(JTA) If New York City’s mayor won’t stop weddings in Brooklyn’s Hasidic neighborhoods from happening, the state’s governor, Andrew Cuomo, said on Aug. 26 that he will.
“If the mayor is not doing any enforcement actions, then the state will,” Cuomo said at a news conference, according to the New York Post.
“We’ve had superspreader events in New Rochelle with the Jewish community, we’ve had them in the Catholic community. The virus does not discriminate by religious or racial lines, right? This is an equal-opportunity situation. So we police it in every circumstance.”
The governor’s comments come after New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio announced 16 new cases in Borough Park, home to the city’s largest Hasidic population, with several connected to a large wedding. The New York Post also reported on Aug. 26 that several wedding halls in Borough Park continue to host large Orthodox weddings, despite the bans on gatherings of more than 50 people, with people entering through side doors and with windows covered with paper.
Large weddings have resumed in several Orthodox communities, with some contributing to rising case numbers in a number of Orthodox hubs. The rising case numbers led several branches of Hatzalah, the Jewish ambulance corps, to issue warnings after it saw an increase in calls from people reporting COVID-like symptoms. The new cases threaten to keep schools from reopening for the fall, as well as the in-person High Holiday services being planned in several Orthodox communities.
-----------
I am COMPLETELY PERPLEXED!!! What are people thinking? Are they thinking? Aren't we the nation that the Goyim should see and say "רק עם חכם הגוי הגדול הזה". We are the wisest of all nations! Is this wise?? Haven't many people in Boro Park died from this virus? Even well known Rabbonim?? Does Hashem want these big weddings??
The answer is [in my humble opinion] that on some level people believe in Corona. But their habits are too strong. They are used to big weddings. They are also very averse to Goyim [such as the Mayor and Governer] telling them what to do. To close their shuls and Yeshivos, to limit their wedding sizes etc. So they continue. It is a Chilul Hashem, reckless, Assur, and even גרם רציחה at times. This is not my opinion but the opinion of many great Rabbonim and poskim. Yet, so so so many in the Torah world continue as if there is no Corona. [Non-Jews do too but they are not the focus of this post. I don't expect them to follow the Torah or worry about חילול השם. Although they are acting quite stupidly].
We are the greatest nation on earth. No question. We are also the most stubborn and stiff necked. רק עם קשה עורף אתה. This stiff neckedness is costing us valuable lives.
ועל זה דוה לבנו!
Please sweet friends. Keep to the guidelines of the health authorities unless you don't want to keep them and be even STRICTER. The mitzva to protect your life and the life of others is actually more important than most of the Asseres Hadibros!!! Those who don't will have to give din vi-cheshbon before the מלך מלכי המלכים.
I wouldn't want to be them...
