Rabbi Strauchler's Blog

RCA Chanukah Message 2020 - YouTube

We celebrate Chanukah at a challenging time in the life of our people and our world. A terrible pandemic grows in scope and threatens the health of so many. We do not know when it will end. We have lost dear friends and family. We mourn each neshama that Hashem has taken from us. Chanukah teaches us that we are a resilient people. We honour the memories of those who have passed on by drawing strength from their values and virtues.

We mourn the many great Torah scholars who have been taken from us, during these past months. We specifically reflect upon the heartbreaking void left by the most recent deaths of Rav Dovid Feinstein zt"l and Rabbi Jonathan Sacks zt"l. They were our teachers, mentors and inspirations. We are humbled by the awesome responsibility to carry forward their tremendous legacies.

Medical professionals continue to risk their own health for the sake of the health of others; we are deeply grateful to them. We carefully observe recommendations from public health officials to stop the spread of this disease, by wearing masks, maintaining social distancing and by carefully observing self-isolation, quarantine and lockdown rules, when required. We recognize that v'nishmartem meod l'nafshoteichem takes precedence over almost all mitzvot. As we do our part, we experience anxiety for not just our health, but also for our livelihoods. We feel these worries not just for ourselves, but also for our family, friends and neighbours.

Yet, with all this sadness, we find sources of hope. Chanukah is a time to celebrate God’s ongoing connection to our people and the light that God brings to the world. This Chanukah we feel special gratitude for the creativity, that so many have shown in the face of this disease. As rabbis, we are so proud of the volunteers who have stepped up in creating multiple minaynim to serve our people as they abide by the separation the pandemic demands. We are proud of the thousands of calls that have been made to reach out and care for the lonely among us. We are proud of the community leaders who have stood up and made sure that our educational and communal institutions can weather this crisis.

We take pride in our resilience. We have seen this resilience in how our communities have faced this crisis. We have worked together to create safe Yom Tov and Shabbas tefillot. We have found new ways to celebrate smachot and to perform chessed. Community is more important now than ever. Even as we experience physical separation, we feel a sense of togetherness. Many of us are not able to return to shul. We miss shul, and our shuls miss us. We are confident that when this pandemic ends, we will resume communal life with greater appreciation for what our communities give our bodies and souls.

Chanukah is a time to reflect upon miracles: miracles of nature and also miracles of human ingenuity. This Chanukah, we have hope for the discoveries that God has empowered humanity to find, as partners in creation, to heal and to end this disease. As we light our Chanukah candles this year, we all experience loneliness. Families are separated. Regular celebration cannot take place. Because of this, we must continue to close social gaps, by reaching out. Compassion and basic kindness are essential and powerful. Even at necessary social distance, we can find ways to make a difference in the lives of our neighbours, our cities and the countries that we love so much.

In this eit tzara, we must always remember: As Jews - we have faced times of testing before, but we do not face these challenges alone. We face them armed with the strength of previous generations. And we know that our grandchildren will tell the stories of our present perseverance. We are linked across generations. We draw strength from a legacy and a destiny of courage and hope.

Faith exists to serve us at times like this. It is now that we call upon Hashem’s love. We lean on our faith to give us the strength to sanctify God’s name during these moments of opportunity. It is now that we pray that we might be the children, the parents, the spouses, the siblings, the friends, and the co-workers that we know Hashem wants us to be.

In this moment – we – all Hashem’s children - are in this together. As we fight this common threat, we recognize the tzelem Elokim - the divine image within every person. As we reflect upon the small miracles that Hashem brings into our lives – let us live lives of meaning and of purpose. May we sanctify God’s name with the light of our candles and the light within our souls.

R. Chaim Strauchler Toronto, ON

R. Daniel Korobkin Thornhill, ON

R. Zvi Engel Skokie, IL

R. Binyamin Blau Cleveland, OH

R. Jonathan Muskat Oceanside, NY

R. Gershon Albert Oakland, CA

R. Efrem Goldberg Boca Raton, FL

R. Shmuel Silber Baltimore, MD

R. Seth Grauer Toronto, ON

R. Elazar Muskin Los Angeles, CA