ברוך אתה נצחי אלוקינו ריבונו של עולם שקידש אותנו במצוות וצווה עלינו להגן על החיים.
Blessing for the Mitzvah of Putting on a Mask
Blessed are you, Eternal our God, Sovereign of the world, who has sanctified us with commandments, and commanded us to protect life.
What do we mean by community?
The word kehillah appears twice in the Tanakh (aka The Torah + The Prophets + Other Writings).
The word kahal appears 122 times. They have similar root letters but what is the difference?
Both derive from the root קהל meaning "to assemble, gather", a verb that also appears frequently in biblical Hebrew. That root in turn derives from the word kol קול - "voice", and according to Klein originally meant "to call together" or "call to to an assembly". A call to action.
Let's go to the source...The rest is commentary!
(ד) תּוֹרָ֥ה צִוָּה־לָ֖נוּ מֹשֶׁ֑ה מוֹרָשָׁ֖ה קְהִלַּ֥ת יַעֲקֹֽב׃
(4) When Moses charged us with the Teaching As the heritage of the congregation of Jacob.
Nehemiah was one of the prophets who listened to the struggles of the Jews of his era. While in Jerusalem he hears of the oppression and economic inequality that the Jewish people are experiencing and he uses his prophetic voice and leadership to stand up for those less fortunate.
(ו) וַיִּ֥חַר לִ֖י מְאֹ֑ד כַּאֲשֶׁ֤ר שָׁמַ֙עְתִּי֙ אֶת־זַֽעֲקָתָ֔ם וְאֵ֖ת הַדְּבָרִ֥ים הָאֵֽלֶּה׃ (ז) וַיִּמָּלֵ֨ךְ לִבִּ֜י עָלַ֗י וָאָרִ֙יבָה֙ אֶת־הַחֹרִ֣ים וְאֶת־הַסְּגָנִ֔ים וָאֹמְרָ֣ה לָהֶ֔ם מַשָּׁ֥א אִישׁ־בְּאָחִ֖יו אַתֶּ֣ם נשאים [נֹשִׁ֑ים] וָאֶתֵּ֥ן עֲלֵיהֶ֖ם קְהִלָּ֥ה גְדוֹלָֽה׃ (פ)
(6) It angered me very much to hear their outcry and these complaints. (7) After pondering the matter carefully, I censured the nobles and the prefects, saying, “Are you pressing claims on loans made to your brothers?” Then I raised a large crowd against them
So we see in these two examples, the only two examples in the Tanakh, that kehillah implies action. Kahal is merely a gathering of people. Kehillah is a gathering with purpose. Just like all of us here on Zoom for Shabbat tonight. We are here for a purpose but why? Is it the food? Maybe. Is it the chance for connection and comfort and consistency? Maybe that too.
One possible answer for this UVM Hillel community's purpose at this moment in time can be found in the current tractate of Daf Yomi and it comes from our namesake Hillel the Elder.
Rabbi Hillel's laws became the accepted laws because his students were kind, and they were patient. They not only used their own experience and interpretations, they also included the opposite view, for greater understanding about the world around them.
I know this about UVM students...the kindness you have for the earth, for justice, for equality radiates from this university. The patience you have to be the first generation of students to deal with COVID is incalculable and your college experience is singularly unique.
Our Jewish history in exile and at home has shown us that we have the collective experience to get through this. The communal strength from being together, no matter where we are, and the patience to envision a world where true tikkun, repair and healing, has happened. Be kind to one another, be patient with yourself, and use the power of kehillah, community, to transform the world.
Shabbat Shalom.
-Matt Vogel, Executive Director
In our every deliberation, we must consider the impact of our decisions on the Seventh generation.