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| Depiction of a typical Charedi family from "Shtisel' (Jewish Unpacked) |
Now it’s entirely possible that Charedim are getting a ‘bad rap’ here. Maybe others are just as guilty and the secular media chooses to focus only - or mostly - on Charedim. I don’t know. But even if the percentages are the same, it is still a Chilul HaShem. Precisely because of that media focus.
Fair or not, it does not look good when strictly observant Jews behave the way ‘Family P’ did. Observant Jews must be a models of behavior. Not ‘also rans’. Observant Jews represent the ways of the Torah. The more religious they appear – or claim to be, the more true that is. Which is why the following Jerusalem Post story upsets me so much:
A family of four may have caused the country’s largest Omicron outbreak to date because they chose not to quarantine after returning from a trip to South Africa.
The haredi (ultra-Orthodox) family from Jerusalem - parents and two young children, known as “Family P” - recently returned to Israel from South Africa.
When returning from a red country, travelers are required to take a PCR test at the airport and then check-in to a coronavirus hotel until a negative result is obtained. Then, they may sign a contract that allows them to complete their isolation at home.
This family followed the first part of the procedure, testing negative on return to Israel. However, a few days later, when they were supposed to be isolating at home, they were not. Instead, the parents went to work and the children to school and preschool.
A few days into their non-isolation, the family was retested. Although it is unclear why, this was likely because they started to experience symptoms. They all tested positive. Even so, they continued their normal activities in the community.
And they infected more than a dozen people.
There is a major outbreak at at least one Jerusalem school, which sources say could be linked to Family P - though this is still unconfirmed.
It’s true that this is mere speculation based on circumstantial evidence. But there are just too many coincidences for them to be free of any responsibility. And even on the outside chance that they had nothing to do with the Omicron outbreak, their behavior is still a massive Chilul Hashem. Not to mention the possibility that some of the people they infected may actually die or get seriously ill.
They knew they had COVID and went about their business as though they didn’t. Knowingly mixing with other people and possibly infecting them. Who knows whether one or more of those who got the virus from them will become seriously ill or even die. Not everyone is vaccinated. Some of the unvaccinated have no choice in the matter - if, for example, they are allergic to vaccines. And among those that are fully vaccinated, some have severely compromised immune systems. Vaccines don’t protect them as well. They are at severe risk of life threatening consequences if they get COVID!
But this family was not going to be bothered. They should have quarantined even before being tested the second time. Those were the rules. I suppose they might be forgiven since they tested negative at first. But when they re-tested, were found to be positive, and ignored it - they in essence became potential murderers.
They might have rationalized that the vast majority of people that have been infected with COVID recover pretty quickly with no lasting effects. But what does that matter to those that die and their families? Or to those that suffer long term? This disease have been around since the end of 2019. It is now the end of 2021. Millions of people have already died from this disease by now. And the pandemic is far from over.
Even in the unlikely event that not a single soul was infected by them, they were not born yesterday. They must know how deadly COVID can be. I’m sure they know someone that died from COVID. Or someone that suffered serious illness form it. Or someone that - months after contracting COVID have not yet fully recovered – if they ever will. And I’m sure they know at least some of the very prominent Rabbonim that have died from COVID, too.
Their behavior is irresponsible and inexcusable. And why the Chilul HaShem is so great.