Many years ago there was a plague where many people were dying. Rav Yisrael Salanter ruled that on Yom Kippur even the healthy people should eat [which he publicly did!!]. What was the reason for this psak? That question is discussed here and is not the topic of this post. The point is what Rav Yisrael DIDN'T say. He didn't say that if you give 92 dollars to a certain tzdaka organization you will receive a page with the parsha of ktores on it. You say the parsha and you will be guarded from all harm. He didn't say that the zchus of fasting on Yom Kippur will save everyone and thus there is nothing to worry about. He said something very rational - it is a time of danger and the Halacha obligates us to do everything in our power to keep everyone healthy. We believe in supernatural forces of course. But the One who conducts those forces commanded us to take care of our health in the most rational way according to the medical experts of the time. We ALSO do spiritual things as merits but not exclusively.
Or to go back a few thousand years. Two people in a desert with one jug of water between them. Who gets to keep it? GOOD QUESTION!!! What DOESN'T the Gemara [Bava Metzia 62] say? Say some tehillim and neither of you will need to drink it. Use it for netilas yadaim and have bitachon that someone will come with a six course meal. Pour it on the ground in three different places and say "N-Na-Nach-Nachman Mei-Uman" and everything will be just DANDY!! 馃槀馃槀
NO!!!! We are expected to do everything we can to both preserve our lives in a rational medically recommended way and at the same time remain moral human beings.
That is our tradition. I mean no disrespect to any individuals [and certainly not Rabbonim] and just want to clarify this incredibly important issue on which our lives depend. 讜讚"诇.
#vinishmartem
#tehillimandsocialdistancing
#vinishmartem
#tehillimandsocialdistancing
