In it he said something very interesting, and a bit surprising.
Rav Edelstein said that the reason why the Haredi community was hit much worse with Corona deaths, both in Israel and around the world, than others is because as the Chazon Ish said that someone not religious who sins, he is considered as having sinned accidentally. he is a shogeg. That does not deserve much of a punishment. He had no way to know better. Someone frum, a Haredi Jew, who sins - he gets the status of meizid - someone who sinned intentionally. Sinning intentionally is much worse and the Haredim are getting the judgement of Hashem much worse than others because of that.
source: Kikar
That is a very strong statement (though I appreciate it more than statements blaming others such as women and tzniyus, others who speak in shul or lashon hara or others who arent frum enough, etc). I wonder if we find such a thing at other times - other plagues or national or global calamities - that the Haredi community was hit much harder than others and can see any similar pattern. On the one hand, it might make people want to not be frum, as why put yourself in such a position for much harsher judgement just by the nature of your status. On the other hand, the flip side is that the reward must be that much greater as well.
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Many, many of the hareidim who died recently, were rabbanim, roshei yeshivot, outstanding anshei chesed. So if it is because of their sins, they must be sins on a very high level, Hashem medakdek itam. Other possibilities are Hashem took them instead of taking thousands of simple Jews, or because they were needed in shamayim to argue for bringing us the geulah now. Or because the generation when Moshiach comes will be an orphaned generation (meaning without spiritual leaders).
ReplyDeleteRegarding "blaming others ...etc", immodesty and lashon hara are sins, which fits in with what the rav is saying, not contradicts it. I'm not claiming to know the ways of Hashem of course, but I'll just say this as a baalat tshuva, I hope and pray that every Jewish woman, including haredi women, will be filled with the spirit of true inner and outer tsniut, Be"D.
The alternative is having to say it has to do with haredi behavior vs non-haredi behavior.
ReplyDeleteGood to hear. I thought they suffered greater casualties because of a higher infection rate after they failed to observe thesthe distancing protocols.
ReplyDeleteI was nervous that someone would blame their leaders for this outcome.
BH that is not the situation.
Leaders=blameless
Followers=guilty
Now I got it!
*the social distancing protocols
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