Coronavirus: A Psychological, Spiritual and Mystical View
The psychological perspective:
Phase 1: This coincided with spring and Passover break. We sort of hoped it would pass quickly and life will return to normal after the holidays.
Stage of denial.
Phase 2: This is not ending anytime soon. Schools and businesses remain closed. Summer plans are a big unknown.
Stage of frustration.
Phase 3: Cautious optimism. The governor has laid out plans to gradually re-open businesses. We hope that this will lead to life resuming back to normal soon, summer plans included. Stage of hope.
The spiritual overview:
Phase 1: This coincided with the holiday of Purim, a day that we recognize G-d’s divine control of natural events. This acceptance led to the redemption of the Jewish people from the wicked Haman.
Phase 2: Passover. Our commemoration of G-d’s control of even supernatural events, celebrating the exodus of our ancestors and the birth of our nation.
Phase 3: The current period of the Sefirah, our countdown to the holiday of Shavuot, five weeks from tonight, when our freedom was given form and purpose through our accepting the divine word and law of G-d.
The mystical takeaway:
The great 16th century Jewish mystic, Rabbi Chaim Vital, famously said, that when a person dies and goes to heaven, he or she will be judged not simply by the way that they treated strangers, but primarily by the way that they treated their own family members.
Perhaps this period of isolation is testing us in the all-important arena of how well we treat those who are nearest and dearest to us. To fine-tune our character traits in the area of loving-kindness with our own family members, where it really counts the most. This challenges us, in preparation for Shavuot, to rise to the occasion and make the “chesed begins at home” cliché a reality.
I don't which of these approaches resonates most with you. For me, it depends on the day. I do think it helps to have a variety of ways to look at all of this, in order to increase our odds of getting through these difficult times with peace. JFX is here for you, whichever way you look at it. We are in this alone - together.
Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Koval
