I am so tired of talking about the coronavirus. But at the same time, never has there been a subject that so dominated the news. At least in my lifetime. It is almost as if nothing else is happening in the world. But of course a lot of other things are happening. Some related - like the state of the economy, and some not, like people dying of cancer and heart disease.
Nor has there ever been a situation in lifetime where one tiny little thing - an invis-ble virus - became the great equalizer. Rich and poor, religious or not; believer or non believer, famous of infamous, old and young...we are pretty much all doing the same thing right now: staying home. And we are all wondering when we can begin a return to normal.
With all the angst those of us who have not caught this virus we all feel about this situation, it is worth saying that we should in no way feel sorry for ourselves. There ought not be any self pity about what we are going through. Whether it is those of us that have escaped the virus altogether; or those that have gotten it without symptoms; or even those of that did have symptoms, but mild one which they have overcome and have since recovered.
For the most part we are living in our homes in comparatively gilded cages. Not in prison camps. My wife who usually sends out a short vort she calls Chodesh Tov every Rosh Chodesh to friends and family. This month her thoughts centered on how our situation now compares to a much darker period in Jewish history: the Holocaust. Which both sets of our parents lived through.
What the Holocaust was
1.We were forced to wear yellow stars and which made us easy targets for everyone
2. We were forced into ghettos and then into concentration camp
3. We witnessed the holy books in a Jews home thrown into the street and together with Torah scrolls set on fire
4. We were lucky to have a half slice of hard black bread and a soup with not much in it
5. We were shoved into cattle cars for rides lasting 3 days and standing only because there was no floor space to stretch out on6. We were forbidden to celebrate anything.
7. We did not know anything about our families and had no means to stay in touch.
8. We came to know stories about the sick not given a chance-immediately shot into a ditch or forced into a crematorium
9. We saw the escalation of hate which meant our survival grew slimmer with each passing day
10. We had shuls and yeshivas that were burnt to the ground. Many of them filled to capacity with our own family and friends
What This Pandemic Is
1. We are asked to wear a mask over our nose and mouth to keep us safe from one another
2. We live in the luxury of our homes
3. We can daven and learn Torah and the seforim in our homes stand tall and prominent
4. We can eat as much as we want and there is plenty with which to prepare the meals for Shabbos Rosh Chodesh
5. We can travel in the comfort of our cars and use public transportation if we choose to.
6. We celebrated Pesach, Shabbos and look forward to celebrating the other yomim tovim.
7. We know our family is safe and we can freely visit with each other by technology
8. We have suffered losses but comforted by the fact that we know that each patient was given a capable staff and every opportunity to live.
9. We know that the goal- morning, noon and night- is the survival of all of us
10. We know our shuls and yeshivas are standing empty but they will be opened and we will head there with a song in our heart and the warm feeling of comfort will engulf us all
Something to truly think about.
This of course does not mean that tragedies resulting from this pandemic haven’t occurred. Sadly many have and have touched us all. People are dying from this disease. Many are on ventilators. Others may not be on ventilators but are hospitalized and suffering for many days or even weeks. There are a lot of us that have had some very close members of their family dying suddenly – almost without warning. And suddenly facing an unexpected Shiva.
There is probably not a single household that doesn’t know someone personally who died from the virus.
There are also the many among us that have lost jobs or have had significant pay cuts - trying to support their families with money they do not have.
It is true that this makes it difficult to see things through an optimistic lens. And on that score we must do whatever we can to help those in need. But at the same time we must still place into context the inconveniences of staying home; the boredom, the claustrophobia, the loneliness... which is still a far better place to be than the place our Holocaust survivors were in back then.
We need to be grateful for what we have and try to weather the storm with as much optimism we can.
Everyone have a Good Shabbos and a Chodesh Tov!