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    Praying for Jews and Praying for Humans: Corona Diary Week 2

    During the past
    few weeks, we
    have all prayed
    as never before. Most of
    us have been
    precluded from attending our normal houses of prayer but, none the
    less, the level of fervor and passion
    with which we pray is unprecedented. Facing this global pandemic,
    we pray in a universal manner- for
    humanity at large. This pandemic
    has highlighted our shared identity
    with non-Jews. Firstly, we share
    vulnerability to this disease with
    all of humanity. Additionally, our
    vulnerability is co-dependent: we
    cannot protect ourselves and will
    only remain healthy if our broader
    community – Jew and non-Jewexhibits moral responsibility and
    social discipline. This isn’t a Jewish issue as we have experiences
    this crisis as citizens of the worldthinking about China, Italy and
    Spain.
    Yet, the actual text of most of our
    tefillah is very national and very
    “Jewish”. Personally, I have begun
    reciting the complete list of Avinu
    Malkeinu after Shmoneh Esrei and
    there are so many resonant lines
    about preventing pandemics. Each
    one of them pleads for plague prevention or plague relief– for Jewish victims. We ask that our homeland (nachalatecha) be spared
    from plague or that the people of
    the Covenant (bnei beritecha) be
    protected from a pandemic (and a
    host of other threats). How can we
    daven to G-d with language which
    are so “parochial” and so “narrowly focused” when the clear agenda
    of our tefillot is global. Without
    question, we pray first and foremost for the people closest to us;
    however the thought of only praying for Jews is morally grotesque
    just as it is impractical. How can
    we pray for an entire planet with a
    text of tefilla which focuses upon
    Jewish needs? It is crucial to find
    that “bridge” between our overall
    experience of this crisis – which
    is very universal- and our actual
    prayers which sound very Jewish.
    We must not bifurcate ourselves
    into two different people; We
    cannot process the pandemic in a
    universal fashion and daven in a
    more national manner. That type
    of schizophrenia can create disconnected experiences and listless
    tefillot.
    Here are four suggestions for
    “bridging” between our overarching concerns for humanity and the
    very national tone of our nusach
    ha’Tefilla.

    Adhere to Health Guidelines
    Because We are Jews.
    Jews are chosen by G-d to set an
    example for the rest of humanity.
    Under normal conditions we represent the important values of monotheism and morality. Under pandemic conditions we must exhibit
    an additional value- the sanctity of
    life and the willingness to make severe personal sacrifices to protect
    life. The quarantined conditions
    we all face may seem severe and
    some are tempted to violate these
    restrictions. As mamlechet Cohanim (a Kingdom of Priests) we
    must be role models and demonstrate absolute fidelity to all medical guidelines – as strenuous as
    they are. Saving even one life constitutes a mitzvah of Lo ta’amod al
    dam reiacha which should be pursued even at the risk of personal
    peril. As a chosen nation we must
    lead by example. Two weeks ago,
    it was obvious that proper moral
    behavior in the work-place is an
    essential element of our “choseness”. At this stage, fidelity to public health measures is our mandate.

    Summon the Traditional
    ‘Components’ of Tefilla on
    Behalf of Humanity
    We are all familiar with the foundations of our tefillot. We summon or
    evoke zechut avot, as well as perceived personal merits. Throughout the past 2000 years we
    summoned zechut avot on behalf of Jewish needs- survival,
    regeneration and, b”h in our
    century, the protection of our
    beloved State of Israel. At this
    stage we must summon those
    merits on behalf of humanity.
    As Jews, we have so many
    national zechuyot; over past
    century we have displayed
    incredible fortitude in recovering from the Holocaust and
    building our State in the face
    of such unimaginable odds.
    At this stage of history, we
    should summon our zechuyot
    on behalf of the healing of humanity. Keep in mind that Avraham
    davened for Avimelech- who hijacked his wife. He also negotiated
    fiercely on behalf of the sinful city
    of Sedom. I believe he would want
    us to summon his zechuyot on
    behalf of the millions of innocent
    people whose lives are currently
    imperiled.

    Pray for the Shechinah
    It is very challenging for many to
    sense the presence of G-d during a
    bleak pandemic. Hopefully, most
    believing Jews appreciate that the
    world is complex, and that G-d inheres within a world of suffering
    and evil- in a manner that we can’t
    always decipher. If we were able to
    sense His presence after the Holocaust, we can certainly identify His
    presence during this very challenging epidemic. However, for many
    religious people and, and certainly
    for non-religious, the question
    of “Where is G-d” is a very vexing one. We care deeply about the
    presence of G-d in our world and
    whether humanity is capable of
    sensing His presence. Let us daven
    that humanity will see G-d despite
    the suffering. Let us pray that humanity will discover that G-d is
    righteous and merciful even they
    are currently exposed to such suffering.

    A Redeemed World is a Healed
    World
    There is obviously something
    broken in our world- medically
    and, of course spiritually. We will
    try, and with G-d’s help, succeed
    in overcoming this outbreak and
    healing our world. However, our
    efforts will always be partial and
    temporary. The world will only
    be fully healed when history has
    concluded and been redeemed.
    The core of our Shmoneh
    Esrei showcases our hopes for
    redemption. For Jews, national
    redemption isn’t a private event
    but heralds an era of universal
    recognition of the G-d of Israel. The
    nations will gather in Jerusalem in
    a perfect world healed of all illness
    – both spiritual and physical. If
    we desire full healing it can only
    arrive with the redemption of
    history. Now, more than ever, our
    hopes for that historical closure are
    extremely potent and our prayers
    for that era should be heartfelt.