Isolation or Is-elation
“What a year this week has been!”
So said one of the hundreds of memes that I have received since the Coronavirus phenomenon began in our communities. How true! The past week-and-a-half has felt like an eternity.
We live in truly historic and unprecedented times. Like everyone else, I am trying to manage the situation as best as possible, not an easy task while being bottled up with a family of 12 (2 parents, 8 children, 1 son-in-law, and one grandson) under one roof. I wake up every morning thanking G-d that my family and I are all healthy and with the attitude that this is all a test from G-d which I will try my best to grow from. (Although I would be lying if I tell you I haven’t lost it more than once since this began. I am only human!)
The Torah teaches us that everything that happens in the world should be seen as a message from G-d that He wants to convey in order for us to grow from in our spirituality and closeness to Him. This current challenge is certainly no different. If we simply try to “get by” and “pass the time” during these days, binge-watching Netflix and playing Xbox as we try to relieve the boredom, we will have lost out on a tremendous opportunity.
So let us ask ourselves, “What lessons can I take from the current situation?”
I have thought a lot about this and I will share just a few things that have occurred to me, as well as those which I heard from other people. By no means is this even close to all there is but for the sake of brevity, I will share with you just a few.
To state the obvious, it goes without saying that I am not a prophet so I am not saying “This is why G-d has brought this upon the world.” Nevertheless, I think they are legitimate lessons that ought to be taken to heart.
- We are not in control, so put your trust in the One who is. As much as it is part of our nature to want to control everything we possibly can, the truth is this is not the case. In fact, we are coming to the realization that many of the things which we believed we are in control of are, in fact, out of our control. One of the main reasons that this situation has created so much panic is because of the sobering recognition that we are not in charge – and that is a frightening thought! We love to think we control our destiny and when we are hit with the stark realization that we in fact do not have that control we panic. There is a clear message here from G-d – “Relinquish your belief in other 'gods,' be they wealth, prestige, self-assurance, other human beings – and put your trust only in Me.” Of course we are bidden by the Torah to do whatever we can to take care of ourselves and take the necessary precautions and preventative measures to stay healthy, but ultimately what happens to us in the end is in the hands of our Creator and Him alone. Let’s strengthen our faith in G-d and put more of our trust in Him!
- Be careful with what comes out of our mouths. There are two entire portions of the Torah dedicated to the laws of one who is afflicted with “tzara’as” – a spiritual illness that manifests itself in a physical manner upon a person. The Talmud teaches that the primary cause of this affliction is as a punishment for one who transgresses the laws of lashon horah – speaking bad of others. One of the laws pertaining to one who has contracted tzara’as is that he must remain in isolation for a week and sometimes two weeks. Put another way, he must be self-quarantined for 14 days. Sound familiar? Furthermore, the method through which bad speech gets spread is through the mouth. Coincidence? Other similarities between the Coronavirus and loshon horah include the fact that just like the virus, the ill-effects of negative things we say about others often aren’t manifested until a later date, as well as the fact that once it is spread is impossible to bring back and contain. The similarities are too striking to simply ignore. Let’s make a sincere effort to be more careful in what we say about others!
- Shabbat and holiday observance. Since the creation of the world, Shabbat was fixed into the calendar and has been one of the primary mitzvot of the entire Torah. Observing the Shabbat properly is akin to observing the entirety of the Torah and its importance cannot be overstated. Unfortunately, primarily due to lack of education and upbringing, most Jews do not observe the Shabbat properly. Under the present circumstances, however, we were given a wonderful opportunity to keep the laws in a manner that is much easier than usual. People are now confined to their homes. Gone are the places we might normally drive to. The malls are closed. Entertainment venues are closed. Businesses are by and large closed. It is as if G-d is imposing a Shabbat observance upon His children who would not do so on their own. It is imperative that we utilize the situation to enhance our observance of this incredible mitzvah. To learn about some of its laws and commit to observing some of them, building on that commitment over time. Turn off the computers and smartphones for 25 hours. Use the time to have a festive meal together with your family. Converse and interact with your spouse and children. Engage in some thoughtful prayer and spiritual introspection. Reflect on the beauty and magnificence of the world and the entire creation. Study some Torah. Relax and rejuvenate yourself both physically as well as spiritually. The Talmud tells us that if the entire Jewish nation would observe Shabbat for two weeks consecutively G-d would bring the Messiah and the final Redemption! We are being given a tremendous opportunity to celebrate Shabbat as never before by having our hands forced to a certain degree, let’s take advantage! And by all accounts, it looks likely that this Passover will find us in the same predicament. Make at least a small commitment to keeping this Shabbat more so than you may have done in the past.
These are but a few thoughts of mine. While everyone is encouraged to ponder to themselves and draw their individual lessons, I wanted to share some of mine. The time spent in quarantine can be turned from a negative experience into a positive one if we utilize it to make ourselves better and can turn your mood from one that is down in the dumps to one of happiness. It just requires work.
We stand less than two weeks before the holiday of Passover, the holiday that celebrates the original redemption of our nation. We are taught that the month of Nissan in which Passover occurs is a month that is auspicious for all sorts of redemption. Notably, it is mentioned that just as the Exodus from Egypt happened in Nissan so too will our redemption from the long exile which we are currently experiencing take place in Nissan.
And lest you think to yourself, “What can I, as one individual, accomplish that will bring about the coming of the Messiah?” just remind yourself how just one individual across the globe in a faraway region of China did ONE SMALL ACT of eating something and caused the ENTIRE WORLD to be turned upside down! If one person can leave such a devastating impact on the entire world how much more so can one person, through good deeds - which are far more powerful than bad ones - have such an incredibly positive effect on the world!
To quote yet another meme that I received, “Whoever said one person can’t change the world never ate an undercooked bat!”
Have a safe, healthy, peaceful, wonderful and fully observed Shabbat!
Rabbi Yosef Koval
