This past Shabbat at Midway, like so many we observe, was very wonderful. We welcomed an auditioning rabbi who shared Torah with us, we joyfully concluded the Book of Exodus, we blessed the upcoming month of Nisan, we offered blessings to a hattan (groom) and kallah (bride), and we ate the best cholent to be found on Long Island. Our spirited services were momentarily interrupted with a loud thud, at which point we became painfully aware that one of the Sifrei Torah had fallen from its resting position onto the floor. No one holding it had slipped and no one dropped it. Perhaps the chair on which it rested was inadvertently jostled, but whatever the circumstances—the fact is we were all caught unawares as the Torah toppled to the floor.
The Torah is not only a symbol of all that we hold dear, but is itself a compilation of so much we hold dear. We thus treat it with great kavod (honor). We rise before it as the Ark is opened, we kiss it as it passes by us in procession, we are honored to be called to it, and when it is worn beyond repair, we lay it to rest beneath the earth as we would a loved one who passes away. When a Torah falls, it is both jarring and upsetting, and so we as a community must reflect on the meaning of this mishap and respond to it.
THE REFLECTIONS
Was it a Bad Omen?
No, it was merely an accident. Conservative Jews are not superstitious. Actually, since we so often elevate happiness over sadness, and this past Shabbat was a very happy one, we might even say that the Torah fell on a day when the power of the semahot (the happy occasions) prevailed over this one startling event. We are not the first synagogue to experience such a mishap and we won’t be the last. Sometimes these things happen which is precisely why there is a literature (thin though it may be) on what to do when it does happen.
Did we Sin?
Sin is a pretty powerful word. The Hebrew word for sin, “het,” means missing the mark, and to the extent that we missed the mark that day, perhaps we did sin. It was not a sin that falls on any one person, but a general sin that falls on a community that must now pledge to take better care of their Sifrei Torah. That is a problem we need to address.
Perspective
The Torah is very dear to us, but we must carefully distinguish between Torah (learning, study, knowledge and wisdom) and the Sefer Torah (the scroll). The Sefer Torah fell, not our love of Torah, and we dare not turn the Sefer Torah into an object of worship. You might recall that in response to a venomous snake attack, Moshe Rabbeinu fashioned a copper snake, mounted it on a pole and presented it to the bitten Israelites whereupon they recovered. Understandably, the copper snake was revered long after Moshe’s death until King Hezekiah (king of Judah, 7th century BCE) destroyed it for “the Israelites had been offering sacrifices to it” (II Kings 18:4). Our sadness with a fallen Torah is understandable, but it is still only an object. When we make of it more than what it is, we abandon the Torah which forbids such object worship, and that sin is far worse.
Must we Fast for 40 Days?
There is a minhag (custom) that anyone who drops a Torah, or witnesses the Torah dropped, fasts for 40 days (sunrise to sunset only). The minhag suggests that we fast one day for each day it took Moshe to compose the Torah. I like the seriousness with which the minhag takes the mishap, but it seems to fall short of what such a mishap demands. If a dropped Torah in some way symbolizes our need to hold Torah with a stronger grip, then I wish to suggest a response that encompasses fasting, Torah study, Tzedakah and Tefilah (prayer).
THE RESPONSES
We Need Forty Fasters
I am declaring 7 Nisan, 5770, corresponding to Monday, March 22, 2010, a fast day for our congregation. The fast is from sunrise (7:16 AM) to sunset (7:39 PM). I am looking for at least 40 fasters to fast on that day. A full fast would mean giving up food and drink. A partial fast would be giving up food, but not drink. A symbolic fast would be giving up some food product (like all sweets or bread, etc.) for the duration of the day. Any way you choose to fast is kosher. You may participate in this fast even if you did not see the Torah fall and even if you were not present that day. We are all one community and thus may all participate in this communal act of devotion to Torah.
Ma’asim Tovim—Good Deeds
During the fast day, I would like you to contact someone you know in the community who could use a kind word, or some encouragement, or a listening ear. You might give that person (or people) a gift, but I would suggest that the greater challenge would be to give the gift of yourself—your interest, your concnern and your kindness. On the fast day, let’s make sure that we bring a smile to someone’s face or a sense of contentment to someone in need. Some of the most powerful mitzvot are unsolicited acts of love and kindness.
Tzedakah
A typically Jewish response to tragedy or sadness is to fill the world with a dose of goodness or happiness equal to or larger than the sorrow experienced. This is a time for Tzedakah. I would like to channel money into two important funds. The first is our Torah Education Fund which is the fund used to subsidize Torah learning projects for the benefit of our community. The second is Hatzilu, our marvelous local kosher food suppliers for the elderly and indigent of Long Island, Queens and Brooklyn. Their supplies have diminished at a time when the demands for their services have increased dramatically. Please make your checks payable to Midway Jewish Center and earmark them with the fund of your choice; we’ll do the rest.
Tefillah, Talmud Torah, Hagbahah, Kissing the Torah & Break Fast
On Monday, March 22, 2010, at 7:00 PM, we will hold a special Minhah or Afternoon service, at which time we will daven Minhah, study Torah, open the Ark in a special ceremony to remove and carry the Torah around the sanctuary so that everyone can give it a kiss. We kiss a sacred book when it falls to the ground and a kiss is a very nice way to make up after a hurtful episode. We will conclude our Tefillah and Torah study with a break fast.
Sefer Torah—We Won’t leave You Unattended Again
Finally, a new policy. Even though we have propped up the Sefer Torah on a chair without incident for years, we will from now on honor one of our good members with an opportunity to sit next to the Torah so that we never leave it unattended again.
In Conclusion
There is a record in the Talmud about a tragedy that befell the students of Rabbi Akiba. Twelve thousand pairs of his disciples, that is 24,000 students in all, died at one time. The cause of death was “they did not treat each other with respect” (Yevamot 62b). The kavod (respect) we show to the Torah is important, but the kavod we show to one another is even more important. Our day of fasting will be a day in which we rededicate ourselves to Torah and the Kadosh Barukh Hu by rededicating ourselves to each other and to our community.
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