(by Rabbi Yair Hoffman for 5TJT.com)

Today is Rav Avigdor Miller’s Yahrtzeit and he has a message that is remarkably pertinent today. Below are some quotes and summaries of what appears on the tape.

Some 30 years ago, he described the Makos and what the Jews did at the time.

[The Midrash Shmuel cites Midrashim that state: Al kol Makeh uMakeh haya meshamesh hadever – On each and every makeh there was a pestilence.]

Although one of the makos was dever itself.. there was a dever with every makah. What is the significance of that? Because the Gemorah (Bava Kamma 60b) states dever baIr kanes raglecha – when there is an epidemic don’t go out and mix with people. Very important advice.

Stay away from crowds. First of all not to donate your germs to others. Secondly, it will cause one great pile of germs that will affect everyone.

What do you do? You remain home.

And the people at that time had good sense. They had leaders. They had elders. Moshe Rabbeinu went to the elders. Because the people listened to their elders.

The elders said, dever ba’ir kanes ragleha.

They locked the door. Isolation. If you can’t do anything – you should stay home.

So the father and the grandfather would all sit and talk. What would they discuss? The Makah.

They saw the midah keneged midah and they became wiser and recognized Hashem more.

The author can be reached at [email protected]

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)