A Message Regarding Shabbat Services from Rabbi Tecktiel

Shabbat Services tonight at 7:30 PM and Tomorrow at 9:00 AM will be live-streamed on our Facebook page. You will need a Facebook account. Search for Midbar Kodesh Temple.

We will have in-person services tonight and tomorrow also, and those that would like to join together while still remaining an appropriate physical distance away from each other are welcome to join us. If you are in the high-risk group, please stay home and join in on the live-stream. If you are not feeling well and have a fever or cough, please stay home and join in on the live stream.

This is new to us, so give us some time to get the kinks out. We will likely be doing some form of this for all services and classes over the next couple of weeks.

Many of you have siddurim in your homes and can follow along. We have plenty of Siddurim available for you to use in your home. You can swing by and pick a couple up anytime today. If you need someone to drop one off, please be in touch and we will get you a siddur or two.

Sitting in front of the tv, computer or ipad cannot compare to the live in-person experience, but we will do our best to bring you some spirituality and calm during these times.

The Rabbinical Assembly Committee on Law and Standards weighed in years ago about the permissibility of participating in an online minyan. At that time, it was decided that if you had ten people present in a room and were live-streaming the minyan, one could participate from the internet. However, one could not be the tenth for a minyan unless one was physically present.

In light of our current situation, which falls into the category of Shaat HaD’chak, or emergency situation, there are many rabbis who say that we can count everyone participating online in our minyan.

One last thing. The most vulnerable population right now is exactly the population is that is often technology challenged. Many people are looking for something they can do for others right now. Perhaps you can check in on some of our elderly congregants and help set them up to be able to watch our services online.

Shabbat Shalom,

Rabbi Tecktiel

Rabbi Bradley Tecktiel has been Midbar Kodesh Temple's spiritual leader since August 2008. Rabbi Tecktiel was ordained at the Jewish Theological Seminary of America in May of 1996. He holds two Bachelor of Arts degrees, one from List College and one from Columbia University. He also holds a Masters of Arts from the Jewish Theological Seminary.

You can follow him on Twitter @RabbiMKT.