Notes from the Underground

I gave up writing at the end of last week because I've thrown in the towel on trying to understand not only the lockdown fanatics in government, but also what the Rabbinic establishment of our own community is thinking.  I figure it is best to just tune out the world for awhile.  Don't look to me for any chizuk in emunas chachamim.

Roshei Yeshiva who continue to beat the dead horse of "safeik pikuach nefesh" only reinforce the impression that they just don't get it.  The argument against the lockdown  is that the lockdown itself poses real and serious health risks to life (e.g. see here), not just economic risks.  This is an argument being made by professors, by doctors, by experts analyzing the data (see here).  When you read a story about someone who was a regular guy -- wife and kids, job -- and then two months into this mess, after being let go by his job, commits suicide, that's a safeik nefashos issue too, just as much as the virus is.  I have yet to see a single Rabbi address this point.  What do you tell that person?  Sorry, but we need you to take one for the team -- the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few?  Is that a Jewish attitude?  

This piece says that halacha is about doing ratzon Hashem.  Conlusion: since ratzon Hashem is for us to not have minyanim, doing so is not keeping halacha.

Isn't this begging the question -- the conclusion assumes the very premis to be proven: what is the ratzon Hashem as it relates to our circumstance? 

Another Rabbi similarly writes on Twitter (no, I will not name names here), in defense of the Rabbi who basically threw folks who started a breakaway minyan because his shul remains closed: "By contrast, some Balabatim are having a hard time on this front. They've prioritized the usual message on the importance of attending Minyan, but not the clear exception to that in cases of danger.  This focus on following the "form" of Jewish practice, rather than of following Halakha's actual guidance (the "Retzon Hashem"), reveals an educational failing. It indicates that one is going through the motions rather than serving God."

Speaking as one of the "balabatim" of the world, let me say that "emphasis on form over ratzon Hashem" is not the issue; that is a straw man.  The reason for those starting minyanim is very simple: when the local health authorities are allowing (in that locale, not NY) restaurants to open, barbers to open, business to open, and the only thing remaining shut is the local shul, then something seems very wrong.  Does the chance of infection somehow exist only if I attend shul, but not if I go outside anyplace else? 

The Babylon Bee is supposed to be humor/satire, not a policy guide.

I have the utmost respect for a certain local Rosh Yeshiva here who has told people to lock themselves down and not go out unless absolutely necessary.  "It's not so bad," he said.  "You have a window"  (direct quote, as reported by by son who heard the shiur).  If this is how you want to live for the next year or two or 10 until a vaccine is developed, kol ha'kavod.  At least your consistent.

The reality, however, is that is not what people are doing.  I recently stopped at Lowes in our neighborhood to pick something up and I saw about half a dozen frum people walking through the parking lot before I even got into the store  My wife asked me why dont we make a minyan right there.  Ahh, but my wife is not a Rav so she doesn't understand (nor do I) why 10+ Jews can shop at Lowes,  why we saw half a dozen people waiting online outside the local Chinese restaurant to pick up orders on the day it reopened, why we can wait on line to get into Gourmet Glatt, but to get 10 people together for minyan -- that G-d doesn't want.  I guess the ratzon Hashem is for us to shop together, not to pray together. 

It's the inconsistancy which makes no sense.  If you are not afraid of catching the virus at the store, at the takeout (is there an "ochel nefesh" exception when facing safeik sakana?), at the park (because we are all taking precautions as needed), then why is the synagogue different?  Do the Rabbis give us so little credit that they assume once we are in shul, and only when we are in shul, we forget that there is a health crisis?  
Another Rabbinic quote, this one regarding people who attend some of the shuls that are now reopening: "Hopefully all those who are increasing their contact with the outside world, including through attending these Minyanim, will be very open about it, so that those who are concerned from a safety perspective, including the immunocompromised, can take caution & distance themselves."

I went in to my workplace in NYC yesterday.  Would you like me to wear a red badge on my shirt?   

Not only is there no debate over these issues, there seems to be an effort to stifle any meaningful conversation about them.  A friend yesterday sent me a link to a recording of a Rav who disagreed strongly with the policies in place.  Before I even had a chance to listen to it, it was taken down [Correction: It looks like it is back up].  Amazingly, every shul sends here out letters that are word for word identical and are signed by what seems to be ever Rabbi in the neighborhood.  Reminds me of the din that sanhedrin that reaches a unanimous guilty verdict means the offender goes free -- halacha does not take kindly to group think and quashing of dissent, as the mishnayos in the first perek of Ediyos indicate. What takes the cake is the report (I know it's a public article, but find it yourself if you want to read it) of a senior Rabbi  from our neighborhood who publicly called out a colleague who was running minyanim before Pesach and promised to (quote) "run this man out of the community."  Talmidei chachamim marbim shalom?  It's like an old Western -- "This town ain't big enough for the two of us..."   Do we settle things with a duel at high noon?

Enough for now.  I wish these Rabbanim well.  Maybe their "balabatim" are in fact making these sort of strawman arguments that are easy to knock down; maybe their congregants don't get the basics and need to be reminded about safek nefashos.  I would hope, however, that the layperson community is smarter than that.  If they are, they deserve better answers and more thoughtful responses to what is happening. 

Stay safe in your bunker. I think this is going to be my final word on this topic for awhile.