Rabbis Gripped with Mass Delusional Hysteria, by Shoshanna Silcove

             One reason Chabad attracted me many years ago was that the Rabbis were confident enough in their own beliefs that they could accept and even welcome just about any question or challenge. They were all open minded and more than willing to explain everything, no matter how difficult.
           However, there is a marked change in Chabad now when it comes to the COVID issue. They have become completely closed minded and utterly unwilling and seemingly unable to explain why they have paskened the way they have paskened. Rabbis all over Chabad are obsessed with COVID restrictions, propagating fear and mass hysteria. Many are going even beyond their own governments' requirements. They seem to be completely impervious to facts and unable to reason about this topic.  This is not the way of Chabad! This is not the way of the Rebbe! 
           The only conclusion I can come to which can explain this extremely strange phenomena of Chabad Rabbis being this irrational is that this must be a maasah Satan!
          In the general population there is a good amount of irrational fear, but at least one can discuss and reason with many people, even if they disagree. There is even a worldwide debate on this issue going on presently based on science and reason.  However, in the frum community at large, and in Chabad in particular, there is no discussion and moreover, discussion is not allowed. It is as if we have suddenly become communistic--the Rabbis say so and that is it! And if chas v'shalom you question how they come to their decisions you are met with derision and are either ignored or told that you are dangerous and even may be called a rodef!  This reaction by them for simply asking for explanations to their decrees is absurd on its face.  Yet, here we have almost an entire community of educated and learned Rabbis and, their followers whom the Rabbis have influenced to behave like them in regards to COVID, spreading hysterical  paranoid trauma to a fever pitch.  
        What good can come from this perpetuation of hysterical trauma? Think of the psychological damage being done, especially to the children and their chinuch. Think of the spiritual damage being done while community members are being told that if they go to shule, minyanim, frabrengens, or simchas that they are purveyors of illness and death. Why are the Rabbis not at all advocating for the resumption of our communal religious life? Instead of  easily succumbing to the most Draconian restrictions imaginable of our religious life, why aren't the Rabbis looking for ways and means for us to practice our communal religion safely? Instead they seem to actually be giving up on practicing communal Yiddishkyte entirely! How destructive is this to us as G-d fearing Jews? Can we at least discuss this and come up with viable solutions instead of just being given ridiculous nonsensical and conflicting inconsistent orders without any explanations nor compassion shown?  The Rabbis seem to give out orders and then run away and hide.  Has anyone yet thought of what kind of a Tishrei we will be having? Dare we ask? 
        All this could very well be a mass maasah Satan, after all, we have had such things in the past. Didn't a majority of Jews follow the Shabbtai Tzvi, including the most pious and learned Rabbonim of the day? They were also completely impervious to reason and could not be challenged in their rock solid commitment and beliefs despite all evidence to the contrary.  And could one also not say the same for the extreme radical Messianists who still believe the Rebbe is alive in his body as before Gimmel Tammuz, that they are suffering from some sort of mass delusion, some sort of mass hysteria?
      Mass delusions are not unknown in history. As a matter of fact, there are many examples. The Salem Witch trials,  and one could also call the anti-Semitism of Nazi Germany a mass delusion as well. The Muslim world is replete with mass delusions, as are the angry mobs smashing statues in America. It should not be too difficult for us Jews with our long history  to imagine that we too could fall victim to being victims of our own mass hysterical delusion.
       The only reply one is offered when one asks why the over the top fear of COVID and the call for unfounded, exaggerated restrictions and precautions is one phrase, 'pekuach nefesh' they cry! Yet, ask them to explain how this is pekuach nefesh ( see my blog article previous to this one that shows how this is in fact not pekuach nefesh) and one cannot get any logically reasoned reply. What one does get in response are emotional outbursts from people who have not thought any of this through and, who cannot seem to get a grip of their emotions long enough to actually examine the facts and reason.