every day.
Several of our people may be afraid to come outside and to come to speak about the Elohim Hashem Jehovah. Nothing should stop us to tell others about our great love the Most High Elohim. We must make God's Voice resound over mountains and valleys and give it all glory and honour.
Analysis of Torah without Hitbodedut/relationship is idolatry. Our brains need to be surrendered to Hashem. He should be guiding our brains. The Torah is to be used as His voice speaking to us, a way to know Him more, not as object to be analysed, disected, picked appart by self effort, which is the yetzer [...]
The man who loved the Law of the Elohim (Ps 119:97) and was known by God to be a righteous man, blessed and praised his Bo're and was willing to do everything that Hashem wished him to do. Those wanting to fall under the promises made to Abraham should be people following in the footsteps of Abraham, having the Faith in the same God as Him.
Worship services in a limited form will again be possible from December the 13th, but we call for common sense and to avoid coming together with too many people out of your bubble. For Hanukkah everybody shall have to celebrate it in his own small bubble. Inviting others shall be not for the 2020 Winter festival or Winter holiday.
Looking at the blessed time of the Elohim which comes every seventh day, completing the week. The Shabbat representing completion. Delighting in the Shabbat has evolved over time, but it is for believers still a day of blessings and delight by bringing mercy and love, blessing and joy to others, and refreshing our souls.
For four months CoViD-19 has brought many people in chains and because of lockdowns unable to go to their regular prayer-meetings.
Some believers wonder if they can meet up with worthy prayer only at home. Some need to be convinced or given advice on how to make sure to have a worthy service for the Elohim, even when in a closed private or personal space like the living room.
Those who went on to their balcony for singing out loud, and got the police at their door, avoid such public witnessing now. Many of our and other congregations still think on certain days we cannot make use of electronic tools like television and computers, and as such cannot take part in our weekly e-streaming. It would be nice if some other solution could be found for those to give them still a feeling of unitedness and gathering in prayer.
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To remember
- all experienced a number of sweeping changes to our lives > financial, logisitical, medical > one overarching difference in our now normal routines = blurring of any boundaries that we once took for granted.
- locations between wor/school + home = same.
- we once entered the synagogue to pray, reflect, read Torah, say Kaddish
- routinely took online classes or even home schooled their kids > no one ever thought congregational life would be possible without actually gathering as a congregation.
- praying as individuals at home = omitting communal prayers like Kaddish.
- Can one experience the same connection – the same kavannah — at home as when in the sanctuary?
- experience in being a congregant or participant on the Facebook Live screen or Zoom
- once awkward task of leading prayer into a computer screen
- Shabbat services or Zoom minyan > do you set aside a dedicated space at home that you know is your worship spot? Or sit with your laptop anywhere that’s convenient?
- How much of the service has become passive for you?
- Do you make services a family experience?
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Preceding
In a time when we must remain in our place
Even in Corona time You are called on to have the seder
Israel celebrates Purim amid Coronavirus outbreak – ILTV Israel news – Mar. 9, 2020
2020 A Passover seder meeting limited to members of the family
Thinking about the happiness by the Torah reading
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Additional reading
- The offspring from a tortured generation finding the Word of God again
- Social Distanced but Spiritually Close
- Turning Your Home into a Sacred Space
- Hineni for our Virtual Services
- Voor het eerst in jaren weer een Pesach in isolatie
- Isolatietijd vrij te nemen voor jezelf
- Opdracht niet na laten om over de belangrijke Uittocht te praten
- Oplossingen gezocht voor Joodse dienstvoorziening
- Ontnomen van een gebedshuis #1 Doodveroorzakers
- Ontnomen van een gebedshuis #2 In de greep van een coronavirus
- 9 Av 2020 en Dagen van droefheid
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Related
Over the last few months, we’ve all experienced a number of sweeping changes to our lives–some financial, some logisitical, some medical–but the one overarching difference in our now normal routines is the blurring of any boundaries that we once took for granted.
We used to make a separation between work and home. Now those locations are the same.
We used to make a separation between going to school and being in the house. That too is no longer the case.
And even more than those examples–we once entered the synagogue to pray, reflect, read Torah, say Kaddish, and shmooze over black and white cookies. While some people had already worked from home before all this started, and others routinely took online classes or even home schooled their kids–pretty much no one ever thought that congregational life would be possible without, you know, actually gathering as a congregation. Sure, some people…
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The day a number of disasters in Jewish history occurred, primarily the destruction of both Solomon's Temple by the Neo-Babylonian Empire and the Second Temple by the Roman Empire in Jerusalem, received an other black spot in this year of the CoViD-19 pandemic.
For security reasons our country came into lockdown and after some easing measures it looked like we soon could come together. Yet by having again a rise in the infections we shall not be able to gather in one place and as such shall have to fulfil our worship duties at home in private. Let us remember that our liturgy is really about engaging God and therefore it is not bad to take some time to consider how you want to build up your service for God.
Time of distress should never be an excuse to not follow the mitzvah of our God. As such now in a time of lockdown, being isolated we should still have a Memorial Meal.
Immanuel Verbondskind - עמנואל קאָווענאַנט קינד 