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| Rav Chaim Kanievsky (Jerusalem Post) |
By coincidence this morning the Jerusalem Post has reported that 92 year old Rav Chaim Kanievsky has also been diagnosed with COVID. This is very sad news indeed. But unfortunately it is not surprising. Needless to say at 92, he is clearly at very great risk of serious illness and even death (God forbid). I hope we can all agree and pray that regardless of our differences that he too has a complete and speedy recovery.
The truth is that I am angry. None of this had to happen. It could have been prevented – exposure minimized in both cases.
But in both cases there were other considerations that each leader felt overrode the perceived dangers. In the case of the President it was political considerations. In the case of R’ Chaim it was religious considerations.
Obviously considering what God wants is a far more compelling motive then is getting re-elected to high public office. So for religious leaders like R’ Chaim, the motives are unquestioningly pure and unselfish. The only question is whether his views actually reflect the will of God.
Let me quickly add the following. Far be it from a mere ignoramus like me to ask that question of a giant like R’ Chaim. But it isn’t really me asking it. It is the consequences of his religious based decisions that ask it. The Jerusalem Post reports that his insistence (as well as the insistence of other religious leaders in Israel) on keeping Yeshivos open during the six week period know as Elul Z’man has resulted in 6000 Charedi students in Israel becoming infected with COVID.
R’ Chaim and other leaders felt that prayer and Torah study will protect them. But by relying only on that while ignoring or minimizing the advice of Israeli health officials, have they not ignored the Torah’s requiremnt to do what’s physically necessary to stay healthy? Have they not placed a lot of students and themselves in physical danger?
And then there is the Chasdic Community. Apparently they have completely abandoned all protective measures and thrown caution to the wind. For what? The Rebbes Tisch?! From the Jerusalem Post:
On Monday night, following the end of the Yom Kippur fast, the Grand Rabbi of the Vizhnitz Hassidic community, Rabbi Yisrael Hager, held a tisch celebration for hundreds of hassidim in the Vizhnitz headquarters in Bnei Brak, with no masks or social distancing.
I’m sorry. But I do not see this as Yiddishkeit. At this particular moment in time it is a foolishness that endangers lives. This is not how the rabbinic giants of the past reacted to worldwide plagues. They ate on Yom Kippur because doctors said they needed to eat under those circumstances. And closed down Shuls unhesitatingly so the plague would not spread. If they were alive today does anyone think they would do things differently? And if today’s leaders were alive then would they have done what the great leaders of the past did?
I believe that by not trusting health experts and therefore not taking their advice - the decisions being taken by religious leaders today is costing lives. I know that is not their intent. Their intent is to save lives via spiritual means. I get that. But are they succeeding?
I had intended to talk about Sukkos today – as that is my habit on the eve of a religious holiday. But the events of the day demanded that I address them. I am so tired of the naysayers that say this is overblown and that all the medical advice is overkill. It is not overblown. And the advice is not overkill. Just ask those 6000 Charedi yeshiva students in Israel about that. May God protect them all and bring them to a speedy recovery.
With that in mind I want to wish all of my readers a safe and happy holiday of Sukkos - our Z’man Simchasenu.
Good Yom Tov.