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Created: 05 May 2016

In the course of life, sometimes startling and shocking events take place. This past weekend our community suffered such an event with the sudden and unexpected death of our beloved friend and president of our congregation - Jeffery Keyak.

How are we to react when tragedy strikes? This week’s Torah reading opens referencing a tragic incident that occurred two weeks shy of a year after our ancestors left Egypt.  At the moment of the final consecration of the Mishkan (Mobile Sanctuary), two of Aaron’s four sons were killed by G-d. Without consulting Moses, they let themselves be overcome by their enthusiasm and had come too close to the infinite power of the divine which was revealed in the Holy of Holies.

Afterwards, the Torah describes how Moses tried to comfort Aaron, who responded with silence, as the Torah says, “And Aaron was silent.” Seemingly, Aaron accepted what had happened.

The power to be silent at certain moments of life and of history is an important strength. It expresses the awareness that G-d is infinite and cannot be encapsulated in our human conceptions of what should take place.

Language and speech signify comprehensibility. Melody is beyond language, expressing moods that words cannot describe; and silence is yet higher.

The Talmud tells of a case when Moses himself was told by G-d to be silent. G-d showed him in a vision future generations of the Jewish people and the leaders of each generation. Moses was greatly impressed by the wisdom of Rabbi Akiva. Then he saw the way the Romans tortured him to death. “Is this the reward of his Torah knowledge?” Moses asked. G-d answered: “Be silent; thus it arose in My thought.”

Before the event, assuming that there is some warning, one must do everything possible to prevent tragedy. Once it has happened though, through our spiritual “silence” we reach a special closeness to the divine. Rashi tells us that because Aaron was silent, he was rewarded by G-d speaking directly to him later in the Parasha.

However, this silence is only in terms of our intimate, personal relationship with G-d. In terms of our practical lives, even the worst and most horrific event is a call to action. It may be a call to do all one can to alleviate the suffering that has been caused. It may be a call to rebuild homes that have been lost. Or it may be a call to “rebuild” in a more spiritual way.

In the case of any kind of tragedy, there is a time for “silence” like that of Aaron; yet there is also a call to respond through action, love and determination, and thus to rebuild a shattered world.

Jeffery loved Adath Israel and was very dedicated to securing the shul’s future. If you would like to do something to honor Jeffery’s memory - please speak to me about how you can become involved in stregthening the Adath Israel community and make Jeffery’s goals a reality.