Remembering those lost, choosing life by vaccinating

According to the Jewish tradition, this Saturday, Sept. 4, just before Rosh Hashana, the beginning of the Jewish New Year, we read in the Torah the words from Deuteronomy 30:19: “I call heaven and earth to witness about you this day: I have put before you life and death, blessing and curse. Choose life — so that you and your offspring shall live ...”

In a few days we are going to experience our second pandemic Rosh Hashana. As the Unetane Tokef prayer reads, we ponder “who shall live and who shall die” as the world is metaphorically judged by God once again on the anniversary of its creation.

We remember the many very dear people we have lost and we are deeply concerned by the renewed spread of the Covid-19 virus mainly among the unvaccinated.

Our intellect is one of God’s many wonderful gifts to humanity. Our gifted scientists were able to develop vaccines against the virus in a miraculously short time.

And yet, many misguided people still choose to listen to conspiracy theories and refuse to be vaccinated. They decline to accept God’s gift and to heed God’s call: “Choose life!”

We mourn the loss of many dear people. I personally mourn the loss of my dear father, Abraham Meir ben Simcha Leib uBatia z”l, who died of Covid-19 last May before he could be fully vaccinated.

May we stop losing our loved ones due to the pandemic.
May we all choose to be vaccinated. May we all choose life …
Leshanah Tovah Tikatevu. May we all be inscribed in the book of life.

Rabbi Claudio Kupchik leads Temple Beth El of Cedarhurst.