Things are sometimes SOOOO weird and counterintuitive!!
I read a letter written by a Rav [זצ"ל] from Bnei Brak to a Gadol from Yerushalayim who had written a sefer. The former respectfully but forcefully reprimanded the latter for saying that some of the Nevuos of the Neviim are being fulfilled in our days such as the proliferation of Torah in Yerushalayim - כי מציון תצא תורה ודבר השם מירושלים and the flowering of Eretz Yisrael which the Gemara [Sanhedrin 98] says is a sure sign of the impending Geulah - וְאַתֶּם הָרֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל עַנְפְּכֶם תִּתֵּנוּ וּפֶרְיְכֶם תִּשְׂאוּ לְעַמִּי יִשְׂרָאֵל כִּי קֵרְבוּ לָבוֹא [Yechezkel 36-8]. NO!! Asserted this great Rav. Chas Vi-shalom!! In fact we are in a state of the Eichian [2-9] מלכה ושריה בגוים אין תורה!!! To think otherwise is in his words - אשליות דמיונות והזיות - fantasy, imagination, delusional.
So this past year I learned that the "frum thing" is to disregard your health and that of the people around you. Now I learn that the "frum thing" is to NOT appreciate the fulfillment of ancient prophecies in front of our eyes but to completely deny them. NO Torah is emanating from Yerushalayim. Eretz Yisrael is NOT blessed with an incredible amount of produce [not to mention being the start up nation of the world and on the cutting edge of technology, medicine etc. etc.]. 😓😓 [Worried face w/ cold sweat emoji]. I am apparently NOT FRUM!!! [Thank G-D I already have a shidduch so I don't have to worry about getting married]. I think that maintaining one's health and not killing old and sick people by not passing on a virus is really important. Even a religious obligation. And if the pasuk says something will happen in the future and it looks like it happened - I want to be the guy to thank the LORD!!!
I am not CHAS VI-SHALOM belittling this very well meaning Rav and Tzaddik to whose toenails I don't reach in Torah and Maasim Tovim. I am not even close. Maybe he is right. But תורה היא וללמוד אני צריך and as they say in the Dominican Republic "m'meg freggen". It is permitted to ask.
In the meantime I will try to appreciate the fulfillment of the prophecies and hope for the fulfillment of the rest of them. If I get up to Shomayim and they start with this "aveirah" - I will know that I am in good shape.
