the different approach of the Chassidim to wearing masks

Haredim10 is reporting on something said by the Vizshnitzer Rebbe, after the police went to the Vizshnitz beis medrash at the end of Yom Kippur and broke up a mass Corona party, of sorts - they had basically broken all the rules with no distancing, thousands of people beyond what the rules allowed, and no masks at the post Yom Kippur tish and the police broke it up. 

On Tuesday the Rebbe went to the mikva and found it locked, as per Corona lockdown regulations. He immediately contacted the person in charge of the mikva and instructed him to open it immediately. He said that he wants to see the mikva open, one full water cistern, and the opening should only be form the side and not the front so they can make it look like it is closed, and the bochurim should all be able to toivel. The Rebbe said he will not allow the closure of the mikvas, batei medrash or schools, and he will turn it into a war if necessary.

Today, in a phone call between the Prime Minister and the Rebbe, the Rebbe says he told the PM that these 3 are essential for them and cannot be closed, and that if the PM would ensure that the entire country keep Shabbos, at least publicly, he would guarantee Corona would disappear from the world.

To that end, Yehuda Shlezinger is reporting in Israel Hayom that the Vizshnitzer Rebbe, along with some other Admorim and chassidic groups, have decided to take a different approach. Shlezinger adds that it makes no sense so far into Corona they still don't get it and need more hasbara about the importance of masks and distancing, etc so he went and spoke to Vizshnitz chassidim, among others, along with people close to some Admorim, and what people don't know is that they have decided to take the approach of obtaining herd immunity - they are trying to get everyone sick and then be immune.

Part of their approach is that people in high risk groups and the elderly should protect themselves and stay home but everyone else should live their normal lives, catch the disease and effect herd immunity.

He says this approach started with Belz a while back, during the first wave, and has now been taken on by a number of other chassiduyot, including Vizshnitz.

Shlezinger explains that they have accepted the fact that they cannot avoid Corona, and the price to be paid in trying is too high - they cannot close their mikvas and yeshivas and shuls - the price of so much destruction among the Haredi yeshiva world because of Corona is not worth it. Many boys are stuck at home with little to keep them busy, and many are leaving the fold or going through some sort of spiritual death with no connection to shul and yeshiva.

So, when people complain about those chassidim who don't follow the rules, it seems they have chosen intentionally not to follow the rules because they are takign a different approach.

The problem is that they do not live in a closed ghetto. They go mingle with other people, in other shuls, in stores, on buses, and wherever else they go. They get sick and go to the doctor with other people in the waiting room. And all this time they are all getting themselves infected, they may very well be infecting others.

Further, this is the definition of the mishna in Pirkei Avos, Ethics of our Fathers, that warns people to pray for the government, for without it there would be chaos with each person doing whatever he wants and each consuming the other. I am not sure one group of a sub0sect of society, or even a few groups, has the right to take such a vastly different approach, no matter how much sense it makes (and I don't know if it is a good approach or not, but even if theoretically it were, they are doing it on their own against the greater society).

And lastly, this is really the result of the semi-autonomy the State of Israel has always given to the Haredi community. In so many aspects of life the Haredi community does not feel beholden to the local rules and that they can do what they want and nobody can tell them otherwise. Why should this be any different? They can do what they want. Netanyahu spoke with him today - did he say we won't tolerate this - You are endangering the rest of us? There is no report of this. Maybe he did, maybe he didn't, but we basically continue to see these groups doing what they want and basically getting away with it (with maybe a few fines passed out to some individuals)... 

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