Dear Hevre,
This week’s Torah portion, Vayakhel, begins: “Moshe convoked the whole Israelite community.” More literally, Moshe “communitied” the Israelites. Vayakhel is a verb form of community, one absent in English. (Notice the k-h-l sounds which appear in Havurah’s Kehillah, “Community,” cluster.) While our approach is more egalitarian (no one person “communities” the people), vayakhel as a verb illuminates how much the sacred work of community involves effort and cultivation.
These times are asking more of us. They are demanding that in order for us to remain connected and support one another, we must actively “community.” The truth, though, is that this is always the case. Healthy and inclusive community never simply happens, and is never static. It must always be tended and examined — is always alive and shifting. Perhaps this crisis is bringing these truths more into focus. And with the challenges of this come precious opportunities for us to community.
The other day I came upon this from Krista Tippett: “Human invention has connected us — our creativity & commerce, our vulnerability & flourishing. The civilizational challenge now — life by life, community by community — is to attend to the quality of that connection.” This is true on many levels. Foremost right now, in my mind, is our attending to the impacts of our physical connections. Being physically present for one another is a gift, and it is asking a lot of us to refrain from doing so. But friends, please, to the extent of our needs and abilities, we must. I hope by now that we all appreciate the necessity of this. Clearly, though, there are still many in our broader community who fail to recognize or honor how their personal choices impact the collective wellbeing. I feel morally compelled to state again how vital it is right now — for all of us with the freedom to make this choice — to refrain from in-person contact. This is not about panic or succumbing to fear. It is a matter of acting with wisdom and care for all of our loved ones and for all who dwell on earth. If you do not have the privilege to self-isolate, we honor your service and the sacrifices you are making, and would like to support you however possible.
Below, you can see the various ways in which we are continuing, in this moment, to community.
Bivrakha (With Blessing),
Rabbi Benjamin
