Rabbi's Blog

Dear OZ family,

A year ago today I sent my first message during what I considered to be a brief lockdown to bend the curve of overcrowded hospitals, overcome with Covid patients. The constant blaring of ambulance sirens pierced the silence of empty streets, as the most common vehicular traffic were moving vans. No one could have predicted that we’d still be tending to Covid a year later, but here we are hopefully wiser, more humble, and more knowledgeable of what is before us. The hindsight of the year 2020 is still not yet clear, but we must maintain our optimism of what is ahead. Israel has shown itself to be a true light unto the nations in Covid treatment, and we are slowly growing to appreciate simple pleasures that we have been denied for safety’s sake, such as guests, live classes and socializing again.

Israel was in the news today also because of new finds in the caves of Qumran. For the first time in over 60 years new materials have been found to go along with the treasure trove of Dead Sea scrolls that were introduced to the world over 70 years ago. Nothing is coincidental, but I happen to be teaching a course at YU this semester, called “Seven Prophets of Trei Asar”. Today I taught the book of Nachum, which speaks of the fall of the Assyrian Empire. The verses that were found read as follows:

“The mountains quake before Him, and the hills melt. The Earth heaves before Him, the world and all that dwell therein.” I haven’t taught the book of Nachum at YU in almost 20 years, but that’s what I was up to today. We defeated the Assyrians and we will defeat Covid. Let us all stay healthy and well and hopefully by next Pesach we will be able to celebrate wherever we want.

Be safe. Be healthy. Be excellent.

Rabbi Allen Schwartz