Every year during Sukkot, Israel's President Reuven Rivlin visits the sukkah of the Ashkenazi Chief Rabbi David Lau. Unfortunately this year, because of the coronavirus pandemic, this annual visit was cancelled.
Instead, on Sunday morning, Rivlin spoke with Rabbi Lau on the phone, gave him his best wishes for the holiday and thanked him for his many efforts to ensure the directives of the Health Ministry are followed.
“Your position, like a fortified wall, defending the health and the instructions among all Israel is an example of leadership,” Rivlin told Rabbi Lau.
“Each year, I make sure to fulfil the mitzvah of ‘visiting the rabbi’ and go to see the Chief Rabbi in his sukkah. This year, I am unable to do so to my great regret. The President’s Sukkah, open to all in a wonderful tradition, must be held from afar this year. I will meet my guests, all Israel, in an online sukkah,” said the President.
Rabbi Lau, who said that for the first time in many years he was unable to celebrate Sukkot at his parent's house, joined the President in stressing the importance of following the instructions of the Health Ministry, adding that each person needs to do it for themselves and without reference to the criticism of others.
“Today, I am here at home in Modi’in, and my parents are at their house," declared Rabbi Lau. "We spoke on the phone. This year, we will pray and hope that next year, we will be healthy and happy, and so that we will be able to celebrate together, we have no choice but to celebrate each in his own sukkah this year.”
“Of course, you don’t check to see if others observe Shabbat or not," continued the Rabbi. "You know that this is what Jewish law says, and that it applies to you. Even if others do not, you protect your lives, and so I call on the public to stop looking around and to do what they are asked to do.”
"Unfortunately, there is a feeling among the religious population that the instructions are aimed, God forbid, against Judaism," added Rivlin. "We are in a Jewish and democratic state, and Judaism is for us a straightforward and fundamental issue."
"The instructions are not against religion, but to protect ourselves, as we are commanded,” concluded the President, sharing prayers together with Rabbi Lau for the full health recovery of Rabbi Chaim Kanievsky who has recently contracted coronavirus.