Rabbis and COVID, by Shoshanna Silcove

 We are taught to respect and even revere our Rabbis. Does this mean however, that we are to follow them blindly when they falter? What do we do, how do we respond when Rabbis become confused, compromised, corrupted, or even crazy? What is a G-d fearing Jew to do when a large percentage of the Rabbinic community has lost their way?

Rabbis are not infallible. We have more than one historic precedent of Rabbis who lost their way. The most famous one is the Shabtai Tzvi debacle. The vast majority of Rabbis worldwide were completely convinced he was the Messiah and, even after he converted to Islam and did many seemingly insane and heretical acts, they still believed in him. Moreover, these true believers in Shabtai Tzvi included some of the most esteemed and learned Rabbonim of their generation. All their Torah learning did not protect or shield them from going off the deep end and losing their way. 

 Judaism is not like most other religions that demand blind submission and obedience to their clergy. We do not see our Rabbis as being closer to G-d or as having a more direct connection to Him. Each Jew has a direct connection to G-d as His only beloved child. We are a nation of priests and, as such we have the right to question our Rabbis. The Lubavitcher Rebbe taught that a Jew should be able to ask a Rabbi to explain themselves, we must understand what the Rabbis are conveying to us and, it must make sense to our minds. When clarification is needed we must ask them from where in Torah do they derive their instructions, advice, guidance, decision, or opinion. If a Rabbi either cannot or refuses to explain themselves in a manner that makes sense, then we are allowed and perhaps even obligated to dismiss their guidance or decisions.

The COVID crisis has brought out some of the best and some of the worst in people.  A large proportion of Rabbis who are part of what can be roughly called the Rabbinic establishment, has been appallingly disappointing in their reaction to this crisis. Much of their guidance and instruction is incomprehensible and seems irrational. Their priorities, instead of being what Torah teaches and what G-d wants, are actually what the government wants, and they use Torah concepts and halachas to justify the government policies. It seems many have found a new master, and instead of serving G-d they are now bowing to their new idol, the new COVID cult, led by craven politicians and their corrupted health officials.

These  Rabbis offer arguments that on the surface seem convincing and supported by Torah and Jewish law to justify their actions. They promote and support the government's decimation of our religious rights and freedoms with nary a peep in protest. The ordering of the closure of schools so that Jewish children are kept from learning Torah, the closing of shules so men can not daven in minyanim, the ceasing of all the public aspects of our service to Hashem,  the authoritarian enforcing of ridiculous and unhealthy government edicts such as mask wearing even for children etc, are all justified by them with lofty sounding Torah concepts and complicated halachik explanations, all of which are easily debunked. Some Rabbis have even gone so far as to endorse mesirah, something that is totally and completely prohibited by Jewish law and seen as an egregious act, yet these Rabbis  have somehow made this permitted as if they can make a pig kosher.

 While submitting to their government overlords, they  invoke the science and the experts' advice. However, one cannot help but ask, which  science and which experts? It is not as if the science about COVID is settled, in fact it is completely contradictory and changing from minute to minute, while only the government authoritarianism, their trampling of  all our rights and especially our religious rights, which the Rabbis endorse,  remains static. 

These Rabbis have become partners in the medical tyranny that is upon us. The painful truth is that these Rabbis are aiding and abetting the destruction of their communities while gaslighting the people with the fabrication that they are saving their lives. Ignorant of scientific facts that totally debunk and dispute the government policies and  reveal these policies to be not based on science or health but, on using COVID to expand their own totalitarian goals, these Rabbis are denying the reality around them. 

What is their motivation? It  could be different motivations. For some they act out of misinformation as they sincerely believe the government propaganda and fear mongering of the medical tyranny. For others they may actually understand the reality of the situation, but they are afraid to stand up for the truth. Perhaps they are worried about losing their government funding, their positions, or perhaps they just lack courage. 

Nevertheless, a day of reckoning is coming, on a spiritual level for sure, but  on a societal level as well, and many of these Rabbis will be exposed. As Shlomo HaMelech taught, 'this too shall pass'. COVID medical tyranny will eventually  pass as well, and when it does many of our Rabbis will have much to answer for.