[vc_row][vc_column][vc_tta_accordion][vc_tta_section title=”To End an Epidemic” tab_id=”1624966232619-d34fa254-bfdc”][vc_column_text]Written March 2020
The news today is dominated by terrifying reports of the coronavirus that is sweeping China and has already spread to two dozen other countries. As of this writing, the virus has infected more than 75,000 people and caused more than two thousand deaths.
In an effort to reduce virus transmission, the Chinese government has taken strict measures to isolate the people most likely to be affected. Currently half of its huge population, more than 780 million people, is under some form of mandatory travel restrictions. In the cities of Wuhan, Huanggang, Shiyan and Xiaogan, residential areas are completely sealed off and residents forbidden from leaving their homes. Food is delivered to each home daily by neighborhood committees. Many industries are still shut down while waiting for government approval to reopen. It is unclear what the long-term effects of the shutdown will be on the global economy, if the epidemic rages on for much longer. It is also unclear how helpful quarantines are at preventing the spread of disease, and can impose other risks on the population by restricting access to food, fuel, and medical supplies.
Just as we can suffer from physical epidemics, we can also suffer from spiritual ones. Malaise, depression, cynicism and loss of faith are all examples of spiritual “contagion.” However, while isolation may be the answer to a physical epidemic, in spiritual terms it’s just the opposite. Throughout history, whenever we faced a crisis we would gather together and pray and pool our resources to combat the threat.
When the Jews in Persia were threatened by Haman’s decree, Mordechai went out and gathered all the Jews. He instructed them to fast and pray, but more than that he taught them how to pull themselves together on the inside–to gird themselves with faith and strength.
Our sages say that the second Holy Temple was destroyed because of senseless hatred. We lost our compassion, our ability to empathize with one another. This weakened us to the point that we were invaded and sent into exile, dispersed hither and thither.
And miraculously, somehow the togetherness that eluded us in our own land suddenly came to the fore once we were in exile. We learned that Jewish unity is the secret of our survival. When Jews in one area are threatened, Jews around the world in safer locations rally to their aid, sending them support and when necessary, welcoming them in and giving them refuge.
On a personal level, let’s not let the threat of a virus keep us apart. This Purim, reach out to your friend, your neighbor, even someone you hardly know, and bring gifts—”sending portions one to another, and gifts to the poor.” Unity is the antidote to the terrible affliction of exile. Through senseless love we obliterate the cause of exile and usher in the true and complete Redemption.[/vc_column_text][/vc_tta_section][vc_tta_section title=”Put on a Smile” tab_id=”1624966232628-da408ac8-677e”][vc_column_text]Do we smile because we’re happy? Or are we happy because we smile? Many studies have shown that just adopting a more positive facial expression puts us in a better mood. For example, in one experiment people were asked to hold a pen between their teeth (forcing them to widen their lips into a smile) or between their lips (pressing their mouth together into a frowning expression) while watching a cartoon. Those holding the pen between their teeth reported the jokes to be funnier. In another experiment, people asked to pull their brows together while lowering the corners of their mouth reported feeling angry, while those asked to relax their brows and lift the corners of their lips reported happier feelings.
However, these studies showed only short term effects for putting on a happy face, lasting no more than a few seconds to a few minutes. Could we induce longer-term changes in our moods and attitudes, simply by repeatedly practicing a happy expression?
Psychologists Simone Schnall and James Laird, in a study published in Cognition and Emotion, report that people who repeatedly practiced a happy face could recall more happy memories, and the good mood lingered for long after. In other words, a happy face leads to happier thoughts which lead to happier memories.
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“In the month of Adar, we increase in happiness.” This month contains the holiday of Purim, when G-d turned a terrifying situation into a jubilant one. It is a perfect occasion to let our inner joy shine through and overpower all external darkness.
Chassidus teaches us that fake happiness is better than genuine sadness. You may think it’s important to be honest with your feelings and not put on a show. However, when you make an effort to act happy and behave in a more joyous manner, your feelings follow suit and you actually become happier. Furthermore, happiness is contagious. Misery may love company, but company doesn’t love misery. Nobody enjoys being around the killjoy who spoils everyone else’s fun. Instead we should endeavor to be the one to uplift and encourage others.
Is there a time when happiness is not appropriate? When other people are suffering, we must always show empathy and share in their burden and distress. We can make light of our own troubles but never the troubles of another person. Still, we can support people going through a hard time without becoming consumed with sadness. In fact, people who are going through struggles often welcome the opportunity to get outside of themselves a bit and lift themselves above their difficulties. Pure joy, the Rebbe says, is the catalyst to break down all barriers of exile and bring about an era of true, everlasting joy.[/vc_column_text][/vc_tta_section][vc_tta_section title=”State of Uncertainty” tab_id=”1624966314678-4ce085b0-2808″][vc_column_text]Written March 2020
As the dreaded coronavirus continues to spread across the United States and around the globe, governments are taking increasingly sober and stringent measures to contain it. Schools, sporting events and non-essential businesses are closing. People are being encouraged to work from home if possible and go outside only if absolutely necessary. These measures will not contain the virus but, it is hoped, will slow its spread just enough to prevent our healthcare system from being overrun with serious cases.
All these disruptions to our lives and routines can give rise to a sense of panic. We feel events overtaking us in ways that we can neither predict nor control. Each day brings news of new restrictions and new cases, bringing the disease closer to home. Panic buying is leading to stores being emptied of essential supplies, and people who failed to stock up early may find themselves unable to purchase needed goods at any price.
There are still those who claim that these measures are a huge overreaction, but the growing toll of coronavirus suggests otherwise. If we all cooperate and closely follow the directives of our local department of health, we lower the risk to ourselves as well as to the most vulnerable in our population.
Times like these force us to confront the fact that we were never really in control. Our lives, our futures, are in G-d’s hands. In one of the most solemn High Holiday prayers we intone, “On Rosh Hashanah will be inscribed and on Yom Kippur will be sealed … who will live and who will die; who by water and who by fire, … who by upheaval and who by plague.”
If our survival is foreordained on Yom Kippur, does that mean we should sit back and not take action to protect ourselves? Judaism vigorously rejects this approach. Since G-d created the world to function according to the natural order, we are obligated to take all measures to protect ourselves, including observing social distancing as recommended by medical authorities. However, as the Unesaneh Tokef prayer concludes, “Repentance, Prayer, and Charity annul the severity of the Decree.” If you have been quarantined, take advantage of the solitude (a rare circumstance in our frenetic age) for introspection and prayer.
Now when so many are vulnerable, we need to practice charity. Many are out of work and struggling. If you can afford it, give money to help others afford food and medication. If you don’t have money to spare, there are many other ways you can help. Call the sick and elderly that you know to check up on them and find out if they need any assistance. Enforced isolation can be frightening for people who are debilitated and live alone. Doing whatever you can to safeguard the health and wellbeing of your community is the best way to fight this virus–both physically and spiritually.[/vc_column_text][/vc_tta_section][vc_tta_section title=”Burning It Off” tab_id=”1624966355417-1fc23827-4ef2″][vc_column_text]You are tempted to eat that luscious chocolate-covered doughnut. But how many miles will you have to run to burn it off? A team of researchers is exploring how a change in food labels might help fight obesity, by clarifying for us the true costs of indulgence.
Most food labels list calorie counts, but knowing the number of calories in a food doesn’t necessarily prompt us to change our behavior. What if, instead, the food label would tell us the amount of exercise needed to burn off those calories? Researchers call this the food’s physical activity calorie equivalent, or PACE. We would know how many minutes of running or walking would be needed to spend the fuel we took in with every bite.
It often surprises us to learn how few calories we expend through exercise and how many we take in with every cookie or piece of chocolate. For example, a small bar of milk chocolate has 229 calories, which can be burned off with 42 minutes of walking or 22 minutes of running. Most of us don’t have enough hours in the day to burn off all the calories we consume. We end up with an excess, which our body deposits as fat.
The secret to weight loss is no mystery: Eat less and exercise more. As much as we know it, though, most of us find it extraordinarily hard to refrain from indulging when good food is available. Studies have shown that labeling foods with exercise equivalents can lead to a reduction in snacking of up to 100 calories a day.
Pirkei Avot (Ethics of Fathers) states, “Consider the loss of a mitzvah next to its reward, and the reward of a sin next to its loss.” In other words, every mitzvah we do involves a certain loss of time or money, but in exchange we get infinite benefits. In contrast, a sin might bring a fleeting temporary pleasure but at the cost of severe spiritual decline. If we constantly kept this tradeoff in mind, we would never be tempted to sin.
There is one difference, though. The reward of a mitzvah is permanent and eternal but the loss of a sin is not. We always have the option to do teshuvah and remove the effects of our sin. However, this is a lengthy process that involves tremendous effort and exertion. It may take hours of exercise to undo the calories ingested with one bowl of ice cream, and it may take years of prayer and repentance to remove the stain of one sin. Ultimately, though, the stain of our sins will be removed completely in the era of Moshiach, when G-d will “erase our sins like a cloud” and remove the spirit of impurity from this earth.[/vc_column_text][/vc_tta_section][vc_tta_section title=”100 Blessings” tab_id=”1624966512361-bec92c14-5daf”][vc_column_text]Written April 2020
As the days in quarantine drag on wearily and the pandemic continues to rage outside our doors, we face a crisis that our generation has never experienced before.
However, plagues and epidemics are hardly new to human history–indeed, the Torah itself recounts a number of them. This week’s Torah portion describes the plague of Tzaraas, commonly translated as leprosy, and the enforced quarantine of those afflicted. It is important to note, though, that the plagues in the Torah are not understood merely in physical or epidemiological terms, but in spiritual terms as well. Just as we must follow medical guidelines for prevention and healing, we must consider the spiritual sources as well.
The plague of tzaraat was brought as retribution for those who engaged in lashon hara, evil speech. Just as they caused strife and separation between others with their gossip, they in turn would be isolated from others. The isolation was meant to be a period for reflection and teshuvah, to consider how valuable are our ties to others and how much we suffer when those bonds are disrupted.
One thing the quarantine has done is force us to spend many hours in close proximity with our immediate family, an almost unknown luxury given the frenetic pace of modern life. People used to lament that they did not have enough time with their families, and now we have time in abundance, which can be a mixed blessing. In the best of circumstances, the enforced closeness leads to better communication and the forging of happy memories. In some cases, too much togetherness can lead to distress, if the family lacks good communication skills or if the relationship was on shaky ground to begin with.
To enhance your quarantine experience with your family, there is a project you can embark on together. The Midrash relates that in the time of King David, a plague broke out that claimed 100 victims per day. To combat the plague, King David instituted that people should recite 100 blessings per day.
In a verse in Deuteronomy (10:12) Moses tells the Jewish people, “What does G-d ask from you?” The word “what,” mah, can also be read as meah, 100. In other words, G-d asks of us 100–to recite 100 blessings per day.
How do we accomplish this? By praying three times a day you are well on your way to 100 blessings, and you can fill in the rest with blessings before and after eating. Play “spot the blessing” with your children, to track your totals and come up with creative ways to add more blessings to your day. Of course, counting our blessings is a great way to encourage G-d to shower blessings upon us for everything we need–health, wealth, closeness with our families and of course the ultimate blessing of Moshiach, when all illness and suffering will be eradicated.[/vc_column_text][/vc_tta_section][vc_tta_section title=”Caring for the Caregivers” tab_id=”1624966641280-3195c5b5-b956″][vc_column_text]Written May 2020
As the coronavirus spreads inexorably across the country and globe, many of us find ourselves in the position of caregivers to one or more family members suffering from the virus–in some cases, even as we are overcoming the illness ourselves. In many families, the so-called “sandwich generation” is simultaneously caring for young children and elderly parents.
As America ages, there are more and more people in need of care at home. Much of this care is being provided by relatives or friends, most of whom are doing it for no pay. But the costs cannot only be measured in dollars and cents. In one survey, nearly a quarter of caregivers reported that they themselves were in fair or poor health. Yet they are sacrificing time and energy to care for others even weaker than themselves.
Unpaid family caregivers are an unappreciated part of our healthcare system. Our seniors are living longer and mostly choosing to live at home, relieving stress from overburdened hospitals and long-term care facilities. But we cannot overlook the stress and burden on family caregivers themselves. Caring for a family member at home limits the caregiver’s ability to work at a paying job and to advance in a career. Many caregivers report emotional satisfaction from caregiving, or feel that it’s their responsibility as a member of the family. However, they also admit that the demands of caregiving take a toll on their own health. The CDC said caregiving is a public health issue of increasing importance, and urged government leaders to find more ways to support those who lovingly give of themselves to support loved ones.
We are currently in the month of Iyar, which has the acronym of Ani Hashem Rofecha—”I am G-d your Healer.” When healing comes from G-d Himself, the illness is uprooted as if it never existed in the first place.
This week’s parshah, Acharei Mos-Kedoshim, states, “You shall be holy because I am holy; I am G-d your G-d.” In the verses that follow, we are commanded to treat each other ethically and compassionately and to practice kindness with each other. We emulate G-d’s ways and become holy like Him by doing acts of kindness. When we perform the mitzvah of caring for the sick and we do it as the fulfillment of the Divine decree, we become G-d’s emissaries and gain some of HIs healing powers. The care that we give to our loved ones becomes a source of blessing for them and for us, to remove the illness and infirmity entirely as if it never was.
Of course, the culmination of this process will be with the revelation of Moshiach, when all illness will be healed. G-d will swallow up death forever and wipe the tears off every face.[/vc_column_text][/vc_tta_section][vc_tta_section title=”The New Abnormal” tab_id=”1624966678445-4d0b9547-8478″][vc_column_text]Written Summer 2020
We are now more than six months into the COVID pandemic, or shall we say, the new abnormal. Unfortunately, there are no signs that the disease is abating. We have grown reluctantly accustomed to wearing face masks and limiting our public interactions. Hugs and handshakes are largely a thing of the past. Scientists are still hard at work developing a vaccine. Until that happens, though, we need to accept the reality: the virus isn’t going anywhere as of yet.
So many adjustments, so many unseen decisions that we make in response to an unprecedented reality. Is that trip to the grocery really necessary? Should I visit a friend? When did I last wash my hands? We no longer have the sense of certainty and security we had before. Instead there’s a profound unease. It turns out that our economy, our government, our healthcare system–all rested on a fragile foundation. The pandemic is testing everything we ever believed about our country, our society, ourselves.
Throughout Jewish history, we have faced countless situations that forced us to abandon everything we’ve ever known, to start over on foreign territory. While living through a crisis, our focus is on survival, on getting through the day or the week. It’s hard now to find time to reflect on the meaning of it.
Maybe we are not displaced physically by coronavirus, but we certainly are displaced mentally, emotionally and spiritually. Our old guideposts are gone. Our old expectations are gone. We face a blank wall of uncertainty.
We draw strength from knowing that this current abnormal situation is not new; it is merely another chapter in a very long history, and that we have always found within ourselves the strength, the flexibility and the drive to triumph above adversity. This time, however, we know it will be different. The Rebbe promised us that we’re at the very end of our long journey in exile.
The Lubavitcher Rebbe once wrote to Israel’s president, Zalman Shazar: “From the time that I was a child attending cheder, and even earlier than that, there began to take form in my mind a vision of the future Redemption: the redemption of Israel from its last exile, redemption such as would explicate the suffering, the decrees and the massacres of galut (exile).” A day will come, continues the Rebbe, when we will turn to G-d and thank Him for the exile, because we will finally understand the meaning of it.
May G-d help all of us to remain well and whole. May G-d send a speedy recovery to all the sick and support and assistance for all the needy. And may the day soon come when we can turn to G-d and say sincerely, “Thank You, G-d, for all we’ve been through,” when the true meaning of our experience will be revealed.[/vc_column_text][/vc_tta_section][vc_tta_section title=”Defund the Police!” tab_id=”1624966713558-4a99c54d-1fbb”][vc_column_text]Recently we’ve been hearing a lot of agitation to “Defund the Police,” to radically rethink our approach to keeping our cities safe. Of course, this has generated much political debate as to the exact meaning of this phrase. Which police functions are really necessary, and which can better be handled by other agencies? If someone is having a mental health breakdown, for example, should we call the police or EMS? Proponents of defunding the police argue that often the police only exacerbate precarious situations. Instead, they should be handled by people trained in de-escalation and conflict mediation.
So, who’s right? Do we need to defund the police? Should we be diverting more of our resources to social service agencies instead of the police? What is the Torah’s perspective?
The Torah portion of Shoftim begins with a commandment to appoint “judges and police” in all our territories. After all, the rulings of judges are useless without police to enforce them. In our daily prayers we make a similar request: “Restore our judges as in earlier times, and our advisors as of old.” In our prayers, we ask for the judges to return, but mention of police is absent. Instead, we ask G-d to return to us “our advisors.”
What’s the difference between a police officer and an advisor? For that matter, what’s the difference between a judge and an advisor?
When a judge hands down a decree, we accept their ruling as final. Although judges do explain their rationale, our acceptance of their ruling does not depend on us agreeing with their reasoning. We need to follow the judge’s ruling whether we understand or agree with it or not. A police officer is an extension of the judge’s power–his role is simply to see to it that the judge’s ruling is enforced.
The role of a yo’etz, advisor, is different. An advisor or counselor is someone that we can relate to, someone who understands our problems, needs and concerns, who can readily identify obstacles that hold us back from doing what’s right. The counselor is there to ameliorate those problems and thus smooth over situations in which police might otherwise be involved.
In the time of Moshiach, the role of police will be eliminated. We will no longer need police or guards to physically impose discipline. Instead we will be guided by yoatzim, who will help all of us be our best possible selves. Moshiach will serve the dual role of both shofet, judge, and yoetz, advisor. He will be far removed from us, on the one hand, able to hand down teachings that we could never grasp on our own. On the other hand he will be close to us, able to understand our fears and struggles and guide us to following in the way of the Torah.[/vc_column_text][/vc_tta_section][vc_tta_section title=”Unconditional Love” tab_id=”1624966743896-c68b2fdb-7655″][vc_column_text]You pass by a child who looks cold and hungry. Immediately your compassionate instincts are aroused. Who does that child belong to? Is anyone taking care of him? Does he need help? You may slow down, get some information, make some calls–until you are reassured that the child has what he needs.
Now replay the same scenario, but this time it’s an adult. His clothes are worn and tattered and he emits a distinct odor. Are you as eager to help? Your mind may be flooded with doubts. Maybe this person is dangerous. Maybe it’s his own fault. Maybe if I help him now he’ll go back to the same habits that brought him to this state to begin with.
Our compassion and kindness are aroused by a victim who seems completely helpless and innocent. But when you suspect that the victim may not be so innocent or helpless after all, you still want to help, but only to a point. Or maybe you have no interest in helping at all.
Our forefather Abraham was unique in that his kindness extended even to the undeserving. On the third day of his circumcision, when Abraham was in great pain after undergoing a surgical procedure at an advanced age, he sat outside his tent waiting for passersby. G-d, seeing his eagerness to be of service, sent him three angels to visit, and Abraham ran towards them to invite them in.
The Torah notes that Abraham asked his guests to wash their feet. He suspected that they were idol-worshippers who served the dust on their feet and didn’t want them bringing their “idol” into his home. Yet that didn’t prevent him from running around to prepare a lavish meal for them.
Later in the parshah, G-d tells Abraham of his plan to destroy the city of Sodom. The people of Sodom were the polar opposite of Abraham–not only did they not welcome guests, they actually made it illegal to provide hospitality. Yet this did not stop Abraham from praying to G-d for mercy on behalf of these wicked people.
Abraham is the embodiment of infinite love and giving. But is there value in this form of kindness? Is Abraham the model we should be following?
Abraham is the first of the forefathers, the founder of the Jewish nation. As a people, our basis, our founding principle, is kindness–to extend ourselves, to do good. Abraham’s son, Isaac, embodied the quality of gevurah, discipline–to withhold, to be measured in your giving. And his grandson, Jacob, had the quality of tiferet, beauty–to blend the qualities of kindness and discipline in a harmonious and beautiful way. We can always tinker with and refine our method of delivering kindness–am I being more helpful if I do it this way or that way? But first and foremost, our instinct is to give and to help, unconditionally. And just as we practice unconditional kindness, G-d reciprocates and blesses us with his full, open and generous hand.[/vc_column_text][/vc_tta_section][vc_tta_section title=”Back to the Days of Old” tab_id=”1624966789575-1e51e90b-a893″][vc_column_text]The news is consumed these days with reports about the new COVID vaccine. After months of lockdowns, quarantines, masking, and social distancing, we finally have a glimmer of hope in the future. How long will it be until life returns to normal? Will the vaccine be effective and safe, with no serious side effects? Will enough people get the vaccine to confer on us herd immunity? Will the horrific burden of disease and death finally be ameliorated?
Early reports of the vaccine are promising. Working at a near-miraculous speed, two pharmaceutical companies, Pfizer and Moderna, have already rolled out their mRNA-based vaccines, with over a million people vaccinated already and many more expected in the upcoming weeks. Both vaccines showed 95% effectiveness at preventing COVID infection.
To be sure, there is still a very rocky road ahead during the next few months. Developing a vaccine is one thing; getting it into enough people’s arms to stop a raging epidemic is another. Both vaccines must be stored at sub-zero temperatures, which complicates the journey the vaccine must take from the manufacturer to the healthcare facility. It will take time to inoculate enough people to significantly slow the spread of COVID-19. In the meantime, even people who were vaccinated must continue to be vigilant with social distancing, masking and use of hand sanitizer.
The big question is not when but if life will ever return to normal. Do we even remember what “normal” is? Certain industries, such as retail shopping and movie theaters, may never recover, while others may shift in ways we cannot anticipate. And we are not the same as we were pre-lockdown. We’re older, hopefully wiser, and our values and priorities have shifted after all we’ve been through.
The vaccine, with its tantalizing promise of return to a “normal” that may no longer exist, feels almost like a redemption of sorts. For generations, we have hoped and prayed for the coming of Moshiach, when the House of David will be restored. But we have no real memory of what life was like when the Holy Temple stood in all its glory. Does the redemption mean going back to a past that we no longer know or understand? Or will it open a door to a new, vastly different and enhanced reality?
Chassidut teaches us that the redemption is not about going back but going forward. As written in prophet Haggai (2:9), “The glory of this last House shall be greater than the first one, said the L-rd.” We didn’t go through all this suffering just to go back to the way things were before. We were sent into exile with a mission–to deeply transform the world, to spread G-dly light and energy to every corner. After centuries of exile, we’re not going back. We’re going forward to a newer, better and incomparably greater reality.[/vc_column_text][/vc_tta_section][/vc_tta_accordion][/vc_column][/vc_row]