Torah In These Times: Ancient Jewish Wisdom and the Contemporary Coronavirus Quarantine

1. Quarantine in the Torah.

(ד) וְאִם־בַּהֶרֶת֩ לְבָנָ֨ה הִ֜וא בְּע֣וֹר בְּשָׂר֗וֹ וְעָמֹק֙ אֵין־מַרְאֶ֣הָ מִן־הָע֔וֹר וּשְׂעָרָ֖ה לֹא־הָפַ֣ךְ לָבָ֑ן וְהִסְגִּ֧יר הַכֹּהֵ֛ן אֶת־הַנֶּ֖גַע שִׁבְעַ֥ת יָמִֽים׃ (ה) וְרָאָ֣הוּ הַכֹּהֵן֮ בַּיּ֣וֹם הַשְּׁבִיעִי֒ וְהִנֵּ֤ה הַנֶּ֙גַע֙ עָמַ֣ד בְּעֵינָ֔יו לֹֽא־פָשָׂ֥ה הַנֶּ֖גַע בָּע֑וֹר וְהִסְגִּיר֧וֹ הַכֹּהֵ֛ן שִׁבְעַ֥ת יָמִ֖ים שֵׁנִֽית׃

Leviticus 13:4-5

(4) But if it is a white discoloration on the skin of his body which does not appear to be deeper than the skin and the hair in it has not turned white, the priest shall isolate the affected person for seven days. (5) On the seventh day the priest shall examine him, and if the affection has remained unchanged in color and the disease has not spread on the skin, the priest shall isolate him for another seven days.

2. Belgian Law as of March 17, 2020: Stay Home

VRT NWS

De Veiligheidsraad heeft beslist dat er vanaf morgenmiddag "verregaande maatregelen" worden getroffen om de gezondheid van alle burgers in België te beschermen. Niet-essentiële winkels zullen worden gesloten en er komt ook een samenscholingsverbod. De maatregelen zullen tot 5 april gelden."

https://www.vrt.be/vrtnws/nl/2020/03/17/liveblog-17-maart/

The Security Council has decided that "far-reaching measures" will be taken from tomorrow afternoon to protect the health of all citizens in Belgium. Non-essential shops will be closed and there will also be a ban on gathering. The measures will apply until April 5.

3. The law of the country is the law: "Dina d'malchuta dina."

נדרים כ״ח א:ד׳

גמ׳ והאמר שמואל דינא דמלכותא דינא

Nedarim 28a:4

GEMARA: The Gemara asks, concerning the mishna’s statement that one may take a vow to tax collectors: But didn’t Shmuel say: The law of the kingdom is the law, i.e., there is a halakhic principle that Jews must obey the laws of the state in which they live? Since one must pay the tax determined by the kingdom, how did the Sages permit one to lie in order to avoid paying?

4. Saving a Life: Pikuach Nefesh

יומא פ״ד ב:ז׳

ת"ר מפקחין פקוח נפש בשבת והזריז ה"ז משובח ואין צריך ליטול רשות מב"ד הא כיצד ראה תינוק שנפל לים פורש מצודה ומעלהו והזריז ה"ז משובח ואין צריך ליטול רשות מב"ד ואע"ג דקא צייד כוורי ראה תינוק שנפל לבור עוקר חוליא ומעלהו והזריז ה"ז משובח ואין צריך ליטול רשות מב"ד אע"ג דמתקן דרגא

Yoma 84b:7

§ The Sages taught in a baraita: One engages in saving a life on Shabbat, and one who is vigilant to do so is praiseworthy. And one need not take permission from a court but hurries to act on his own. How so? If one sees a child who fell into the sea, he spreads a fisherman’s net and raises him from the water. And one who is vigilant and acts quickly is praiseworthy, and one need not seek permission from a court, although in doing so he catches fish in the net as well. Similarly, if one sees a child fall into a pit and the child cannot get out, he digs part of the ground out around the edge of the pit to create a makeshift step and raises him out. And one who is vigilant and acts quickly is praiseworthy, and one need not seek permission from a court, although in doing so he fashions a step.

New York Times

"Need a Coronavirus Test? Being Rich and Famous May Help"

A shortage in testing has left sick people and health care workers around the U.S. without answers. Yet the list of celebrity patients grows every day, raising questions about privileged access.

By Megan Twohey, Steve Eder and Marc Stein

March 18, 2020

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/18/us/coronavirus-testing-elite.html

5. Jewish Imperative to Care for the Vulnerable: The Stranger, The Orphan, The Widow

דברים כ״ז:י״ט

(יט) אָר֗וּר מַטֶּ֛ה מִשְׁפַּ֥ט גֵּר־יָת֖וֹם וְאַלְמָנָ֑ה וְאָמַ֥ר כָּל־הָעָ֖ם אָמֵֽן׃ (ס)

Deuteronomy 27:19

(19) Cursed be he who subverts the rights of the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow.—And all the people shall say, Amen.

6. Blessed Is the True Judge: Baruch Dayan HeEmet

ברכות נ״ד א:ג׳

עַל הַגְּשָׁמִים, וְעַל בְּשׂוֹרוֹת טוֹבוֹת אוֹמֵר: ״בָּרוּךְ הַטּוֹב וְהַמֵּטִיב״. עַל בְּשׂוֹרוֹת רָעוֹת אוֹמֵר: ״בָּרוּךְ דַּיַּין הָאֱמֶת״. בָּנָה בַּיִת חָדָשׁ, וְקָנָה כֵּלִים חֲדָשִׁים, אוֹמֵר: ״בָּרוּךְ … שֶׁהֶחֱיָינוּ וְקִיְּימָנוּ וְהִגִּיעָנוּ לַזְּמַן הַזֶּה״. מְבָרֵךְ עַל הָרָעָה מֵעֵין עַל הַטּוֹבָה, וְעַל הַטּוֹבָה מֵעֵין עַל הָרָעָה.

Berakhot 54a:3

For rain and other good tidings, one recites the special blessing: Blessed…Who is good and Who does good. Even for bad tidings, one recites a special blessing: Blessed…the true Judge. Similarly, when one built a new house or purchased new vessels, he recites: Blessed…Who has given us life, sustained us, and brought us to this time. The mishna articulates a general principle: One recites a blessing for the bad that befalls him just as he does for the good. In other words, one recites the appropriate blessing for the trouble that he is experiencing at present despite the fact that it may conceal some positive element in the future. Similarly, one must recite a blessing for the good that befalls him just as for the bad.

Discussion Questions

1. In this time period of the Coronavirus pandemic, where do you see blessings?

2. How do you understand "good" and "bad" based on the above gemara?

3. What are you hoping/praying for?