Dear Shaare Family,
Shevy has a pair of rain boots she really likes wearing, even if there is not a cloud in the sky. A few months ago, on a rainy day, she was quite excited to have a legitimate reason to wear them. She turned to Jessica and said, “Ima, I get to wear boots like you do, when you do a mitzvah!” It took me a moment to figure out what she meant, but Jessica knew right away. Jessica is a member of the Women’s Chevra Kadisha of the Orthodox community of Dallas. Pouring water over the deceased is an essential part of the taharah, or purification ritual and rain boots are a must. Whenever she is called away- sometimes on a Sunday afternoon, sometimes in the early evening, Shevy will ask where she’s going, and Jessica explains she is on her way to do a mitzvah.
This week’s parshah is the one in which the phrase Chessed Shel Emet, or true loving kindness, appears. It is used by our forefather Yaakov to describe the act of his burial. As we always say at funerals, anything related to Jewish burial is described by this term because it can never be repaid by the beneficiary. Members of a Chevrah Kadisha are heroes of the Jewish community, dropping everything to perform this final act of kindness. Most people they know have no idea what they actually do as members of a chevrah, and even if they know the broader concepts, they don’t know the intricacies involved in the proper administration of a taharah. They can’t fathom the always sad, often tragic and occasionally gruesome circumstanes the men and women of the chevreh face on a regular basis. In Israel, there is a special Chevra Kadisha of the IDF, and special Chevra Kadisha units dispatched to the sites of terrorist attacks should it be needed, God forbid. During the early days of COVID, regular taharot were suspended in many Jewish communities due to the risk of transmission, particularly when that was the cause of death, but resumed quickly when local public health officials, doctors and Rabbis deemed it safe.
Whereas many members of the Chevra Kadisha prefer to operate in anonymity (I did not ask Jessica permission before telling the above story, for example), it was not always thus. Anyone who has taken a tour of the Jewish Quarter of Prague has probably seen the Ceremonial Hall of the Jewish Burial Society of Prague, a Romanesque Revival building where taharot were performed. Today, that room functions as a museum of Chevra Kadisha life. It was clear that being a member of the Chevra was an honor bestowed by the community, rather than a volunteer opportunity, and the members were accorded great honor. I recall seeing the special capes and hats worn by Chevra kadisha members, and special China used once a year, at their annual feast (pictured- note that the words Chevra Kadisha appear on the plates).
Many communities hold their annual meal, which takes place after a day of fasting, on the Seventh of Adar, corresponding to Yahrtzeit of Moshe Rabbeinu. In Prague, the annual feast took place on Erev Rosh Chodesh Tammuz, and the annual fast took place on Erev Rosh Chodesh Shvat. In Vilna, the custom was always to hold it on the 15th day of Kislev, the shortest day of the year (to enable easy fasting) that can only fall on a weekday. In Vilna, the members of the Chevra Kadisha were honored publicly in other ways. All the ritual honors on Hoshana Rabba were given to members of the Chevra, and on Simchat Torah evening, they were brought to shul under canopies, accompanied by dancing. The men were given the honor of leading the sixth hakafah that evening, the one that begins with the words Ozer Dalim, praising God for assisting the indigent.
We owe our Chevrah a debt of gratitude for all that they do- they are always looking for Shomer Shabbat, able-bodied people who are emotionally and physically ready and willing to perform this sacred work. If you are interested, please let me know.
Hakarat HaTov
On the subject of burial, it is not just people who are buried- it is sacred texts that are no longer usable. These are known as Shaimos, meaning “names”- referring to the fact that these texts often contain the name of God on them and must be treated with special dignity. Indeed, we often will bury such texts when we bury people at a funeral, and it is considered a great honor to do so; the deceased will be escorted on his or her journey with words of Torah. As such, A special thanks is in order to Nate, Madi and AJ Magid for their invaluable assistance in the burial of 20 (!) boxes and several more bags of Shaimos this past Sunday. Thanks as well to Jeff Magid for loaning his flatbed truck and, of course, to Rabbi Wolk for orchestrating and organizing the entire event.
Rabbi’s Recommendation
This week’s Parsha contains Yaakov’s blessing to his grandsons, Ephraim and Menashe (Bereshit 48:16)-
בראשית מ״ח:ט״ז
הַמַּלְאָךְ֩ הַגֹּאֵ֨ל אֹתִ֜י מִכָּל־רָ֗ע יְבָרֵךְ֮ אֶת־הַנְּעָרִים֒ וְיִקָּרֵ֤א בָהֶם֙ שְׁמִ֔י וְשֵׁ֥ם אֲבֹתַ֖י אַבְרָהָ֣ם וְיִצְחָ֑ק וְיִדְגּ֥וּ לָרֹ֖ב בְּקֶ֥רֶב הָאָֽרֶץ׃
The Angel who has redeemed me from all harm— Bless the lads. In them may my name be recalled, And the names of my fathers Abraham and Isaac, And may they be teeming multitudes upon the earth.”
It is the classic Jewish lullaby, but is also sung at Shaare Tefilla every year during Kol Hanearim. The most famous setting was composed by Abie Rotenberg (sung by him here in a live concert) and here in a performance by the Israeli acapella group Kippalive
The Rabbi’s Resources will be on a brief hiatus, until Thursday, January 6, 2022. I thoroughly enjoy sharing these pieces with you, and welcome your feedback as always.
Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Ariel Rackovsky
Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Ariel Rackovsky
