delray beach orthodox rabbi

                                                                              B"H
                        The Eleventh Commandment
 
What can be more important to a Jew than belief in one God, observing the Shabbat, or honoring your parents? When I was young, we were taught that derech eretz kadmah latorah - that common courtesy takes precedence over the Torah laws. Obviously, common courtesy can’t override or negate mitzvot but it nonetheless can highlight that situational behaviors are of paramount importance.
 
Purim is in three weeks and following soon after is Pesach. The Seders are in seven weeks and counting. Costco is probably already selling stale Passover cakes at a discount. In pre-COVID times I would be announcing in shul that anyone needing a place for the Passover Seder are welcome. And regardless of whether you can afford to contribute, everyone is warmly invited to our shul’s Seder.
 
However, this year Passover will be different. Our children won’t ask why is this night different from all other nights, they will ask why is this year different from all other years? Due to the current limitations on large crowds, the shul will be unable to hold its annual Seder. While I’m well aware that our decision will dampen the Yom Tov spirit, the safety of our membership is our primary concern.
 
Therefore, I’m asking for your assistance. I am asking you to open your heart and not your wallet. I am asking that we take upon ourselves to seek out one or two people who may need an invitation to a Seder. Even if you think they won’t attend, please invite them anyway. They may really need to see a friendly face and may decide to join you. And more importantly, the mere fact that other people were thinking of them can be enormously beneficial to people who have isolated themselves.
 
So this year please don’t wait for the Seder night to read the opening words of the Haggadah, Kol dichfin yese v’yechol - anyone that is hungry please join us for the Seder. Believe it or not, even if someone actually heard your invite, the guard manning the gate wouldn’t let them in.
 
So please make this Passover different to all other Passovers. Consider inviting someone to your Seder and enhancing their Yom Tov. And by the way, I also remember being told in my youth that “the early bird catches the worm.”
 
Shabbat shalom,
 
Rabbi Jack Engel
 
PS: If the reason you can’t invite anyone is financial please inform me privately and we would be more than willing to help. Also, if you know of people who can’t or won’t go to anyone else for Passover, the shul can assist in providing them with Yom Tov meals.