Our sages taught that Rabbi Akiva had 12 000 pairs of students and they died between the period of Passover and Shavuot (some say until Lag Ba’Omer). Why? שלא נהגו כבוד זה בזה
For they did not give honor and respect to one another.
Our sages are teaching us that this deficiency simply cannot exist amongst the leaders and flag bearers of our people to whom people look up to and learn from. There is no Torah and leadership without respect.
We can learn about the importance of honoring one another from David Sela, whose family’s tragic story caused a whirlwind in Israeli society. Last November, David’s sister was murdered by her husband and recently, he shared the following message:
“This tragedy not only shocked the country but could bring about change. At the present time, we invest a lot in education, in changing attitudes, in saving women from domestic violence who stay silent about it.
Today, the day after Lag B’Omer, is the birthday of Michal. Her lammed-gimmel birthday would have been today, her 33rd birthday. In counting the Omer, we are reminded again and again that the students of Rabbi Akiva passed away because they did not respect each other. Indeed, the most important thing is to see the other person, to give that person respect. During the seven days of mourning for Michal, we heard many wonderful stories about Michal and about the respect she gave to others. For example, a social worker told us about a therapeutic course that was difficult from an emotional standpoint. There were two study groups with two instructors and in the third session of the course, Michal switched to the second group. When her friend asked her why she switched, she answered: ‘I am not able to study with the first instructor since she speaks a little cynically about her clients. I am not able to listen to a caregiver speak in such a way about her clients’. That was my sister. She showed respect for others, so different from the way her own life ended”.
May we take this lesson to heart and recall the relevant truism shared by Ben Zoma: who is honored, s/he that honors others.
Shabbat Shalom!
Shavuot Keynote Talk: How A Missionary Brought Me to Jewish Observance with Rob Walker
Robert Walker (photo attached) grew up as an unaffiliated Jew in the suburbs of Toronto until a chance online interaction with a Christian missionary changed his life forever. He is a consultant for Jewish non-profit organizations in the areas of fundraising, management and education, and is a lecturer and educator. He lives in Toronto.
If you would like to serve as a sponsor for Rob’s talk, please contact Rabbi Bergman at oribergman@mail.com
KOT Virtual Shavuot Program on Sunday, May 24
There are only a few more slots for speakers for our virtual Shavuot program. Please feel free to sign up HERE.
Worldwide Unity Learning Experience
I wanted to share a fantastic learning experience scheduled for Sunday, May 24th from 10 am-2:30 pm with dozens of classes from some of the world’s topi Jewish speaker around the globe. Please click HERE for details.
Upcoming Classes
1. Thursday at 4:30 pm- Nine Questions People Ask About Judaism
2. Thursday at 8 pm- Ethics of the Fathers
3. Friday at 5:45 pm- Kabbalat Shabbat
4. Saturday Night- Havdallah 10 minutes after Shabbat
5. Sunday at 10 am- Contemporary Issues in Jewish Thought
6. Tuesday at 1 pm- Parsha Class