Why were the yeshivas and study halls full during the epidemic?

What’s behind the spread of Coronavirus among Haredim?

Since Israel’s Coronavirus-related restrictions were announced, even until last night, it appears that Israel’s ultra-Orthodox population is inclined to ignore the guidelines of the health and police authorities, and there have been many cases of infection reported among this population.

19/03/2020 03:25

Tags: coronavirus ·  haredim ·  public health

Ponivezh yeshiva full during Coronavirus outbreak, source: Kann News

The media has been covering the concentrated damage throughout the ultra-Orthodox community of New York caused by the Coronavirus for some time now. This is nothing new. This was also the case during the outbreak of the measles epidemic.

This is also true in Israel; perhaps even more so, and it causes much frustration. Since Israel’s Coronavirus-related restrictions were announced, even until last night, it appears that Israel’s ultra-Orthodox population is inclined to ignore the guidelines of the health and police authorities, and there have been many cases of infection reported among this population.

All this, even while Israel’s Minister of Health is Rabbi Litzman of the Gur hassidic dynasty. This anomaly should bother us all, and it is important to look briefly at some characteristics of this cultural phenomenon, which may not be sufficiently well known to the general public. We must try to understand its roots.

What is actually happening in Israel in the ultra-Orthodox sector?

First, some facts: when the government has ordered the closure of educational institutions, Rabbi Litzman attempted to exclude the yeshivot from this requirement, but he was refused by the professional authorities. Initially, it was permissible to study in ultra-Orthodox settings, provided that the number of students did not exceed 10 in any confined space, but as it turned out, many institutions did not comply with this provision.

As the restrictions became stricter throughout Israel, this unique exemption was revoked. This didn't stop many yeshivas from continuing their studies, including a yeshiva belonging to the Gur Hassidim documented in a TV investigation. Needless to say, the Ministry of Health did not call the police to address the Gur yeshiva’s violation. The same goes for large and small yeshivas, like the prestigious Ponevezh yeshiva.

The same held true for ultra-Orthodox Torah students of younger ages throughout Israel who went on with their studies, contrary to the tightening restrictions.

The same held true for ultra-Orthodox Torah students of younger ages throughout Israel who went on with their studies, contrary to the tightening restrictions.

As noted, the restrictions imposed by the authorities on public gatherings have been increased. First, events could not be held with over 5000 attendees, then over 1000, 100, and most recently 10. However, despite the limitations, weddings continued to take place in the ultra-Orthodox sector. For instance, a wedding of Chassidic Rebbes’ families in Beit Shemesh was attended by hundreds of celebrants.

Messages sent out to the celebrants, with full awareness of the ban on mass gatherings, stated: “Telling others about the location of the wedding must be avoided, and photographs from the event must be not be distributed.” After a information of the even got out, the police arrested a number of suspects who had organized the forbidden event, but they were released. Only the future will tell whether they will be brought to trial, or -as in many other cases- whether the authorities will choose to turn a blind eye towards their dangerous and forbidden behavior.

Given the repeated disregard for the official guidelines, to remove any doubts, and to illustrate the severity of the situation, an official order was signed yesterday to close all ultra-Orthodox institutions. An announcement was made that students' transportation to ultra-Orthodox schools would be discontinued In light of the violations.

A number of documented complaints have been received in recent days about cases in which large numbers of people in synagogues continued to hold events, as well as at yeshivas and Torah academies for children. The police did not intervene to stop these incidents, despite the reports it received, and a photo was passed on to us, which showed the presence of a police van near one of these locations, without the police making any attempt to stop the incident.

Furthermore, as it turned out from complaints that came to us, after the order to close banquet halls and desist from celebrations, after the students from the yeshivas were dispersed… some yeshivas began to make their halls available to ultra-Orthodox families to hold wedding ceremonies with bands. This was, of course, directly against the Ministry of Health's ban on gathering.

Yesterday, it reached a point at which the heads of the yeshivas and most respected Haredi religious leaders came to appreciate the gravity of this behavior. They finally issued notices to shut down the yeshivas, study halls, and schools, demanding that their public behave in accordance with the Health authorities guidelines. However, there has also been news of anomalies. We shall wait and see if the situation changes.

The question, of course, is: Why?

Rabbi Moshe Grilak, Editor-in-Chief of the ultra-Orthodox "Mishpacha" magazine, among the founders of the Orthodox movement to bring Jews back to faith, wrote a few days ago that the Coronavirus has been sent by God. To understand the virus’ purpose, he quotes the author of "Michtav me-Eliyahu", written by the head of the Ponivezh Yeshiva that passed away some seventy years ago: "When God brings the world to a state in which the foundations of life collapse, peace is disturbed, individual life becomes one of concern, fear and anguish; and the whole world is in the throes of destruction, then all the bravery and pride of one's progress in the conquest of creation will be revealed, so to speak, only bring about doom… When man despairs of achieving his will and desires, the light of the Messiah will be revealed." To read this, it's hard not to recall the shocking explanation that some ultra-Orthodox thinkers attributed to Hitler. According to them, Hitler was also God’s emissary: The Almighty punished the people of Israel for the sins of Zionism and/or Reform Judaism.

The view that the Coronavirus is an act of God is not unusual, although the exact purpose of this punishment is not agreed upon. For example, Rabbi Mishkowski, the spiritual director of Yeshivat Orhot Torah founded by Rabbi Steinman (the former leader of Lithuanian Judaism) recently said: "What was it about? ... This was seemingly quite predictable following so much blasphemy and disobedience to heaven, following the hatred of the Torah world, it was expected that something would happen."

If the corona virus is not a random event or a natural phenomenon, but rather it’s God’s handiwork, clearly there will be religious circles who prefer to ignore medical guidelines and favor rabbinic guidelines.

Another important rabbi, Rabbi Baruch Rosenblum, during his class at the Great Synagogue in Bnei Brak, said that "This corona, it puts fear in all people ... We want to know what God wants. God did not bring about such a disease just to shake up the whole world for no reason ... the Jewish people will be sick and not die. Because this thing is for the non-Jews, and it is to prepare us for the days of the Messiah. To bring us to the days of the Messiah. This corona shares the same gematria as "Messiah's coming". This Shabbat we read Torah portion about the red heifer to prepare us to purify ourselves with cow ashes for the coming of the Messiah... God speaks to us. The corona is for the accounting of our souls, not for anything else. I won't tell you this or that. Everyone will tell you something different. One will tell you: “the evil tongue” and thus masks should be put on the mouth. I know one thing: God wants us to know that God is in the world so the Almighty brings one little bug to the world in one sneeze; everyone gets infected on one bus and one plane; God says I am here; I am here ..."

So if the corona virus is sent by God, what to do?

If the corona virus is not a random event or a natural phenomenon, but rather it’s God’s handiwork, clearly there will be religious circles who prefer to ignore medical guidelines and favor rabbinic guidelines. This is especially true in ultra-Orthodox circles that bind themselves to Hasidic rebbes or Yeshiva heads, seeing them as the "mediators" between them and God, given that these rabbis have understand beyond human understanding. Furthermore, If the virus is God's work, the best defenses against it are also primarily religious and not medical. If the religious leadership recommends protective measures or tells teachers to ignore the authorities’ guidelines - their public will do as they say.

That is to say that the well-being of the whole world depends on children's and men’s Torah study. Interrupting this Torah study would be dangerous to the continued existence of the world, while the virus is under God's control.

We can find this in the teaching of the great Rabbi Kanievsky, considered the most important rabbinical figure in Ashkenazi ultra-Orthodox Judaism, and Rabbi Gershon Edelstein, Chairman of the Ponivezh Yeshiva and President of the Yeshiva Committee. They taught that up until last night, the study in yeshivot and Torah academies should not be stopped despite the Ministry of Health's instructions, for "The cessation of Torah study of children and men in yeshivas is more dangerous than the Corona virus." That is to say that the well-being of the whole world depends on children's and men’s Torah study. Interrupting this Torah study would be dangerous to the continued existence of the world, while the virus is under God's control.

This concept is also grounded In the principle from the Gemara, which those rabbis often quote: “Torah magana u’matzala,” which means that the Torah is that which protects and rescues. For example, Rabbi Kanievsky once answered a question posed to him by a yeshiva student who wanted to know whether to install a fire extinguisher after a terrible fire in the ultra-Orthodox city Beitar Elite, in which two children were burned to death. The rabbi's answer was that this would not be needed: "Torah scholars need no guarding. Torah Magna and Metzal." Earlier, in a condolence letter following the fire, the rabbi wrote that "We can’t know Heaven’s accounts, perhaps it’s due to the accounts from previous incarnations or other accounts."

Whether one is willing to accept this theological worldview or not, it is hard not to get upset at the sight of the frail and elderly Rabbi Kanievsky [92 years old] instructing that studies be continued in schools and yeshivas, despite the warnings from medical officials. Had it not been filmed and recorded we would have had difficulty believing it:

Q: In the country, they now want that [yeshiva students] not study [Torah] now, until they know what is going on with this epidemic, for they say that when children gather together - many children in the same building - one may get infected from the other; and this can increase the danger. The question is whether this elder thinks it is necessary to give up children's Torah study programs because of this?
Rabbi Kanievsky:  God forbid.
Q: And what should be said to those who are concerned that they will get infected?
Rabbi Kanievsky:  Closing down the children's Torah study programs is the danger. Oh!
Q: And the yeshivas, also the same thing?
Rabbi Kanievsky: Yes.

The recording of the rabbi's statement did not include his response shortly before he was asked about shutting the yeshivas, in which he said, "I have not heard of any epidemic." There seems to be no need to add a word.

If we happen not to believe that Rabbi Kanievsky does indeed have access to information beyond the grasp of man, and that he does need not hear any factual and medical details before announcing "Daat Torah", we clearly see that his instruction put many lives at risk during the spread of the Coronavirus. He is directly responsible for the high number of infected people in the ultra-Orthodox sector, as has been frequently reported, and this is no different than the parallel phenomenon reported in the United States - and perhaps in other countries.