Every day we get new updates and new ways to deal with the Coronavirus situation. Our way is to be prepared and be prudent, and follow all regulations, but we can’t panic, because panic is very unhealthy. People are asking a lot of questions. Everyone is confused. We have to keep reiterating our principles of Bitachon and Emunah. People have asked me about the following:
-Last Shabbat we were shaking people’s hands. This Shabbat we announced No Hand-shaking. Does this mean we put ourselves in danger last week? Does it mean that last Shabbat we made a mistake?
-On Friday morning, we served breakfast, but then on Shabbat we cut out all food. What does that mean?
We are practicing social distancing in a more extreme fashion.
-This morning at Shaharit, half of our minyan was in the Ladies’ section, and half was downstairs. We didn’t do that on Shabbat. As we take more intense measures, does that mean we have to start worrying that we weren’t taking these intense measures previously?
Some people are asking why we are even doing all these things. If everything has been decided on Rosh Hashana, Mi YichYeh V’Mi YaMut- who will live and who will die, why go through all of this? If it was decided, it’s done, and if it wasn’t, it wasn’t. Does what we do now make a difference?
This is a question from the Pele Yoetz. The answer is that, of course G-d decides how long we will live and what will happen to us this year. But, there is a BUT, says the Mesilat Yesharim:
If you are reckless and not careful, that in itself is a reason you can get into trouble. G-d could have decided that a person will live to 120, but if that person decided to run across the street without looking, Has V’Shalom he may get hit by a car. If you were careless and reckless, YOU were careless and reckless, and the Hovot Halevavot says that might be the cause - because the person was careless and reckless.
If the doctor says you have to exercise twice a week for a half hour, then you have to exercise twice a week for a half hour! If you don’t, it’s a sin.
We have been giving these classes for over a year, but I am trying to encapsulate the relevant points here.
Rav Yisrael Salantar was once told by his eye doctor that he was not allowed to read anything at all that day. He was found later that night gazing at the stars in the sky. His students asked him why he was doing that- it wasn’t Shabbat. He replied that his doctor had told him he couldn’t read during the day, so therefore it was Halacha, and he had to search for three stars in order to be sure it was indeed night.
If the doctor says something, it’s real. We have to listen. And if we’re reckless, we’ve sinned.
But if you didn’t know it was bad for you, you weren’t reckless. And if you’re not reckless, Hashem protects you. The pasuk says,
Shomer Peta’im Hashem- G-d protects the fools.
If you don’t know, G-d doesn’t blame you. You did your due diligence, you did the best you can.
Rav Moshe Feinstein ztl, said that when people didn’t know that cigarette smoking was unhealthy, they weren’t penalized. There were great rabbis that smoked. They even thought smoking was healthy for the digestive system! They did what they were supposed to do, and G-d protected them. But once you know it’s unhealthy, you can’t say, “Rav Khaduri smoked and he lived to 103, so I’ll be okay”. That’s wrong.
Rav Khaduri started before the Surgeon General determined that smoking was bad for our health.
Rav Shach was once quoted as saying, “Before I knew smoking was unhealthy, I used to say how can one learn without a cigarette? And now that I know it’s unhealthy, I say how can you learn with a cigarette?”
Things do change, but just because they are changing, it doesn’t mean we will be penalized.
A few years ago I went to the doctor for my yearly checkup (which I do religiously), and everything was good bh, except that my Vitamin D was low. I called my father (a dermatologist) to discuss the results, and he told me not to worry. He said everyone’s Vitamim D was low, because they had just decided to raise the level for what normal Vitamin D should be. There had been a controversy within the Dermatological field of medicine. Vitamin D comes from the sun. The dermatologists debated whether more sun exposure was better, in order to increase our levels of vitamin D, or whether it was better to decrease our exposure to the sun, which can cause skin cancer. Some doctors wanted to raise the minimum vitamin D level, and they won. But that didn’t mean something drastic had happened to my health. The doctors just changed the standard. So going forward, I would be more careful.
In other words, don’t start fretting over the fact that you weren’t taking care of yourself until now, with whatever measures you took, because as long as you were following your doctor’s advice, or your rabbi’s, you weren’t being reckless.
Shomer Peta’im Hashem. Hashem protects those that don’t know.
We have to understand that. And again, and always, Bitachon is the key. Even after you’ve done what you can, you still have to rely on Hashem.
Now I’ll switch gears to my “appeal mode”:
There’s an organization I raise funds for, called Lev Chana, which provides clothing cards to families in need. Every year at this time, I hit the button and send $100,000- $130,000 worth of clothing cards out. But I don’t want to be reckless. As I begin collecting, people are cutting their usual donations. How can I send out that amount of clothing cards, without having the money in the bank?? That would be reckless! Having Bitachon doesn’t mean we can be reckless. Therefore, I’m increasing my hishtadlut and branching out to crowd-funding. I will try to ask as many people as possible, to please give generously.
You may:
-click on the link to pay via a credit card, -email me at rabbisutton@gmail.com with your billing information and donation
-or send a check (payable to Lev Chana) to:
1059 E. 10th St., Brooklyn, NY 11230
Here is a link to pay by credit card:
https://www.duvys.com/simple/levchana
Thank you very much and Tizku LeMitzvot.