Rabbi Howard Morrison

Dear Congregational Family,

"Ashreinu Ma Tov Chelkeinu - How fortunate is our lot" that we were able to have a Minyan and a full liturgical service on the morning of Shabbat Ha'Gadol and all the Yom Tov mornings of Pesach. I am grateful to those who attended our synagogue and to the several hundred who participated via livestream during the Festival.

As you are aware, even while more and more people are getting vaccinated, the number of Covid cases in the GTA and Ontario is increasing dramatically. Hospitals are filled, and schools are shutting down their in person classes. As a result, our synagogue leadership is temporarily restricting Shabbat morning attendance to clergy only. Safety must always come first. At the same time, the clergy of our shul feel safe to come into the building and maintain physical  distancing so that we can present a meaningful service with everyone joining via livestream. In this way, we are able to properly balance safety with spirituality in the best way possible.

In our Torah portion this week, we read about the fullness of spirituality as the Tabernacle is dedicated, and the Priests are ordained over an eight day period of celebration. Tragically, we also read about a strange offering brought by two of Aaron's sons, where safety is not considered at all. The classical commentators debate on what the strange offering was. Nevertheless, physical and/or spiritual security were ignored, which resulted in the sudden deaths of Nadav and Avihu.

With both Torah extremes in mind, we at Beth Emeth will continue to do our utmost in providing absolute safety and security while providing authentic spiritual expression to our community.

Sincerely,

Rabbi Howard Morrison