Op-Ed: When Hashem Wants Outdoor Minyanim And Short Hakafos, We Must Do His Will

JERUSALEM (VINnews) — Most of the Chareidi community in Israel, which numbers close to a million people, celebrated Hoshana Rabba and Simchas Torah in a subdued manner this year, with small minyanim taking place outdoors in many parts of Israel. Hakafos took place briefly and in most cases people wore masks the entire period of the prayers and did not dance together. Those who did carry a Sefer Torah immediately disinfected themselves and the general atmosphere was one of cautious circumspection as befits a country which had known over 9000 infections a day (a sizable percentage of the population) just a week before.

It is thus difficult to understand why some elements of the Chareidi population continued to insist on ignoring all public health regulations during the course of Sukkos. It makes no difference that the Chareidi public are unfairly targeted by the police and the media- which may not be so unfair if one notes the high proportion of sick and infected members of the Chareidi community.

תיעוד נוסף מתפילת הושענא רבה בבית הכנסת תולדות אהרון בשכונת מאה שערים שבירושלים@AkivaWeisz pic.twitter.com/wOQZLsFoXL

— כאן חדשות (@kann_news) October 11, 2020

Toldos Aharon chasidim pray close together and without masks during Hoshana Rabba

However irrespective of this there is simply no possibility that Hashem wants people to even slightly endanger themselves or others to perform Mitzvos. We all grew up on the stories of Rabbi Yisroel Salanter making kiddush on Yom Kippur and similar actions by Rabbi Akiva Eiger during the cholera epidemic. We know that saving lives is paramount in Jewish tradition and it is the leaders and rabbis who must set the example and desecrate Shabbat if necessary to save lives. After nearly 2000 people have died in Israel it would be folly to presume that this is not a Pikuach Nefesh situation where all the commands of the Torah are suspended. How then can people continue to act irresponsibly and endanger lives simply in order to daven with their fellow Chasidim?

Just two examples of the reckless lack of consideration for others will suffice. Police in Bnei Brak arrested a man who was not wearing a mask in a supermarket in accordance with regulations. When he was identified it turned out that he was COVID_19 positive and infectious. He received a 10,000 NIS fine but imagine if Rabbi Kanievski’s grandson was standing next to him and got infected and then infected his grandfather? This man could have killed the Godol Hador! (Baruch Hashem Rav Chaim is feeling better and recovering).

A family were infected and sent to a COVID-19 hotel specially prepared for Chareidi patients. The hotel has all the amenities but it is basically a prison. This family got fed up and decided to visit an adjacent nature reserve (Which was empty because they are all closed to the public). An alert supervisor called the police who discovered that this family, who were being funded by taxpayers to stay in a hotel, had left the premises. They got a 50,000 NIS fine which might teach them a basic rule: Laws are made to be maintained and some laws are to be maintained religiously, because they save lives.