QUESTION:
I have thought a lot about what the Rav has said recently regarding the coronavirus and how it is all a physical manifestation of the depth of the “50th Gate of Defilement” which the world is in. The closing of yeshivos has caused untold destruction. Many bochurim who were in yeshiva before are simply roaming the streets now. This pandemic has done more spiritual destruction than physical destruction, by wreaking havoc on people’s souls more than their bodies, on a level that was unprecedented here in Eretz Yisrael. Many bochurim, due to our sins, will not even be returning to yeshiva after this is all over, as expert educators have testified and from what I’ve heard.
Throughout this entire period, all of the emphasis of our leaders has been primarily on our physical safety and on our financial situation, way beyond proportion, and it seems to give the impression that our physical safety is more important than our spiritual situation. Young yeshiva bochurim definitely got that message, and they have forgotten any aspirations in having mesirus nefesh in Torah, they have forgotten that which they have been taught that it is only learning Torah which protects from danger. When the yeshivos partially opened, with either halfway or a third or a quarter of the amount of people allowed, only a few yeshivos had the mesirus nefesh to open up their yeshivos fully. Who knows what tomorrow will bring, and what is the coming Elul going to look like??
This leads me to ask the following questions to the Rav, and perhaps the Rav can light up the darkness for us during this troubling time.
1) Does the Rav agree with these feelings I’ve written? What is the reason for all the silence of all the leaders of our generation about the damage that has been done to our spiritual situation now? Why is all of their concern all about physical safety and our financial situation?
Throughout this entire period, all of the emphasis of our leaders has been primarily on our physical safety and on our financial situation, way beyond proportion, and it seems to give the impression that our physical safety is more important than our spiritual situation. Young yeshiva bochurim definitely got that message, and they have forgotten any aspirations in having mesirus nefesh in Torah, they have forgotten that which they have been taught that it is only learning Torah which protects from danger. When the yeshivos partially opened, with either halfway or a third or a quarter of the amount of people allowed, only a few yeshivos had the mesirus nefesh to open up their yeshivos fully. Who knows what tomorrow will bring, and what is the coming Elul going to look like??
This leads me to ask the following questions to the Rav, and perhaps the Rav can light up the darkness for us during this troubling time.
1) Does the Rav agree with these feelings I’ve written? What is the reason for all the silence of all the leaders of our generation about the damage that has been done to our spiritual situation now? Why is all of their concern all about physical safety and our financial situation?
ANSWER:
1) When we consider the external, physical side of the situation right now, it is reminiscent of the period between World War I and World War II. At that time, Klal Yisrael had the guidance of the two world leaders of Torah Jewry: Rav Chaim Ozer Grodozensky and the Chofetz Chaim zt”l. Even with such leadership, though, it is well-known that the situation for Klal Yisrael at that point was very complex, and loaded with problems.
If we compare the physical situation of today with the physical situation then, we can see the similarity but we can also see the differences. However, when we consider the internal aspects that are taking place behind today’s situation, it is totally different than in previous times. It is much more complex today, and from many angles. Even before this pandemic came, the Torah world and all of Jewry were like dying people, from a spiritual standpoint (and there is a rule in the Gemara that most people who are in the throes of death end up dying). Only someone who was truly moser nefesh in his Yiddishkeit, in our times, was not part of this category.
The only way to fix the situation until now would have been by taking apart the entire situation of today, collectively and in detail, down to the last detail of all the issues in our generation today, and then to see what could be done about, along with siyata d’shmaya, step after step, working on one issue at a time. But this did not happen, and for many years already the situation for Jewry and the Torah world has remained with so many unsolved issues. The current situation [i.e. bochurim roaming the streets or simply not returning to yeshiva] is merely a continuation of all the many unresolved issues that have been dredging on for many years already. Prior to the situation of today, anyone who wished to dedicate themselves to the cause of Klal Yisrael did whatever they could to help the situation, each according to their own capabilities.
QUESTION
2) How can we educate our children now that they shouldn’t become callous to ruchniyus and so that they shouldn’t consider their body more important than our spiritual strivings?
ANSWER
Speak about Torah truth to them, simply and from purity of heart, and try to act upon your beliefs – on your own level, and according to the level of your family.
QUESTION
3) Should we encourage the Roshei Yeshivos who were moser nefesh to open up their yeshivos as usual and without fear of the government, since enough time has passed to prove their move successful and that Torah learning has indeed protected the yeshivos from physical harm?
ANSWER
Each situation needs to be weighed separately, about what the parameters of the halachah are. After knowing what the halachic parameters are, one can then act with chassidus (piety) and consider all the factors and see what the appropriate should be, as the Mesillas Yesharim teaches with regards to mishkal hachassidus. The halachic authorities discuss when and where we apply the rule of “Torah protects and saves” from danger. If one does decide to act on the level of chassidus, it needs to come from the heart, and it should not be a purely intellectual decision alone. And, even when deciding to open a yeshiva, it must be done within the proper framework of kedushah (holiness) and it should not be done with comprises that make tumah (media and internet use) available to the yeshiva students, and if this condition is not met, it is clear that the yeshiva will not be protected by their Torah learning. Also, in most cases, the reopening of a yeshiva doesn’t depend on the any view – it depends on the actual spiritual level of the students. Our entire focus when it comes to this pandemic should not be about the government or the health ministry – instead, our focus needs to be on HaKadosh Baruch and on doing His will, on what He wants from us.
QUESTION
4) Are the COVID-19 government restrictions really a gezeiras shmad (decree of spiritual genocide) on the Torah world, since they are using the pandemic as an excuse to stop all of our Torah learning and all of our davening in shuls?
ANSWER
Some of the restrictions make sense, but there are other restrictions which are a matter of speculation, if they make sense or not. Some of the restrictions come from a lack of understanding, and there are also some restrictions which are not being sensitive to the Torah world, due to lack of value for Torah and ruchniyus (the spiritual). There are also some restrictions which are being used by the government as a way to have control over religious Jews. It will take wisdom to know what the intention of each detail of the restrictions is, and it will not suffice just to look at the general picture of the situation.
QUESTION
5) Do we need to listen to the health ministry’s rules for physical safety, such as the wearing masks? Or should we not rely on the health ministry’s rules at all (as the Rav said right at the beginning of the pandemic)?
ANSWER
First, we must clarify what the halachah is. If many experts [doctors] say that certain behaviors must be adapted or avoided, we should be careful with those behaviors on a halachic level, and keep to the guidelines that are protecting our health. We need to be careful in each situation according to the level of severity involved.
QUESTION
6) We can see that the virus is no longer so dangerous. From all the thousands of people that have gotten the virus, very little of them were in danger. Therefore, if there is a small chance that someone already had the virus, is he endangering other people by not keeping all the safety measures? Would he need to take a blood test and quarantine? Would he need to be concerned if anyone in his family gets a fever or sore throat, etc.?
ANSWER
As long as one has a strong reason to suspect that he has the virus, he should go for a test. Even those who weren’t endangered from the virus were still affected by the virus, on a financial level, on an emotional level, and on a spiritual level, and there were other repercussions as well. Therefore, a person is indeed damaging others if he has the virus and he goes out into public places.
QUESTION
7) According to the government’s laws, one needs to quarantine if he was near someone who was ill with the virus, but this is a self-imposed quarantine which only he would know about. If he does not feel any symptoms, would such a person still need to quarantine himself and not daven or learn in a beis midrash and keep away from anything that requires him to be near people, etc.?
ANSWER
We would need to clarify how much of a risk of danger there is, and accordingly we can then know how to act halachically.
If we compare the physical situation of today with the physical situation then, we can see the similarity but we can also see the differences. However, when we consider the internal aspects that are taking place behind today’s situation, it is totally different than in previous times. It is much more complex today, and from many angles. Even before this pandemic came, the Torah world and all of Jewry were like dying people, from a spiritual standpoint (and there is a rule in the Gemara that most people who are in the throes of death end up dying). Only someone who was truly moser nefesh in his Yiddishkeit, in our times, was not part of this category.
The only way to fix the situation until now would have been by taking apart the entire situation of today, collectively and in detail, down to the last detail of all the issues in our generation today, and then to see what could be done about, along with siyata d’shmaya, step after step, working on one issue at a time. But this did not happen, and for many years already the situation for Jewry and the Torah world has remained with so many unsolved issues. The current situation [i.e. bochurim roaming the streets or simply not returning to yeshiva] is merely a continuation of all the many unresolved issues that have been dredging on for many years already. Prior to the situation of today, anyone who wished to dedicate themselves to the cause of Klal Yisrael did whatever they could to help the situation, each according to their own capabilities.
QUESTION
2) How can we educate our children now that they shouldn’t become callous to ruchniyus and so that they shouldn’t consider their body more important than our spiritual strivings?
ANSWER
Speak about Torah truth to them, simply and from purity of heart, and try to act upon your beliefs – on your own level, and according to the level of your family.
QUESTION
3) Should we encourage the Roshei Yeshivos who were moser nefesh to open up their yeshivos as usual and without fear of the government, since enough time has passed to prove their move successful and that Torah learning has indeed protected the yeshivos from physical harm?
ANSWER
Each situation needs to be weighed separately, about what the parameters of the halachah are. After knowing what the halachic parameters are, one can then act with chassidus (piety) and consider all the factors and see what the appropriate should be, as the Mesillas Yesharim teaches with regards to mishkal hachassidus. The halachic authorities discuss when and where we apply the rule of “Torah protects and saves” from danger. If one does decide to act on the level of chassidus, it needs to come from the heart, and it should not be a purely intellectual decision alone. And, even when deciding to open a yeshiva, it must be done within the proper framework of kedushah (holiness) and it should not be done with comprises that make tumah (media and internet use) available to the yeshiva students, and if this condition is not met, it is clear that the yeshiva will not be protected by their Torah learning. Also, in most cases, the reopening of a yeshiva doesn’t depend on the any view – it depends on the actual spiritual level of the students. Our entire focus when it comes to this pandemic should not be about the government or the health ministry – instead, our focus needs to be on HaKadosh Baruch and on doing His will, on what He wants from us.
QUESTION
4) Are the COVID-19 government restrictions really a gezeiras shmad (decree of spiritual genocide) on the Torah world, since they are using the pandemic as an excuse to stop all of our Torah learning and all of our davening in shuls?
ANSWER
Some of the restrictions make sense, but there are other restrictions which are a matter of speculation, if they make sense or not. Some of the restrictions come from a lack of understanding, and there are also some restrictions which are not being sensitive to the Torah world, due to lack of value for Torah and ruchniyus (the spiritual). There are also some restrictions which are being used by the government as a way to have control over religious Jews. It will take wisdom to know what the intention of each detail of the restrictions is, and it will not suffice just to look at the general picture of the situation.
QUESTION
5) Do we need to listen to the health ministry’s rules for physical safety, such as the wearing masks? Or should we not rely on the health ministry’s rules at all (as the Rav said right at the beginning of the pandemic)?
ANSWER
First, we must clarify what the halachah is. If many experts [doctors] say that certain behaviors must be adapted or avoided, we should be careful with those behaviors on a halachic level, and keep to the guidelines that are protecting our health. We need to be careful in each situation according to the level of severity involved.
QUESTION
6) We can see that the virus is no longer so dangerous. From all the thousands of people that have gotten the virus, very little of them were in danger. Therefore, if there is a small chance that someone already had the virus, is he endangering other people by not keeping all the safety measures? Would he need to take a blood test and quarantine? Would he need to be concerned if anyone in his family gets a fever or sore throat, etc.?
ANSWER
As long as one has a strong reason to suspect that he has the virus, he should go for a test. Even those who weren’t endangered from the virus were still affected by the virus, on a financial level, on an emotional level, and on a spiritual level, and there were other repercussions as well. Therefore, a person is indeed damaging others if he has the virus and he goes out into public places.
QUESTION
7) According to the government’s laws, one needs to quarantine if he was near someone who was ill with the virus, but this is a self-imposed quarantine which only he would know about. If he does not feel any symptoms, would such a person still need to quarantine himself and not daven or learn in a beis midrash and keep away from anything that requires him to be near people, etc.?
ANSWER
We would need to clarify how much of a risk of danger there is, and accordingly we can then know how to act halachically.
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