By COLlive reporter
With the outbreak of coronavirus in the Crown Heights neighborhood, members of the Bais Din of Crown Heights issued an emergency ruling in an effort to halt the spread of the disease.
Rabbi Avrohom Osdoba, Rabbi Yaacov Schwei and Rabbi Yosef Braun wrote that “It is absolutely forbidden for anyone over the age of 65, or with underlying health conditions, to attend Shul, Mikvah, or any other public place.”
The letter dated Monday began by stating that “A fire is burning in our community.” They added that “due to the urgency of the matter, we haven’t had the opportunity to procure written signatures for this document.”
The 3 rabbis stressed that anyone with symptoms of COVID-19, as well as any health condition or above the age of 65, “must remain home at this time. This is a matter of Sakonas Nefashos – danger to life.”
COVID-19 has reached epidemic proportions in the Crown Heights community, with many people affected, medical professionals have said.
The Departement of Health guidelines state that for all those presumed infected, stay home for at least one week after onset of symptoms or 72 hours after fever abates, whichever of the two is longer.
If symptoms are not improving after 5-7 days and especially if you’re feeling worse, in particular with shortness of breath, you must seek help.
“Going to shul or mikvah under these circumstances is a mitzvah ha’baah ba’aveira (a Mitzvah performed through sin) and one who does so is violating the Mitzvah of ונשמרתם מאוד לנפשותיכם,” the rabbis concluded in their letter.
Everyone living with the sick person needs to stay home. That’s the orders of the CDC and all health professionals. Why the Rabbonim haven’t said this I don’t understand. People living with sick people can be asymptomatic and have the virus they can spread it. The whole house is supposed to quarantine.
Maybee its time to start arranging healthy young people to deliver necessities like food and medicine to those whom should stay home thereby reducing their need to leave home.
We asked the drs and they said as long as you have no Symptoms you can still go out.
It has been confirmed that you can infect others even without showing symptoms.
You can be contagious without knowing you have it, stop killing people
Not true
Yesterday it was posted by the Drs that healthy people can leave the house even if someone is sick at home. See collive
It doesn’t matter if you’re not experiencing symptoms – you can be infected with the virus and experience no symptoms. It doesn’t matter if you’re under 65 – there are people in their 30s and 40s also experiencing distress. It doesn’t matter who you are or what you do. Unless you are a healthcare worker, have an essential job where you work in a small workplace where you can maintain distance from people, are going out to buy necessities, or are walking outside to a park or outdoors where you can maintain distance – STAY HOME. New York already has… Read more »
It’s easy to say but honestly we will be broken financially. I think we are not the only one Family in CH that do not have any sick days or family vacation. Praying to HaShem for miracles
But going to shul, 770, men’s mikva, etc when you can learn/daven at home or take a shower increases rate of transmission and breaks the health system
immediately
Send names of all those who are affected. There is a lot of time to say tehillim and learn
Green tea with a teaspoon of CEYLON cinnamon, fresh squeezed lemon juice, and a tablespoon of honey.
This announcement is not enough. Sick people have to be quarantined for 14 days as well as people who live with them, those who were close to them and in the places where they were.
In addition, you cannot hold public meetings and do mini-anime of no more than 10 people and in separate places. No one has to go to events or public places, and in that case not be closer than 2 meters. These are some of the measures taken in Israel and they are paying off.
We need this letter sent out to all shuls. I was in a shul this morning and there were 5 people over 65.
Close the Shuls. With locks to save lives of our deaf brethren.
There is ABSOLUTELY no reason to keep them open anymore.
“COVID-19 has reached epidemic proportions in the Crown Heights community, with many people affected, medical professionals have said.”
Really?
How many cases in CH ?
I would also like to hear some actual facts at some point. Everything is just generalizations. Please provide details about these cases. I truly believe it is the only way to get people to take this seriously. Only when they hear actual cases of people they know or something that his home will anyone believe that this is really a potential disaster. As long as it is just “a lot of people” or “many in our community” nobody is really listening. We need to get it through to people that this is not a joke.
Those who get the virus and then recover from it, have reduced lung capacity, afterwards.
I was hoping they would give more spiritual solutions such as fasting and getting rid of tv phones. “There are no tribulations without transgressions.” -Breslev The Lubavitcher Rebbe once said in the igros kodesh that it is better not to learn halacha from someone with a TV in their home. Now we all walk around attached to a tv/computer in our phones 24-6. “I am using it for good,” we say. Does a child or teenager know how to use a phone for good? No! Their precious brains are still forming. And to put the physical dangers in perspective: Smartphones/5G… Read more »
fasting, ascetic practices are not for this dor. The Rebbe’s approach was to put more Torah out on the radio, not run away from technology
Can we make a list of all the people in Crown Heights who need help immediately
There are families with parents sick in bed children running around the house but no one to give them supper
Also a lot of these parents are already struggling financially with not being able to put bread on the table. PLEASE help them
Can we start a list it’s a time of crisis
Hungry children are crying out for food
Why is 770 still open? the doors need to be locked limit of 10 people gathering should be enforced by cuomo
B”H
The mishkan was set up 23 Adar. By then, maybe each home will be a real mikdash me’at, each with their own ‘shul.’
Copy the israeli method and stay home dont wait until it’s out of hand as this virus multiplies exponentially very fast
the fire has been burning in Crown Hwights for a long time, but a different type of fire…
we are burning regarding a total tznius disregard, lack of decorum in shul, lackadaisal attitude towards tefilah and learning torah, lack of dedicated shadchanim, and lack of mesirus nefesh for our fellow yids
Everyone needs to be staying home whether you feel 100 percent healthy or the opposite. Young healthy people can be carriers of the virus without symptoms and then pass it on to those more vulnerable. You can be a carrier of the virus right now and never feel symptoms and then pass it on to someone more vulnerable like the elderly, immunocompromised etc. So telling people to stay home only if they have symptoms is irresponsible.
close shuls it is the only way to stop the spread. 770 although less people, still way above the guidelines. People won’t listen unless you take drastic action and close and lock everything up. Please for the sake of health and the greater good just do it.
Learning, daavening etc. can be done from home now given the circumstances