the Israelites assembled at Mt. Sinai to receive the Torah, they were warned not to touch the mountain on penalty of death. Today we adhere to a similar ban to stem contagion. Take Shabbat. Three months ago, guests may have sat around the festive dining room table. Now it’s restricted to immediate family. Friends still wish each other Shabbat Shalom, but not in person. One day, those unoccupied chairs will fill again — but until then, a little imagination might stimulate additional conversation. This year, because the first day of Shavuot falls on Friday, May 28, the IJN asked readers the following question: “If you could invite one Jewish person from a previous century to your Shabbat table, who would it be — and why?” […]
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