As widespread social-distancing measures have gone into effect in communities around the world with the aiming of slowing the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19), Jewish observance, which centers so much on community, will be drastically affected.
For many people who typically enjoy Shabbat meals with friends or family, this week may represent a sudden plunge into the world of Shabbat cooking. Others may be facing limited access to groceries and other supplies. Chabad.org’s Kosher Cooking site has a guide to cooking for Shabbat while social distancing, authored by Miriam Szokovski. The recipes in the guide are designed to be made on Friday, with typical home ingredients, and are easily tweaked with substitutions.
Judaism teaches that preserving human life is paramount, so by not attending synagogue in places where it has been deemed not advisable to do so, one fulfills the word of G‑d just as one does when attending synagogue at any other time. With this in mind, Chabad.org’s Mordechai Rubin prepared a comprehensive guide to praying the Shabbat prayers at home.
And to help people celebrate Shabbat, which is usually a day filled with social interaction, Chabad.org’s Menachem Posner composed a list of 10 tips for preparing for Shabbat while social distancing.
As Posner writes, “Medical experts and Chassidic masters all agree that staying positive and full of faith can help maintain your good health, keep up your immune system and even help people recover more quickly from illness.”
Wishing you and your family good health and happiness, and a peaceful and joyous Shabbat!
