Just after Lock Down – Tzfat
In light of the coronavirus covid -19 pandemic
May 24, 2020
During Simchas Torah, 2019 Jews around the world danced, drank, spoke words of Torah and cast their worries to the wind. There was so much going on, lots to look forward to and people were excited, in a hurry to move their plans into action. They thought their desire to get going would blossom into a burst of activities and businesses. Most importantly, there was a rush to move about and not waste time. Being extremely busy, tense, and anxious, with no time to relax is exhausting but it is also a drug, you are living on a high with no time to think.
In Tzfat, Israel where Leah and I live, there were shiurim on Torah and Kabbalah day and night. Synagogues were packed and there were endless get-togethers. Shabbos’s were spiritual, with meals, prayers and learning happening everywhere. Each day, every kind of spiritual topic was discussed, and around town, G-d’s presence felt so thick you could cut it with a knife. Oh yes, people also worked. Miracles, yes, those are common in Tzfat. For entertainment, people took trips to Jerusalem. We were on the edge of forgetting that in 2017, and maybe in 2018 the talk was, people are afraid. At any moment the world will be in for hard times.
Life felt right to most people but a uniquely sensitive individual could detect, something was wrong. This is a catchphrase people use on Wall Street. “You cannot time the market.” In the same vein, you can’t time G-d’s plans. Those who thought the world was in for hard times a few years ago were right. They are here now and what’s more, like robbers in the night, they snuck up on us catching us by surprise. At one moment, it was work, work, work, be busy as can be, and the next, use hand sanitizers every few minutes and don’t shake hands anymore. Some days passed and it was recommended to stay six feet away from everyone. Then out of nowhere, don’t leave your home except for essential travel, and do not touch anything someone else touched. Now, wearing a mask outside the home is the law. What happened to the excitement and laughter we enjoyed so much on Simchas Torah?
When people thought the world was headed towards trouble, what did they think could happen? It is easy to make up a scenario for that. There could be a recession, fears of war, country against country, bombs, job losses, a housing market crash, global warming, maybe even an epidemic. Who would have thought that a virus would become a pandemic, mutating over and over, destroying entire families, then towns, the countries, killing the elderly and leading the world into lockdown?
While millions of people sit at home, by law, their businesses and jobs are being washed away. Planes aren’t flying, cars aren’t driving and we stand idly by as world economies grind to a halt. The controversy is, are we going to send people back to work to keep the economy moving, or should we keep the lockdown in place and protect the population from sickness and death. Whichever side you choose, you lose the other side.
Did man shut the world down or did G-d do that? If you are religious, the chances are you believe G-d did that. What could have been His reasoning? We learn in the Torah that G-d said, at the end of days, I will hasten it. G-d speeded up activities, but now He is slowing them down. What happened when the world was racing? People got caught up in it. Human behavior declined and people fought against each other as competitors, each trying to get more for himself. Marriage became the first step one takes towards getting a divorce, honestly turned into trickery, and respect became envy, jealousy and thievery. Our best character traits were traded off for inferior ones.
Then things stopped. The rush, the need to move about continues, but without action. There is competitiveness without enemies and it is noticeable that jealousy and envy are being stripped away. People are in pain, many are numb, some are more satisfied with what they have. Minds are racing but people have nowhere to go. It is difficult to take it out on someone if no one’s around.
Will our world leaders find the silver bullet they are searching for, and stop this world catastrophe before it gets completely out of hand? It is time to see the truth. People are a step above animals they do not run the world. Nothing takes place without a plan, and as it is said, “People plan and G-d laughs.” Above heaven, G-d reigns supreme. Plan after plan is submitted to G-d and He accepts or rejects them. That means G-d decided people are to be in lockdown. They will not move about, in a rush, they will have time to think. Will they compete with one another, make plans to win, reject one another when there are no businesses? At home, people can attend to the pain they feel from losing close relatives, they can worry about their future, or recall something that happened in the past that they continue to regret. For some, it will be the first time in their lives they will introspect without the pounding away of the clock. They can find something meaningful to think about. What is more, with no place to go, with no one to pull a stunt on, at long last, honesty gets a chance. That seems to be what G-d has in mind. In other words, He did not cut away our plans, He changed them. What we think of, what we have to face, that is G-d’s plan.
Be sensitive. Next Sabbath eve, after dinner, go outside and stand alone. Look up at the sky and do whatever you have to do (in a good way), to find G-d. This is the time to “Fill it in.” First, be impressed with what you see. Then ask yourself, what do I believe? Do I truly believe Covid-19 is G-d’s plan? Is man’s involvement the carrying out of G-d’s plan. Is this man’s fate? Was the future put on hold or is it being played out now in ways I cannot imagine? How fearful does this make me? Is all of this impossible? Is this a bad dream or is it real? After a good long look, fill it in, that is, start adding real meaning into your existence. Add value. Bring up question after question. Include all of the questions you would have asked yourself if you had the time to think. Start filling in what is missing. Search yourself and say, If this is my last year of life, have I lived up to G-d’s plan for me? Did my life have real meaning? Do I have the kind of marriage G-d wants me to have? If I leave the physical world this year what will I take with me? Have I learned how to love? Maybe say, “G-d” I worry. When You see me, I do not want you to find that the soul you placed into my body has accomplished, eating lots of breakfasts, learning how to be angry, and telling a bunch of lies.
Shabbos recently ended, but your life didn’t. Fill it in. Be more caring for others. Change your way of observing laws. Do not break laws, a Torah law, or a local law. Fill it in: belief, love, honesty, trust, and caring for others. Now, instead of castigating yourself, saying something wrong, judge yourself with fairness and love. Then do what is right. Look at yourself introspectively, and learn how to change something for the better. It seems that that is one of the most important reasons this catastrophe has come upon us.
Last Simchas Torah as we danced, G-d looked into our souls and saw Jews filled with light. He was grieved. He had already made His decision to descend once more into man’s world. The last time that happened Jews were in the desert. Like it was then, it will be again. Not for long, for G-d’s plan was to play out history, bringing about every type of good and evil. It seems the world has almost completed its witnessing of every kind of evil. Soon, we will begin witnessing every kind of good. Be part of it. The show is about to begin.