Following a report last week that Harav Chaim Kanievsky told a principal of a Talmud Torah not to close his school since “the danger of bittul Torah in the Talmudei Torah is greater than the coronavirus,” the principal’s school in Petach Tikvah remained open.
However, the principal was facing great pressure from the mayor of Petach Tikvah and he again approached Harav Chaim who told him to close the school due to the mayor’s demands, B’Chadrei Chareidim reported.
Harav Chaim Kanievsky also said that men should refrain from being toivel in a mikvah due to the spread of the coronavirus, Kikar H’Shabbos reported.
Harav Chaim explained to those who asked: “One must be more machmir with sakana than issur (“חמירא סכנתא מאיסורא”).
The posek Harav Ben Tzion Hakohen Kook, a mekurav of Harav Chaim wrote a recent teshuvah saying that men should not use the mikvah due to the risk of being infected with the coronavirus since men’s tevilah is not mei’ikar ha’din.
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The Health Ministry issued a closure on all yeshivahs and kollelim on Wednesday afternoon, including groups smaller than ten. Violations of the closure order will be considered a criminal act.
Some yeshivos have remained open while following the guidelines of the Health Ministry to avoid crowds of over 10 people. In light of this, the Health Ministry ordered tightened restrictions specifically to the Chareidi community.
Those who violate the order can be sentenced to prison for up to half a year and face a fine of NIS 5,000.
(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)
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11 Responses
I don’t get it.. just a few days ago Rav Chaim was quoted as saying that the zechus of Torah will protect against Corona virus, so don’t close the shuls, yeshivos, etc…What happened now?!?
Read the article. What changed was the regulations.
Maybe people were more concerned about following Rav Chaim and being in the spotlight than real learning.
Shtika
the mayor came to the menahel of the cheder and told him to close it. So R. Chaim believes in not antagonizing people or the government…..
Shtika: Of course I can’t speak for Rav Chaim, but the original reports of him saying to keep the chadarim and yeshivos open also quoted him as saying one should conform to the Ministry of Health guidelines in all other matters. That would seem to imply that he was aware of the risks in keeping mosdos open, but weighed the risks of keeping them open against the risk of closing them. The tightening of the Ministry of Health guidelines might have lead him to reevaluate.
Shtika – reality happened, that’s what.
an Israeli Yid
Assuming that both reports are true, it may depend on the level of the “shicha hazeika” which changes as per time/location…but we really don’t have to “get it” anyways…
It should have, but we were not zocheh. Sometimes there is a gezeirah that doesn’t follow the normal rules.
To: Shtika
He never said we wont get affected by coronovirus, he said the learning is the greatest זכות so why take that away. Its 2 seperate things. Once it gets more widespread and mamash a סכנה to stay open they will have to close. R Chaim said to keep open for now.
From what I heard Rav Chaim Shlit”a said ” The סכנה of closing is worse than that of the virus” Meaning that the virus is a danger but there are BIGGER dangers to consider. that was the main gist; the message was not that keeping the schools open will protect against the virus.
From what I heard Rav Chaim Shlit”a said ” The סכנה of closing is worse than that of the virus” Meaning that the virus is a danger but there are BIGGER dangers to consider. that was the main gist; the message was not that keeping the schools open will protect against the virus.