Amidst the flood of reports flooding us about the coronavirus, there is an equally dangerous factor hidden – the virus of fear and anxiety. People are filled with feelings of worry, their minds are filled with dark nightmares, and they walk around with droopy, closed eyes.
These anxieties themselves do not add to health. Many studies have shown that negative feelings weaken the body's immune system, while joy, faith, and confidence increase our ability to deal with invaders and health challenges.
The teachings of Kabbalah and Hasidism teach that when a person is happy and feels confident in the Creator of the world, he surrounds himself with a spiritual envelope that protects him.
By the very act of trusting in God, he attracts the supreme blessing to himself, and thus trust fulfills itself – the person trusts in God that good will come to him, and in truth, good will come to him.
Special care for us
Many times, when the people of Israel faced severe threats, the Lubavitcher Rebbe did his utmost to strengthen the spirit of the people and instill confidence and faith in them. This was the case on the eve of the Six-Day War, at the outbreak of the Yom Kippur War, and during the Gulf War. The Rebbe mentioned countless times God’s promise that He would especially guard and protect the Land of Israel – "a land on which the eyes of the Lord your God are always upon it, from the beginning of the year to the end of the year.".
Everyone who lives in the land sees the miracles that accompany us all the years. Our enemies are constantly plotting against us, as the Haggadah says: "In every generation they rise up against us to destroy us," and our eyes see that "the Holy One, the Blessed One, saves us from their hand.".
We are confident that we will get through the Corona crisis with minimal damage. The Creator, who watches over us especially, will protect and preserve each and every one of us, and with His help we will overcome the challenging period ahead of us and return to our routine healthy and unharmed.
Therefore, there is no reason to be filled with unnecessary feelings of anxiety, and there is certainly no room for panic and hysterical food hoarding. It is important that we all radiate faith and confidence in the circles around us, encourage each other's spirits, and face the challenge with strength of spirit and inner joy.
Don't ignore instructions.
However, it is very important to comply with the instructions of the Ministry of Health. No one wants to make things difficult for us just like that. The instructions are given after thought, with knowledge of the data that is not necessarily visible to every citizen, and with the aim of foreseeing the future.
No one wants to discover with hindsight how important it was to obey the instructions. And anyone who wants to can see what is happening in Italy, Spain, and other countries.
The Torah commands us to "be very careful for yourselves." A person is not allowed to endanger himself, and he certainly is not allowed to endanger others. He who disregards the instructions endangers the lives of others. The young man thinks to himself that it is not a big deal; at most he will get infected and get sick. But does he take into account the possibility that by his actions he is bringing the disease to an older person, who will have difficulty recovering from it?
This is a time when we must show great alertness to others. Encourage, support, help. Take an interest in the well-being of those who are locked in their homes. Check to see if they are missing anything. Make happy those who need extra joy. And with God's help, "for you will go out with joy" will be fulfilled in us - through joy we will emerge from all difficulties and problems straight to complete redemption.
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