Prepping Schools for Reopening: The Complaints and More..

By Rabbi Yair Hoffman for 5tjt.com

Yes, you just read it correctly.  All teachers and students who do not have anti-bodies and attend a wedding, or any other Simcha – indoor or outdoor, now must quarantine for eight days.  So reads the latest instructions from a number of Yeshivos and Beis Yaakovs.

There is more.  In school there must be masks for kids – with names on them.   No walking in the halls. No gym.  No lunchroom.  Perhaps no friends – it seems.

But before we complain – let’s think about the following:

The Yeshivos and schools are spending large amounts of time, effort and money in preparing to open up in September.  There are 1] pre-opening preparations, 2] policy changes, 3] Covid19 educational initiatives, 4] scheduling changes and 5] more. The complaints will come – but the steps are necessary as the Yeshivos and schools venture into the unknown as they prepare for the second wave. Some schools will semi-Zoom or some other alternative as well.

In order not to be closed down, most Yeshivos, Beis Yaakovs and day schools will probably, if they have not already done so, adopt the cohort model – and this will be the area of most complaints.  It means that the same students will remain together throughout the day as much as possible.  That means many kids will be unable to see and speak to their friends.  The Yeshivos will also space out and and stagger the cohorts as far as possible too. There will also be dividers between students and each other.  Teachers will also have dividers in many instances.

THE FIVE STEPS HAVE SIX MITZVOS

What people may not realize is that all five of these steps involve the fulfillment of many De’oraisah or Torah Mitzvos.

Let’s digest this for a moment.

This year, Sukkos fall on Oct. 2^nd – Friday evening.  That means the entire Mitzvah of Lulav and Esrog this year is only Derabanan – Rabbinic.  But what we will be doing with Yeshiva is a full-fledged Torah Mitzvah – and not just one Mitzvah, but several.  Hopefully if we focus on this idea that these steps involve fulfillment of Mitzvos – the complaints will subside and we will approach the whole thing in a happier mood.

So what are these Mitzvos?  Where are they found?  Where does it say that we get Mitzvos here?  Here are the six under discussion:

• Hashavas Aveidah. The Mitzvah is NOT just for lost items. The verse in Parashas Ki Seitzei (Devarim 22:2) discusses the mitzvah of hashavas aveidah, returning a lost object, with the words, “V’hasheivoso lo,” “and you shall return it to him.” The Gemara in Sanhedrin (73a), however, includes within its understanding of these words the obligation of returning “his own life to him as well.” For example, if thieves are threatening to pounce upon him, there is an obligation of “V’hasheivoso lo.” In other words, this verse is the source for the mitzvah of saving someone’s life. It is highly probable that it is to this general mitzvah that the Shulchan Aruch refers in Shulchan Aruch Orach Chaim 325. This is certainly the case with following COVID-19 protocols – they save lives.
• ‘Lo Saamod al dam rayacha – Do not stand idly by your Brother’s Blood.’ There is a negative mitzvah of not standing idly by your brother’s blood— (Vayikra 19:16). This is mentioned in Shulchan Aruch (C.M. 426:1) and in the Rambam. If people get sick and chance death because of our inaction, we are violating the commandment of “Lo sa’amod al dam rei’echa.”
• ‘Lo Suchal L’hisalem.’ There is yet another negative commandment associated with the positive commandment of hashavas aveidah, and that is the verse in Devarim (22:3), “You cannot shut your eyes to it.” This verse comes directly after the mitzvah of hashavas aveidah. The Netziv, Rabbi Naftali Tzvi Yehudah Berlin, in his HeEmek She’eilah, refers to this mitzvah as well.
• ‘V’chai Achicha Imach.’ Rav Achai Gaon in his She’iltos (She’ilta #37), based upon the Gemara in Bava Metzia 62a, understands the words in Vayikra (25:36), “v’chai achicha imach,” “and your brother shall live with you,” to indicate an obligation to save others with you. The Netziv in his HeEmek She’eilah understands it as a full-fledged obligation according to all opinions. He writes that one must exert every effort to save his friend’s life, until it becomes a matter of pikuach nefesh for himself. The Netziv’s position would certainly advocate that Covid-19 protocols are obligatory.
• ‘V’ahavta L’rei’acha Kamocha.’ The Ramban, in Toras HaAdam Sha’ar HaSakanah (pp. 42–43), understands the verse of “And love thy neighbor as yourself” as a directive to save our peers from medical danger as well.

We thus have a total of six Torah mitzvos involved in keeping the Covid-19 protocols.

WHAT DO THE PROTOCOLS INVOLVE?

The Department of Health is requiring that a survey be filled out.  This will help minimize any illness and is a fulfillment of all six of the Mitzvos mentioned above.

Many Yeshivos are undergoing extensive cleaning and disinfection. Six deoraisah Mitzvos here.  Many yeshivos will be disinfecting their buildings daily as a preventive measure. Again, all six Mitzvos fulfilled. Sanitizing units will be installed throughout the buildings.

They will make sure that there is ample signage throughout the buildings that will remind everyone to maintain social distance.  The hallways will be marked for directional use in order to minimize close encounters and interaction. All six Mitzvos apply.

Face coverings, i.e. masks prevent the spread of COVID-19 and are required by New York State to be worn during the school day.  This will generate enormous complaints and will probably not work.  But yes, all six Mitzvos apply here too.  They will require that masks be worn at all times on the buses.  Good luck with that.  Certainly, upon arrival the students will exit the buses while  wearing their masks. The good news is that in their cohorts they won’t have to wear masks.

There will be daily temperature checks of all students and staff as they arrive.

Anyone from a household where someone is either 1) showing symptoms of, 2) has been diagnosed with, or 3) has been in close contact with someone who has been diagnosed with COVID-19 in the previous 14 days will be made to leave.

As per state requirements, parents must be vigilant in checking their children every morning for COVID-19 symptoms or even a fever of 100.0 degrees or higher before sending them to school.  Students will be have to cover their noses and mouths when coughing or sneezing and to regularly wash their hands with soap and water or hand sanitizer.

Parents, of course, will have to be aware of any unexplained symptoms such as loss of taste or smell, fever, fatigue, or other symptoms.  Yeshivos will have policies where anyone with COVID-19 symptoms at school will have to be isolated until picked up to go home. Whenever a student has had any symptom of COVID-19 OR a fever of over 100.0 degrees, they will not be allowed to return to school without approval from the school.

TO AVOID THE COMPLAINTS

It may be a good idea for each parent to prepare their child for all of these changes.  It may also be a good idea to go over each of the six Mitzvos involved in observing these changes.  It is an educational opportunity that we shouldn’t pass up.

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