SHALOM SWEETEST FRIENDS!!!!
It has been, like, FOREVER!!!!! I MISS those Erev Shabbos parsha emails!! So here is one like the good ol' days [when we could comfortably leave our homes and the entire world didn't seem like it was falling apart 
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At this time of "social distancing" I think it is the ideal time to practice "social bonding", just in ways that don't transmit germs. So I greet you all with a smile and [for men] a virtual hug [ - for ladies a bow and bracha that you experience much happiness in your lives]. There it is! No germs but bonding!!!
After the Mabul the Torah tells us "שופך דם האדם באדם דמו ישפך כי בצלם אלקים עשה את האדם". It is forbidden to murder another human being because all human beings were created in the image of G-d. [This was at a time where there were no Jews yet in the world which means that there were a lot fewer doctors, lawyers, investment bankers, nursing home owners, real estate moguls, hedge fund managers and owner of sports teams. This was ALSO before the Jews controlled Hollywood and the worlds banks.
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Why at this point does the Torah tell us this and not elsewhere [like after קין killed הבל]?
I once saw an explanation [from Dr. Aviad Cohen who is a Talmid Chochom and prominent lawyer on the side]: The flood had destroyed all of humankind so one might think that life is now cheap. IT ISN'T!!!! One who kills another must pay with his own life because he killed the image of G-d!! We NEED this message after the Mabul!! Life is priceless. [Oscar Wilde defining a cynic: "A person who knows the price of everything but the value of nothing". They say about people that they are worth "x" amount of dollars. Really? People are only worth what they own??!]
The Mishna [Sanhedrin 37] tells us that every human being [according to the context of the Mishna which explains that we are all descended from Adam and many older manuscripts, the Mishna is not talking only about Jews but about every person] is equal to an entire world.
So far over TEN THOUSAND people have died from this virus. That is 10,000 worlds that have ended. Not to mention all of these people's loved one's who are in mourning.
We can't let a dry statistic desensitize us to the monumental tragedy and sadness of each individual case.
As Jews we have both extra privileges [we get to take over hotels for our Pesach programs, amusement parks for Chol Hamoed outings, sports stadiums for our siyums, the President really likes us, great food, G-d chose us etc. etc.] but also MUCH MORE RESPONSIBILITY!! We are responsible to stop this. Chazal say [Yevamos 63] that all catastrophes that come to the world are somehow connected to us. So we have a spiritual responsibility to fix whatever we can with our prayers, learning, mitzvos, Avodas Hamiddos and tzdaka [which saves from death!!! BIG TIME
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The long time 8th grade Rebbe in Manhattan Day School, Rabbi Chaim Gold Shlita [who was my rebbe and is in no way responsible for the bad results with me. He tried his best. Plus, there are thousands who turned out GREAT!!] is very ill with the virus. So please daven for him R' Chaim Yitzchak ben Freyda Feyga Leah bi-soch shear cholei Yisrael. One can also join a virtual public tefilla on his behalf - see here: https://mevakeshlev.blogspot.com/2020/03/rabbi-chaim-gold-long-time-8th-grade.html.
Another well known Rav has symptoms: R' Binyamin Ovadiah ben Esther. Also the Rabbi at the NYU medical center who is in critical condition: R' Gimpel Mordechai Daniel ben Sarah Ita.
SWEEETEST FRIENDS!!!
Hashem is leading us in the painful process which will MOST CERTAINLY bring us to a much better place than we were before. Our job is to "chap a rein", hold on tight and become the spiritual beings we were created to become. EVERYONE has middos to fix and this is the BEST TIME EVER.
May we take advantage of these very unique times that we have never seen in world history, bond together in our love for each other, Torah and Hashem and see VERY SOON the coming of Moshiach Tzidkeinu!!!!!
Bi-ahava rabba and wishes for a safe and deeply spiritual and uplifting Shabbos
Me
(א) תְּפִלָּה לְעָנִי כִי יַעֲטֹף וְלִפְנֵי יְהוָה יִשְׁפֹּךְ שִׂיחוֹ. (ב) יְהוָה שִׁמְעָה תְפִלָּתִי וְשַׁוְעָתִי אֵלֶיךָ תָבוֹא.(ג) אַל תַּסְתֵּר פָּנֶיךָ מִמֶּנִּי בְּיוֹם צַר לִי הַטֵּה אֵלַי אָזְנֶךָ בְּיוֹם אֶקְרָא מַהֵר עֲנֵנִי. (ד) כִּי כָלוּ בְעָשָׁן יָמָי וְעַצְמוֹתַי כְּמוֹקֵד נִחָרוּ. (ה) הוּכָּה כָעֵשֶׂב וַיִּבַשׁ לִבִּי כִּי שָׁכַחְתִּי מֵאֲכֹל לַחְמִי. (ו) מִקּוֹל אַנְחָתִי דָּבְקָה עַצְמִי לִבְשָׂרִי. (ז) דָּמִיתִי לִקְאַת מִדְבָּר הָיִיתִי כְּכוֹס חֳרָבוֹת. (ח) שָׁקַדְתִּי וָאֶהְיֶה כְּצִפּוֹר בּוֹדֵד עַל גָּג. (ט) כָּל הַיּוֹם חֵרְפוּנִי אוֹיְבָי מְהוֹלָלַי בִּי נִשְׁבָּעוּ. (י) כִּי אֵפֶר כַּלֶּחֶם אָכָלְתִּי וְשִׁקֻּוַי בִּבְכִי מָסָכְתִּי. (יא) מִפְּנֵי זַעַמְךָ וְקִצְפֶּךָ כִּי נְשָׂאתַנִי וַתַּשְׁלִיכֵנִי. (יב) יָמַי כְּצֵל נָטוּי וַאֲנִי כָּעֵשֶׂב אִיבָשׁ. (יג) וְאַתָּה יְהוָה לְעוֹלָם תֵּשֵׁב וְזִכְרְךָ לְדֹר וָדֹר. (יד) אַתָּה תָקוּם תְּרַחֵם צִיּוֹן כִּי עֵת לְחֶנְנָהּ כִּי בָא מוֹעֵד. (טו) כִּי רָצוּ עֲבָדֶיךָ אֶת אֲבָנֶיהָ וְאֶת עֲפָרָהּ יְחֹנֵנוּ. (טז) וְיִירְאוּ גוֹיִם אֶת שֵׁם יְהוָה וְכָל מַלְכֵי הָאָרֶץ אֶת כְּבוֹדֶךָ. (יז) כִּי בָנָה יְהוָה צִיּוֹן נִרְאָה בִּכְבוֹדוֹ. (יח) פָּנָה אֶל תְּפִלַּת הָעַרְעָר וְלֹא בָזָה אֶת תְּפִלָּתָם. (יט) תִּכָּתֶב זֹאת לְדוֹר אַחֲרוֹן וְעַם נִבְרָא יְהַלֶּל יָהּ. (כ) כִּי הִשְׁקִיף מִמְּרוֹם קָדְשׁוֹ יְהוָה מִשָּׁמַיִם אֶל אֶרֶץ הִבִּיט. (כא) לִשְׁמֹעַ אֶנְקַת אָסִיר לְפַתֵּחַ בְּנֵי תְמוּתָה. (כב) לְסַפֵּר בְּצִיּוֹן שֵׁם יְהוָה וּתְהִלָּתוֹ בִּירוּשָׁלִָם. (כג) בְּהִקָּבֵץ עַמִּים יַחְדָּו וּמַמְלָכוֹת לַעֲבֹד אֶת יְהוָה. (כד) עִנָּה בַדֶּרֶךְ כחו [כֹּחִי] קִצַּר יָמָי. (כה) אֹמַר אֵלִי אַל תַּעֲלֵנִי בַּחֲצִי יָמָי בְּדוֹר דּוֹרִים שְׁנוֹתֶיךָ. (כו) לְפָנִים הָאָרֶץ יָסַדְתָּ וּמַעֲשֵׂה יָדֶיךָ שָׁמָיִם. (כז) הֵמָּה יֹאבֵדוּ וְאַתָּה תַעֲמֹד וְכֻלָּם כַּבֶּגֶד יִבְלוּ כַּלְּבוּשׁ תַּחֲלִיפֵם וְיַחֲלֹפוּ. (כח) וְאַתָּה הוּא וּשְׁנוֹתֶיךָ לֹא יִתָּמּוּ. (כט) בְּנֵי עֲבָדֶיךָ יִשְׁכּוֹנוּ וְזַרְעָם לְפָנֶיךָ יִכּוֹן.
