Friday, April 10, 2020

Zooming

When Shabbat occurs on Chol HaMoed of Passover, Exodus 33:12–34:26 is read. Included in these verses are the 13 attributed of God (which we read repeatedly on Yom Kippur as well), as well as the story of Moses bringing down from the mountain the second set of tablets after the episode of the golden calf.
            As is noted in Etz Hayim, the second set of tablets were different from the first set, because while the first was written by the very hand of God, the second was written by a man, Moses, as God dictated them to him. This was a collaborative effort.
            A lesson of the just completed seders was the importance of involving all of those at the table in a way in which they could best assist us in the rituals and stories by their contributions to the discussion. This year was a particularly difficult one, with most of us isolated from our usual gatherings due to the pandemic we are experiencing. Some decided to add Covid-19 as an “11th plague.” Others (like us) tried to Zoom their seders with loved ones, or joined in communal live streaming, with differing results. This certainly was a Passover unlike any other Passover.

            I suggest that this special experience and the need to collaborate in novel ways at the seder table join to remind us that we all need to work together for the common good and to overcome the dangers of plagues, whether they be virus-driven or the plagues inherent in human weakness.