Baruch C. Cohen: Perspectives on Going to Minyanim During the Pandemic

“Tzanz-Klausenberg Rebbe: ‘Who Wants To Be A Murderer Even By Accident?’

The Tzanz-Klausenberg Rebbe of Boro Park harshly criticized people who are ignoring public health regulations and continuing to immerse in mikves and make public minyanim. (The Rebbe was referring to males, as mikves for females have higher levels of hygiene.)

The rebbe, who is the brother of the Tzanz Rebbe of Netanya, Israel and son of the Shefa Chayim of Klausenberg, spoke at a special guidance talk for his Chasidim and said that those who show contempt for the regulations are “light-headed” people, since a person is not the owner of his body and has no right to harm himself, as it is written “one who knowingly causes his own death has no portion in the world to come.”
“Suddenly they are Tzadikim,” the rebbe said scornfully, adding that “are they such Tzadikim on other matters? The Torah warned specifically about guarding one’s body and soul and one who endangers himself is akin to one who detests the wishes of his Creator. There is no greater contempt than that.”

The Rebbe stressed that “obviously praying with a minyan is very important but that is only when the situation allows for it.” He pleaded with his Chasidim: “Have mercy on yourselves and your families, look how many Jews have passed away. Have mercy on your fathers and mothers. Who wants to be a murderer, even by accident?

“I know that there are those that will say I am paranoid and that I have gone through something myself (the rebbe lost his mother to the coronavirus a few weeks ago). But to them I say: ‘It’s a Mitzvah to be a fool all one’s life and not commit one evil act all of one’s life.’ The halacha is that we desecrate the Shabbos for a sick person even for temporary respite meaning even if he will live another ten minutes, and here people are allowing themselves to show disrespect for the entire lives of others?”

The Rebbe added that at the beginning when people did not understand the severity of the virus one could understand people not strictly following the regulations but at present when all have seen already the disastrous results we must be especially careful and only go out for essential purposes and after taking proper precautions as advised by doctors as well as maintaining maximum hygiene.

“Some people say that ’emissaries of mitzvas will not be harmed, and of course those who claim this are ignoramuses, since the gemara says that where their is a possibility of being harmed one may not place oneself in danger even for a mitzvah,” the rebbe added, concluding that “a person must do all in his power to protect his body and soul and not listen to all the fools and idiots who are immersing in mikves and in mikves for utensils. These people are genuine murderers.”