17 Mar God and the Coronavirus
What could be
the meaning of
a virus forcing
millions into
a “timeout” of
quarantine and
seclusion?
Coronavirus is now officially a
global pandemic. Suddenly we find
ourselves smitten by a plague of
biblical severity.
Pesach asks us to remember the
10 plagues which G-d sent against
the Egyptians. With the help of the
Bible we know the purpose behind
these afflictions of a people. G-d
had a plan. Egyptian suffering had
meaning. What makes our contemporary
anguish so particularly unbearable
is its seeming incomprehensibility.
In the age of the prophets there
would’ve been an effort to discern
some divine message in this global
tragedy. But today we somehow assume
that scientific knowledge precludes
the possibility for including
G-d as part of the management of
the universe. After all who can argue
with Louis Pasteur and Robert
Koch who, in the latter half of the
19th century, proved the germ theory
of disease – that pathogens too
small to see without magnification
are the true cause of illness. Germs
are the villains and viruses are the
sole reasons for the presence of diseases
which determine whether we
live or die.
And I dare to ask: Doesn’t belief
in G-d demand that we merge the
germ theory of disease with the conviction
of faith in a supreme being
who actually decides where, when
and how far viruses spread?
When we are directed by doctors to
wash our hands we are required to
do so by Torah law.
Please understand exactly what
I’m saying. Maimonides long ago
made clear that it is our obligation
to ensure our good health. We can’t
simply rely on G-d; G-d has made
us his partners in our quest for longevity.
Hygiene is a mitzvah; it’s an
obligation. Taking care of our bodies
is a spiritual requirement akin
to protecting our souls. When we
are directed by doctors to wash our
hands we are required to do so by
Torah law.
But the ultimate decision of life or
death remains, as we make clear
every year on Rosh Hashanah and
Yom Kippur when our fate is sealed,
with the Almighty.
That is why I’m amazed that of the
countless suggestions for how to
counter and to cope with the coronavirus
we hear so little of the
word G-d and the possibility that
this global pandemic brings with
it a profound divine message.
I am obviously no prophet, but
here is a thought that I think is
worth considering and taking
to heart. Every parent knows
that one of the most obvious responses
to a child’s misbehavior
is what is commonly known as a
“timeout.” The child is restricted
from enjoying pleasurable activities.
The child has his normal life
disrupted. The child is encouraged
to reflect upon his disobedience.
Is it too much to consider
that as our world continues to
sink ever lower in our commitment
to virtue that G-d responded
with a virus that has forced millions
into a “timeout” of quarantine
and seclusion?
The 10 Commandments are the
biblical source of the most basic
system of ethical and moral behavior.
They represent the primary
justification for our continued
existence on earth. And the commentators
took note of a remarkable
number. In the original Hebrew,
the language in which the
commandments were inscribed
by G-d on the two tablets, there
are exactly 620 letters.
620 would seem to be a number
with no particular theological
significance. It would’ve been perfect
and readily comprehensible
if there were exactly 613 letters in
the 10 Commandments. Those are
the numbers of mitzvot given to the
Jewish people in the Torah. The 10
Commandments are the principles
inherent in all of Jewish law. But
what is the meaning of 620 letters?
The rabbis explained. While the
number of mitzvot for Jews is 613,
the number seven represents universal
law – what is commonly referred
to as the seven laws of the descendants
of Noah, required as a minimum
for all of mankind. And 620 of
course is the sum of 613 and seven,
the totality of divine guidance for
both Jews as well as the rest of the
world.
The word corona – as in coronavirus
– comes from the Latin word for
crown.
The commentary does not end there.
620 is the gematria, the numerical
value, of an important Hebrew
word, keter, which means crown. A
keter – a crown – is placed on top of
every Torah scroll. The symbolism
is obvious. The crown above the Torah
demonstrates the relationship of
the 10 Commandments to the rest of
the Torah. From the 10 – in number
of letters 620 – we have the principles
which subsequently found expression
in the entirety of the Torah.
The keter – the crown – is the most
powerful symbol of our connection
with G-d.
The word corona – as in coronavirus
– comes from the Latin word for
crown.
Perhaps we need to consider the
world’s present affliction not just in
the context of a disease caused by
pathogens but as a divine message
reminding us that we have been
given our lives to invest them with
meaning and virtue as defined by Gd’s
10 Commandments.