We all have been witnessing a lot of loss and sadness during this COVID19 pandemic. We have lost dear ones and the freedom to do some things that we didn’t use to think twice about, such as the ease of hugging friends, having a meal with new acquaintances, or sharing space with family and neighbors. I know I miss the ease of walking into a store, browsing the offerings, and then finding something new with which to experiment, and new gadgets. I miss taking my time in markets and talking with the vendors. I miss going to the movies, to the theater, to concerts. I miss cheering on sport teams from the stands. I miss praying with people in the same physical space. What do you miss?
While there are things we miss, we know that the safety of the community as a whole is paramount, and that the small individual losses I described are not as relevant as the crisis that is threatening our collective safety. What we do, on an individual level, has implications and consequences for others in this world.
I see that some people are choosing to express their individuality and their freedom by doing things that end up creating chaos for the whole community. It reminds me of a story I heard long ago, about 10 people enjoying themselves on a boat. One of the 10 decided to explore what would happen if they made a hole in the hull. The boat, obviously, sank. An individual decision had an enormous consequence for everyone else. I understand that the mandate to wear masks is interpreted by some as diminishing the freedom of choice that they have. I would hope that instead of thinking of the mandate to wear a mask as an infringement upon freedoms, people would interpret it as a show of care. Wearing a mask protects other people from the wearer, making sure that caring people do not infect others. The face mask protects others. And while I know that you know this concept, my goal here is to share a Jewish basis for wearing a mask.
We read in the Book of Leviticus, chapter 19, verse 18: “Love your fellow as yourself: I am the Eternal.” In Hebrew, this verse reads: VeAhavtah lere’achah kamocha.
The word “fellow” is preceded by the preposition le, which has the implication of action in addition to the feeling of love. (The usual preposition that follows the verb “to love” is et, which has no translation in English, yet gives the sense of love as a feeling only.) In other words, to love our fellow human being does not mean only that we care for their well being as much as we care for ours; it also forces us to do something that shows that love through actions. At this time of the COVID19 pandemic, caring for others means that we must follow some guidelines, one of them is to wear a mask. It is a small token of love for others, an action that shows we care for other people’s lives, a translation of our feelings.
Wear a mask when you leave your home. Wash your hands frequently. Help contribute to the healing of the world. In Judaism we focus on how to best serve God and the Jewish people. We are serving God when we think about the health of the people of the world, since they were all created in the image of God, B’tzelem Elohim. We act in a way that shows our feelings. In the meantime, by doing our part not only through our feelings of love but also through our acts of love, we may be able to reduce the threats related to this virus soon, and have a healthier community.