BNEI BRAK (VINnews) — In a live video clip transmitted from his home, Rabbi Gershon Edelstein, the Rosh Yeshiva of Ponovezh and the president of the Moetzes Gedolei Hatorah (Council of Torah Sages), spoke to Yeshiva students around the country and gave them words of Chizuk during the present difficult situation:
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“Baruch Hashem, some Yeshivos have already started learning, but the main thing is to be very careful and maintain all Ministry of Health precautions. Most yeshiva students are still learning at home over the phone, with chavrusas (study companions) over the phone, and shiurim over the phone. This is a very big merit for them. A lot of people are doing this, they’re learning נט phone and gaining tremendous Chizuk from their studies.”
Rav Gershon also referred to the present epidemic and the high rate of Chareidi victims from the coronavirus:
— עקיבא ווייס Akiva Weisz (@AkivaWeisz) May 5, 2020
“There is something we must understand. The chareidi public had a higher death rate than the secular public, both in Israel and abroad.
What does this mean? The Chazon Ish says the following principle: In our times, those that never studied Torah and did not repent, when they transgress they are considered shogeg (mistaken, unintentional). Tinokos shenishbu (like children taken captive, they follow what they have seen from youth) They are not at fault. They never had any education!
But a Chareidi? A Chareidi that transgresses, is not a shogeg! Therefore, the Midas Hadin (G-d’s attribute of justice) is more harsh for chareidim, as we have seen abroad as well.
The impact of the coronavirus on the Jewish world is a study in contrasts.
But in many large Jewish communities worldwide, the coronavirus is still wreaking a terrible toll. Among the 8 million Jews living in the Diaspora — more than Israel’s 6.7 million but less than its overall population of 9.2 million — the death toll is in the thousands and climbing.
Because our people in the beginning (….) of the pandemic was very careless. But NOW, as we finely understand the seriosity of the situation, and the dangerousity of the illness, we must to hold the safety measures very – very carefully, with patience. Yiddish life is the most precious thing on the world, and in the case of pekiach nefesh, afile doiche es hashabbos. Unfortunately, the pandemic is not over yet, in some countries in the world already talking about a second wave, rachmone litzlon, so we have to be staying carefully . So long it’s doesn’t exist a PROVEN vaccine or medicine, the virus does not going away. We must be really careful, holding the health measures, and asking for hashem’s mercy.
ahhhhhh the heilege gadol hador!!
Thank you Rabbi. Now we have to figure our what did we do wrong to deserve the punishment. For a start. Closed and Punished. Shuls, Yeshivos,Kolels,Chasenes, (Lehavdil Clubs, bars,Sports arenas,concert,beaches etc) NOT THE HOMES OR SUPERMARKETS. I have made 1000’s of trips to many different supermarkets and not once did I say or hear Loshon Hora. Made 1000’s of trips to supermarkets and not once was I told about this Fancy chasenes we debated in the last week. Its done in the Yeshivos as we learned from the beautiful letters from the Chosen Bocher and from the Fathers perspective who must have picked this up in the shul or Kolel (or mikveh) Bottom Line The longer we stay home not only we will ij”h stay healthier Begasmiyus but we will do much better in Ruchniyus and Hashem will love us. Everything you do in a Shul,Kolel,Chasenes etc could be done at home without the juicy avejros what probably the pro-open crowd is missing. The 2 big Issues affecting us: Of The Derech and Shiduch crisis are all created by SOCIAL PRESSURE at Beth Jacobs, Yeshivos, Kolels etc. none were invented in HOMES or SUPERMARKETS. Hashen gave us the answer: SOCIAL DISTANCING
The alternative is having to acknowledge it has to do with haredi behavior vs non-haredi behavior.
“But a Chareidi? A Chareidi that transgresses, is not a shogeg!”
I don’t understand. Is he actually saying that all the big rabbis who died were sinners?
Or did I understand that wrong?
Looks like an angry dude.
A major reason that there should be no such thing as any of these yenta sites is because of the people who bash Torah and gedolim. It happens here and it happens at every other “Jewish” site.
You guys think you know anything better? That’s the problem. You think, or you might think that is a question, but you definitely don’t know. You are basing it on boych svoros because you’re a certified עם הארץ מדאורייתא!
Don’t argue with דעת תורה, ESPECIALLY when you have neither דעת or תורה!!!
Here is the facts.
When G-d sends a virus it’s for different reasons. Some we know and some not.
The reason countries are getting hit is because of gay marriage being legalized. See gemorrah Chullin 92B
Second reason
Shuls have talkers. The same happened in TAch Vetat. Hundreds of thousands of Jews killed because of no respect in shuls. Tosfes yom tov
Third reason
Yeshivas refuse to take in kids from poor homes or broken homes.
Fourth reason
Lavish weddings that cause heart attacks to parents who can’t afford these expenses.
Fifth reason
Euthanasia the murder of old people legally now as instituted by democRATS.
I have 21 other reasons but this will suffice for now.
To funny
Every person is born with a brain.
And by studying Torah you have a deeper insight. According to your thinking why do people go to rabbonim,rebbes or Rosh yeshivas.
They have no nevios today.
But because they are learned they can give more insight into an issue.
To INA
You are correct.
In Judaism there is a concept Midah keneged Midah
Measure for measure.
The administrators of schools rejected many good kids because they came from broken homes and now their kids are sitting home on their necks as they sit with no income. This is the same they have done to either families that are poor,orphaned or divorced. Now they get a taste of their medicine.
Nothing in this world happens for nothing.
I am trying really hard to digest the message of the Rav, as he explains why so many chareidim died from Covid-19:
“A Chareidi that transgresses, is not a shogeg! Therefore, the Midas Hadin (G-d’s attribute of justice) is more harsh for chareidim”
So all the chosheva yidden, rabbonim, gedolim, Rebbes z”l including head of Moetzes – they all died because they transgressed?! Is he talking against the dead holy yidden? Is he saying that all those that died, died because they were CH”V wicked sinners? That doesn’t sound like Loshon Tov.
“A Chareidi that transgresses, is not a shogeg! Therefore, the Midas Hadin (G-d’s attribute of justice) is more harsh for chareidim”
It’s impossible to argue with blatant ignorance!
Whatever we think we know about this virus we really don’t. We use studies from other pandemics and virus behaviors to figure out what to do.
Most governors are deciding to do what archy is saying, which is to sacrifice more lives in order to stop sacrificing the economy. I’m if the belief that all lives matter, especially the elderly who have sacrificed for us and our freedoms. I completely understand those that feel the opposite way. Struggling financially with young kids at home ( I see my kids suffering too) is terrible as well.
To say that staying six feet away for a few hours daily inside a shul won’t spread the virus is simply impossible. Hashem doesn’t need the koach hatfilla from a minyan to hear our cries when we are actively saving lives to do so. It’s one thing to open up the economy and another to open up houses of worship so people can socialize. This is absolutely a punishment from god who understands we are a social people. It’s hard and we should redouble our tefillos at home to end this.
Charlie rose
I gave the reasons why G-d sent these Coronas.
Too MUCH TOIREH LEARNING STIFLED MANY IN HERE OF CRITICAL THINKING ABILITY IN OTHER WORDS YOU ARE BRAIN WASHED WITH NONSENSE
I was happy that the man who I think must have taken over from Shach was correctly referring to tinukey sh’nisbharim as such, not saying they caused the Holocaust as did his dubious predecessor.
I do feel ambiguous about whether or not The Chozon Ish would apply this shogaig maizeed logic to what happened.
It seems to me that those religious leaders who didn’t exercise extreme caution when news of a deadly virus with no vaccination was spreading very quickly were more responsible for the spread & the results than were secular communal leaders who did exercise more caution.
The religious leaders had the same choice as everyone else.
How does the Rov say that it’s because they’re more religiously observant that God punished them?
Does God sit around looking to punish people? I thought it says somewhere that He’s busy since creating the universe with making shidduchim.
Is he saying that observant leaders were maizeed in not exercising caution while secular people were shogaig, even if the later in some cases didn’t exercise caution?
Is he saying that observant people can never be judged to have done anything b’shogaig just because they’ve learned how to be religious? Or, that someone who isn’t so observant can’t do an aveira because all ostensibly less observant people have to be considered tinukey sh’nishbuim and not held responsible for anything they do that’s seriously wrong?
Please forgive me or my ignorance, but am I wrong to see this Rov’s comments as childishly simplistic?
We must start being authentic Jews. Daven despite the dangers. Meseiros nefesh. That’s what we must have.
Learn from the Holocaust how some Jews were willing to die to Daven. We must be moiser nefesh
There is a famous line from the Netziv in which he said that if he were to have been a shoemaker, he would’ve been shown in shamayim the seforim that he was supposed to have authored. To the many commentators here who try to compete for the most warped and wacky hashkafa, I say this: In shamayim they will say to all your self proclaimed “daas Torah”, “very nice Mister, but where are your shoes?”