JERUSALEM (VINnews) — One of Jerusalem’s most erudite Geonim, Rav Shmuel Ashkenazi, died on Shabbat from COVID-19. Ashkenazi was a prolific author with encyclopedic knowledge who over a 70-year period wrote an incredible number of articles on all aspects of Jewish knowledge. The articles have only recently been compiled into a number of volumes as Rav Shmuel was extremely meticulous about proofreading and checking every word he wrote. He was known as a lover of books who would allegedly purchase a new book every day since he was a young boy and would study each and every book lovingly.
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Rabbi Ashkenazi lived in Batei Ungarin in Jerusalem and was very careful in recent months not to go to Shul but hoped that the danger of the coronavirus would pass so that he could return to praying there. When the public thought that the danger of coronavirus had passed in late May, the 98-year-old rabbi decided to go to shul.
However Kikar Hashabat reports that Rav Shmuel did not know that one of the worshipers had COVID-19 and apparently had come to shul despite suffering from the symptoms of the virus. The patient sat not far from Rabbi Ashkenazi and soon afterwards the tell-tale signs of the virus appeared on Rabbi Ashkenazi. After a few weeks he succumbed to the virus.
Family members were furious and said that despite his advanced age, Rabbi Ashkenazi had no prior conditions and only died because he was infected by a person who had violated the regulations.
I’m not arguing here. And one with symptoms or one that tested positive should stay at home, no question. But perhaps he was infected by someone else in the shul that did not show symptoms?
The mazik must be prosecuted
It is practically impossible from a medical standpoint to trace who infected who so why are you blaming one fellow for infecting another person this headline should be chamged
https://vinnews.com/2020/07/20/rabbi-asher-weiss-receives-a-heartwrenching-question/
Arrest him.
Yes please do not come to shul while you have symptoms. I was a strong minyan believer and still am. But I did not attend a minyan while symptomatic and even afterwards only outdoors, 20 feet apart, not on anyone’s property and with a mask before its was even suggested by health experts
Rav Ashkenazi zt”l was not infected by someone who broke the secular government’s regulations, he was murdered by the thoughtlessness of a fellow Yid who cared about no-one and nothing but himself.
Frumma yaitzer hura
Why was Rabbi Ashkenazi in shul in the first place? As much as it is irresponsible to expose others, It is completely irresponsible to allow high risk populations to expose themselves. All people age 60 and up, or people younger with medical conditions should be completely isolated and let the low risk populations continue with their lives so they can build herd immunity so eventually the older people will be protected.
Please, Rabosai, do not be so quick to judge without having all the facts.
We don’t want to be judged so harshly in Shamayim.
While any loss is tragic regardless of the age of the departed this can’t be proven.
ה’ נתן וה’ לקח, ברוך הוא וברוך שמו
המקום ינחם אתכם בתוך שאר אבלי ציון לירושלים, ולא תוסיפו לדאבה עוד
Move on!
A note to VIN: Kikar is a sensationalist site. It’s not much different than The National Inquirer.
This came out just after parshas Masei, where the Torah gives us the law of arei miklat and the punishment for killing beshoggeg. Note that the Torah calls someone who kills beshoggeg a rotzeach.
Yes, going to shul when you have symptoms of COVID is simply rishus.
If he was a Belzeh then the ‘mahseh heibt zich nisht oon’.
“One of Jerusalem’s most erudite Geonim, Rav Shmuel Ashkenazi, died on Shabbat from COVID-19. Ashkenazi was a prolific author with encyclopedic knowledge who over a 70-year period wrote an incredible number of articles on all aspects of Jewish knowledge.”
Understatement of the year! RSA simply knew by heart the entire corpus of Hebrew literature to the letter.
let’s wear masks lets not go to shul and possibly spread the virus to someone else .
must kill corona !!!!!