Daddy – Save Me from Coronavirus!

The Strongest Vaccine 

Everyone is asking me what to do about the scary virus from China, coronavirus. 

If you are looking for something that you should work on in order to create a merit to protect yourself – the answer is bein adam l’chevero – properly keeping the mitzvot between people. The root cause of the real suffering in your life is from sins of bein adam l’chevero. You must be perfectly clean in this area – that is the strongest protection there is!  

You must be extremely careful and be constantly on the lookout to make sure that you don’t cause any pain to anyone, ever. You must be very careful not to hurt or anger anyone, and not to insult anyone. This sin is what brings suffering to people, G-d forbid. Be very careful! 

Hashem is our father – and nothing is more important to a father than his children getting along with love and peace. He wants us to honor and take care of each other, and worry not to upset one another – no different than blood siblings. 

There are people who look Orthodox, but they are not careful with these commandments of bein adam l’chavero. People like this who are committing serious interpersonal sins and treat others badly – they have no connection to Torah, and no connection to teshuva! On the other hand, if everyone loves you because you are good to everyone – then Hashem reveals His love for you, and you have no harsh judgements on you at all! 

Of course, we need to make sure not just to stay away from sinning against others – but also to fulfill the positive commandments! You want to achieve the level where you are happy with the success and happiness of others. Be very careful to honor everyone, smile at them, make them happy, and bring them closer to Hashem. It is also very important to forgive easily – including forgiving yourself. 

Don’t be Afraid of Anything! 

And of course, the most important thing is emuna. Emuna is a complete and perfect shield! 

We are supposed to be merciful, because Hashem is merciful. When someone has mercy on others, then in Heaven, that person is also judged mercifully. However, it is forbidden to have mercy on someone who has no daat – no holy knowledge! Therefore, if someone acted mercifully but has no daat, then from Heaven they are given daat in order to have mercy on him, since he must get mercy in return for his mercy, midda kineged middah (according to your actions is the way you are treated). Rabbeinu teaches us this trick in Likutei Moharan. 

Someone who has daat only does good. All sins come from our lack of daat.  

Rachmanut (mercy) is to do or to give, what you do not HAVE to do. For instance, to give a baby food is not rachmanut. You have to do that! But if you do MORE than what you have to do, if you do more than the minimal requirement, that is called rachmanut. In fact, you have to give everyone food – not just helpless babies who are solely dependent on you for their survival. You can’t say – he doesn’t have daat, therefore I am not allowed to have mercy on him and give him food! No, you must give him food. Every person needs food, and to give him is a requirement.  

Now, what is real lack of daat? Someone who doesn’t appreciate what he has, and the good that is done to him! Someone like that – it is forbidden to have mercy on him! 

It’s quite understandable, really. Nothing angers Hashem like someone who doesn’t appreciate the good that is done for him. It’s equivalent to someone who denies Hashem entirely! It is literally a form of heresy, because it means that the person denies the good that Hashem does him. 

Why was Adam sent out of the Garden of Eden? Not because of the original sin – but because of his lack of gratitude, when he blamed Chava for the sin. If he would have just apologized right away, he would not have been sent from the Garden! This is also true of every generation, and ours as well. 

If We are Siblings, then God is Daddy 

Let’s return to the allegory of Hashem as our father, and we are all siblings. I want to take this a step further now: 

A father only does good for his children! The most important thing is to speak to Hashem like He is Daddy, and you are his only child! Daddy loves me! My father loves me! My Father in Heaven loves me! And He will never, ever, ever do anything bad to me! Never! 

Believe it – and say it! Keep repeating it to yourself all the time! Speaking words of emuna strengthens our emuna. Remind yourself: “I don’t understand, but I believe! “Lo ma’avin, aval ma’amin, she ze l’tova! I don’t understand, but anyway I believe, that this is good!” Who did this to me? Abba? Daddy? Daddy who loves me and only does good for me? Then I have to say: Thank you! Certainly, this really is good!” Just this statement alone has tremendous power to sweeten stern judgments. 

Don’t say, “Oh, look how much the Jewish people are suffering.” There is only lack of emuna! Say instead, “How much does the Jewish people lack emuna!” With emuna, there is no suffering! 

This article is excerpted from Rabbi Arush’s Wednesday night lecture on the 18th of Shevat 5780 – Feb. 12 2020.