Rabbi's Blog

Dear OZ family,

Following on yesterday's comments, today, the 26^th of Elul, is the second day of creation according to Pirkei D’Rabbi Eliezer. On this day, in addition to what is written in the Torah, Chazal say that Gehenom was created on the second day as well. That is because the second day twice refers to separations. The connection to Gehenom is that unresolved dispute and division is a clear path to the lowest depths of God’s creations. While dispute is built into the system of our Oral Tradition & the Talmud, we nonetheless consider the sides of a well intentioned  dispute to both be within the framework of Divine intention. Not all disputes, though, are well intentioned. Korach, for instance, disputed Moshe and Aharon’s authority for his own selfish purposes, not to determine objective truth.

There are many who feel strongly that our High Holidays Covid Policy is either too strict or not strict enough. We have worked hard to ensure all who join us will feel welcome, safe, comfortable, and inspired by our minyanim, be it the Main Minyan, the Vasikin Minyan, or in the Sukkah. Someday this will all be behind us and at that time we will have to all get together and be a family again. 

This week’s Parsha speaks of a spectrum of Jews from tree cutters to water carriers. This is in contrast to the tenth plague in Egypt that affected the first born from the king to the jailed captive. In Egypt, the gamut of society runs from Paroah to a prisoner, but in Israel, everyone is on the same level, as the gamut of status runs on an equal plane. Let’s all stay there together.

Please join me in wishing Mazel Tov to Jeff & Shoshana Okun on the birth of a baby boy, and Mazel Tov to Jenny Michael on the birth of a great-grandson, a grandson to her children Jake & Rachel.

Mazel Tov also to our Daf Yomi participants on the completion of Masechet Sukkah.

Be safe.    Be healthy.   Be excellent.

Rabbi Allen Schwartz     

Rabbi Allen Schwartz

Congregation Ohab Zedek

118 West 95^th Street | New York, NY  10025-6604

Phone 212.749-5150, ext 200 | Fax 212.663-3635

E-mail ras@ozny.org

Website:  www.ozny.org