Blessings of Body and Soul (adapted from Yom Kippur 2011 sermon)
The following words are adapted from my Yizkor sermon on Yom Kippur 2011. I am glad to say that since I wrote these words in September 2011, Rabbi Ronnie Cahana’s health has been gradually improving, and he is recovering his ability to speak. We wish him a continued refuah shleimah. I have a colleague who is a Conservative rabbi in the Montreal area named Rabbi Ronnie Cahana. He is in his mid-50’s. I have only met him a couple of times, but his poetry and writing are legendary. Rabbi Cahana is attracting a fair amount of attention right now around the world - for either a very troubling reason, or a very inspiring reason, or both, depending on your perspective. Sadly, Rabbi Cahana suffered a massive stroke in his brain stem this summer, and he has been hospitalized ever since. He has been unable to talk, to move his limbs, or even to wave his hand. But his situation is unusual and unique in that he apparently has absolutely no cognitive impairment. This mea