Rabbi Mendel Kessin on the coronavirus: what it is, why Hashem (God) sent it, and how people can end it.

Rabbi Mendel Kessin on the coronavirus: what it is, why Hashem (God) sent it, and how people can end it.

                         Transcribed and annotated by Sholom Morgan

BIOGRAPHY (adapted from the Orthodox Union): Rabbi Mendel Kessin received semicha (rabbinical ordination) from Rav Moshe Feinstein ztz"l (of blessed and saintly memory). Rabbi Kessin has a PhD in psychology from Fordham University and runs a private practice in Brooklyn, New York, and Lakewood, New Jersey. An internationally known lecturer, educator and kabbalist, Rabbi Kessin has spoken extensively throughout the world including the United States, Europe, South Africa, Canada and Israel, among other places, on hashkafa (Jewish philosophy), learning methodology and shmirat halashon (guarding one’s tongue; not slandering others) The Chofetz Chaim Heritage Foundation was started as a result of being inspired by one of Rabbi Kessin’s lashon hara shiurim (classes on the sin of slander). Among Rabbi Kessin's many shiurim (lectures) is a widedly-acclaimed series on contemporary events in the 21st Century. See these and more at torahthinking.com.

     Jewish sources reveal chacham adif mee-navee, a wise (learned) person is greater than a prophet. We lack prophets and prophecy today but when prophecy existed, a prophet could only reveal to others what was revealed to him. A chacham (wise person) does not only know what is revealed but he can explain it because of his deep understanding. Rabbi Kessin certainly fits this description, so please take his words very seriously.

   Sholom Morgan has been a beloved role model and Jewish educator for over half a century. He has taught the value of Judaism and the Jewish way of life to students from kindergarten through adults. Many of his thousands of students can attest to his knowledge about Jews and Judaism. He is the author of four widely-acclaimed books. His contact information is below.

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The statement of Rabbi Chiya bar Abba

     A rabbinic saying based on Shir HaShirim, perek bet, pasuk yud-gimmel (the Biblical Book entitled Song of Songs, Chapter 2, Verse 13) is this: Rabbi Chiya bar Abba (the name of a rabbi in talmudic times) says: shortly before the days of the (coming of the) ma-shi-ach (Jewish messiah), a great devair (plague) will come to the world.” We are witnessing this devair now, our pandemic. We are that close to the arrival of the ma-shi-ach!

 The coronavirus shows the absolute power of Hashem (God)

   Everyone is anxious. No one knows what to do. This is not an accident since the entire planet is affected. Hashem (God) has stopped civilization completely. A small virus that measures 40 nanometers (one billionth of a meter) and can’t be seen with the naked eye has shut down the world! This shows the absolute power of Hashem to stop mankind in its tracks.   

   This plague is known as the coronavirus. Why did Hashem name it the coronavirus? Corona means “crown.” The virus is from the crown, the King, Hashem. The purpose of the coronavirus is for mankind to restore the crown of the King.

 Why Hashem made the coronavirus

  We know that Hashem loves mankind, especially the Jewish people. Everything He does is for the good and it benefits mankind and especially the Jewish people. And He does it out of love, even though we perceive it as a calamity and catastrophe. We must have emuna (faith) that this is an act of Hashem, and bitachon (trust) that whatever Hashem does is for the best.

   Hashem wants to move the process of redemption forward (more about this later). He wants to send the ma-shi-ach right away. But there are certain impediments.

The impediments to the redemption are prosecuted by Satan

    Hashem created an angel called Satan. He is an adversary whose job is to defend and promote justice by punishing sinners. So he is always prosecuting. Satan has three jobs. The first is a tempter; he tries to get people to sin. If he succeeds, his next job is to convene a heavenly tribunal where he prosecutes the sinner(s). If the sinner(s) is/are found guilty, Satan becomes the executioner. He does not necessarily kill the sinner(s) but he is assigned to execute the judgement of the heavenly tribunal. Satan is the only one who can convene the heavenly tribunal and prosecute.

 The features of this and previous pandemics

   Two previous pandemics come to mind. The Bubonic (Black) Plague in 1348 killed half of Europe’s population. And the Spanish Flu of 1918 killed 50 million people. The central feature of these pandemics was the widespread death and sickness of many millions of people, wiping out much of mankind.

   The coronavirus has several characteristics. (1) There is death but on a relatively small scale. So the objective is NOT the death of millions of people. (2) It provides suffering and sickness but they are not widespread. (3) Like the others, it’s global.

Definition of redemption and how Jews can hasten it

    We mentioned that Hashem wants to bring the redemption now. What is redemption? It’s a tikun process, rectifying (restoring) Hashem’s Presence in the world. Hashem concealed Himself to mankind. First, at the beginning of time, He delegated to mankind the responsibility of restoring his Presence. When they failed, He delegated the responsibility to Avraham Avinu (Abraham our father) and his descendants, the Jewish people. “It is your job (and the job of your descendants),” Hashem told Avraham, “to bring Me back to Creation!”   

What sins have been the impediments to the redemption?

    Satan wants justice. He demands that Hashem not bring the redemption because there are certain sins the Jews and mankind are committing. And since everyone will benefit from the redemption, Satan wants to prosecute the sins of mankind as well as the Jews. Satan wants justice for these sins, that the sins be punished.

   What are the sins? Although there are many, these stand out.

     (1) Zima, pritzut. Immorality, depravity, degeneration, corruption. In the previous 20-30 years, mankind has been steeped in terrible immorality, corrupting his own nature. There’s a tremendous assault on the normal reproduction of people with the promotion of homosexuality and other aberrations of the nature of human beings. It’s worldwide and it’s forbidden to Jews and gentiles.

    (2) Sinat chinam, baseless hatred caused by lashon ha-ra, slander. (Remember this term; it’s used frequently here.) Recently there has been much hatred in the world. Countries hating each other. Anti-semitic incidents on the rise in the United States, Europe and elsewhere. In the United States, Democrats and Republicans hate each other. Americans are split down the middle, for or against Trump who is the duly elected President. In Israel, political parties have spoken lashon

ha-ra against each other because of their sinat chinam. There’s been a marked increase in “chareidi bashing,” denigrating religious politicians and people.

   When you think about it, whenever Satan prosecutes, it’s lashon ha-ra! He brings charges against a person before the heavenly tribunal. Thus, Hashem says that the only way Satan can prosecute a person and speak lashon ha-ra against him to the tribunal is if the person condemns others by speaking lashon ha-ra. Some 98% of Satan’s prosecutions are for lashon ha-ra!

    Hashem wants achdut, unity, among Jews and among the nations. The lack of achdut destroys civilizations. Every human being is a tzelem Elokeem, an image of Hashem. One who speaks lashon ha-ra against another person, Jew or gentile, is slandering an image of Hashem! And the Jews are not only tzelem Elokeem; they are part of Hashem Himself, His family. When the Jews speak lashon ha-ra, it makes Hashem very angry and forces Satan to prosecute.

   (3) The other major sin is gashmee-oot -- pleasure, materialism. “Man does not live on bread alone but everything that comes from the mouth of Hashem does man live” (Deuteronomy 8:3). The purpose of mankind is spirituality. Some people spend their entire lives acquiring wealth and material possessions, ignoring spirituality.

     (4) Sholom Morgan adds: In Devarim za-yin:gimmel – da-let (the Book of Deuteronomy Chapter 7, Verses 3-4), it states, “You shall not intermarry with them; you shall not give your daughter to his son, and you shall not take his daughter for your son . . . Then Hashem’s anger will burn against you and He will destroy you quickly.” The Torah clearly and unambiguously prohibits Jews marrying gentiles (intermarriage), yet a recent study shows that some 60% of American Jews intermarry. “The Verse bans a marriage-like arrangement – regardless of whether it is recognized as valid by the secular authorities – with a gentile partner” (Artscroll Chumash, The Stone Edition, 2000, p. 977). Being a Jew is a tremendous honor. Jews and gentiles earn rewards from Hashem for the mitzvot (commandments) they perform but the quality of the rewards for Jews is far superior (Have You been Jewish Today? adult edition by Sholom Morgan, vol. 2, p. 672).

     Nevertheless, some prominent wealthy individuals in the United States have intermarried and, in so doing, have broken the chain of Jewish traditions dating more than 3,300 years. One famous intermarried Jew even had the audacity to show his “Jewishness” by blowing a “shofar” (ram’s horn) before the holiday of Rosh Hashana (Jewish New Year)!

     Along the same lines, baseball players, movie actors and other famous Jewish personalities are deified despite their consistent violations of Jewish law. An example is a baseball pitcher who refused to play in a World Series game because it coincided with Yom Kippur. His gesture was meaningless because he violated the laws of kashrut and Shabbat and other Jewish laws the rest of the year. But that didn’t stop the media from glorifying him. 

   It is not only the sins of our generation that need atonement. Much of the world has committed terrible sins. Many people have been reincarnated many times so it’s not just people living today. The history of mankind is the history of wars. The cruelty of the people in the Middle Ages, the Romans, Greeks, Assyrians and Babylonians are well-documented as is the cruelty of Christians over the last 2,000 years. These people deserved death. Hashem must stop Satan’s prosecution of these sins so the redemption process can move forward.

How does Hashem stop Satan’s prosecutions and move the redemption forward?

    If a person commits a sin punishable by death, there are actions which can satisfy the judgement of death without the person actually dying. He will substitute one of these punishments for death.

     (1) Pachad ma-vet, fear of death. People are afraid they will die. We saw an example in 1990. Hashem wanted to move the redemption process forward. But Satan protested that the Jews were committing sins such as violating Shabbat (the Jewish Sabbath) which, when done publicly, incurs the death penalty. So Hashem enabled Saddam Hussein of Iraq to fire scud missles at Israel, causing pachad ma-vet among Israeli Jews. When President Bush forbade Israel from retaliating, world Jewry also experienced pachad ma-vet. Hashem used pachad ma-vet instead of the death penalty to advance the tikun and redemption process.

     (2) and (3). Quarantine and economic collapse. No one can work or even leave their homes. People are terrified of losing their jobs and being unable to sustain themselves and their families.

How does the coronavirus stop Satan’s prosecutions?

    (1) Pachad ma-vet (fear of death) is intended to stop immorality. If people are afraid of their very survival, they will be unable to display their immoral behavior publicly.

   (2) If people are quarantined, they don’t interact with others. Most lashon ha-ra occurs when people interact with others during business and social events. So Hashem says, “If you don’t know how to act with each other (by refraining from speaking lashon ha-ra), then stay home!” The quarantine stops lashon ha-ra. Even the internet is not a vehicle for lashon ha-ra because people concerned about their very survival won’t speak it.

    (3) The purpose of mankind is spirituality. With the coronavirus, Hashem reminds mankind that it is headed in the wrong direction. He does this through economic collapse. Someone spends his entire life acquiring wealth; Hashem shows him how fleeting it is when he loses his job and the stock market collapses.

     (4) Hashem wants achdut, unity, among people and nations. You may have noticed there is a sense of achdut among nations now. Many are joining together to fight the spread of the coronavirus. And people who have tested positive are quarantining themselves so as not to transmit it to others. This, too, is achdut, showing concern for others. 

     In sum, the coronavirus provides atonement for many sins, including those of immorality; lashon ha-ra and baseless hatred; and materialism, and it is fostering unity. It’s a tailor-made way Hashem uses to wake up mankind! People have control over their own judgments!

  What will this redemption resemble? 

   “I (Hashem) will take you out of the second exile like the first” (part of a Sefardic prayer). There will be a second redemption which will be in the same manner as in Egypt. They stopped speaking lashon ha-ra. Rabbis teach us that Hashem needs the Jewish people to stop speaking lashon ha-ra now. Gentiles, too, must stop their slander, including verbal and physical anti-Semitic attacks and incitement and the baseless hatred some people and countries have for others.

 Understanding Rabbi Chiya bar Abba’s statement

   You can now understand fully the statement of Rabbi Chiya bar Abba. Close to the time of the redemption, there must be an epidemic to stop the immorality, lashon ha-ra and the pursuit of wealth. The quarantine will do just that as well as increase achdut, unity. The pachad ma-vet, fear of death, will also stop lashon ha-ra because people afraid of their survival won’t speak it. Public displays of immorality will stop and people will realize that the acquisition of wealth is antithetical to spirituality.

 Practical actions you can take to stop Satan’s prosecutions and the pandemic, and bring the redemption

    Hashem created Satan to seek justice through prosecutions, so He can’t stop Satan from prosecuting. That would defeat the purpose of creating Satan in the first place Here are some tips on actions you can take to stop Satan’s prosecutions.

   (1) Lashon ha-ra is among the most egregious sins prosecuted by Satan. The Jews had been enslaved in ancient Egypt for 210 years. (You can learn the details in the beginning of the Book of Shmot, Exodus.) Our rabbis teach that the Jews were redeemed from Egypt because they did not speak lashon ha-ra. We don’t know how or why but they didn’t. Thus, they stopped Satan’s prosecution and removed the impediment to their redemption.

   Fast-forward one week. After their liberation, the Jews stood at the Red Sea. Wild animals on both sides of them. The Red Sea in front of them. The pursuing Egyptian army in back of them. Many were terrified! Some complained to Hashem that they would rather have died in Egypt than be killed by the Egyptians! This was lashon ha-ra against Hashem. So the Torah reports that Hashem told them to watch His salvation “and be silent.” Don’t talk lashon ha-ra against Him and they would be saved. They did as they were told. Hashem then created a miracle in which the Red Sea split, enabling the Jews to cross it safely. When the Egyptians tried to follow, Hashem returned the sea to its normal position and they drowned. The Satan was unable to prosecute lashon ha-ra because the Jews didn’t speak it.

     (2) You should learn two halachot (Jewish laws) pertaining to lashon ha-ra every day. Many books in English are available in Jewish books stores, gift shops and online. The book Shmirat HaLashon (“Guard Your Tongue”) by the Chofetz Chayim is the gold standard when it comes to the laws of lashon ha-ra as the author is an internationally-known authority on the subject of lashon ha-ra.

     The coronavirus is a plague. The Hebrew word for plague is devair. This word has the same Hebrew root letters as the word dibur, meaning speech. You can see that this devair has been caused by the evil dibur of lashon ha-ra!

    My books, entitled “Have You been Jewish Today?” also treat the subject extensively (as well as detailing the proper observance of many of the mitzvot), and are available for children, high school students and adults. Also available is a book for children about the history and proper observance of Jewish holidays, fast days and special days. (Find out how to procure them by emailing me at [email protected]).

     (3) Mankind, and especially Jews, must condemn, not promote and encourage, unnatural (“alternative”) lifestyles.

      (4) People must realize that Hashem’s plan is not for the acquisition of wealth but for the pursuit of spirituality. For the Jew, it means studying the Torah and performing the mitzvot.

     (5) Jews must marry other Jews. The media – particularly the Jewish media – must stop glorifying Jews who make a mockery of our faith.

     The tikun (rectification) comes slowly. We are now at the end of the process. It’s up to each one of us to do our part to end this devair and hasten the redemption. Please be sure to share this with friends, relatives, co-workers...and anyone you believe would benefit from it. Let it go VIRAL! The more Jews on board, the sooner the redemption will come! Let’s just do it... NOW!