By Rabbi Aaron Kotler
President and Chief Executive Officer
Beth Medrash Govoha
As per our Governor’s Executive Order, this morning all of NJ Higher Ed and NJ public school districts and private schools closed.
BMG closed this morning. We ended the Z’man, notified all our Talmidim of that, and sent our Bochurim home. We further closed our dormitories.
This morning we still allowed very small groups, under careful size and condition monitoring, into our buildings, and sought further guidance from the State.
Although the State of NJ is not requiring this of us, effective now we are wholly shutting all our buildings down.
The Roshei Yeshiva have asked that all daven at home and learn at home.
May we see Refuah for all those ill, Shemira for those at risk and for us all, and the restoration of public Limud Hatorah and Tefilla to Klal Yisroel.
Thank you.
Have we all gone crazy? In our history’s most dire time when the “law” was to close yeshivos, we were Moser nefesh, the government has not requested to close it down obviously they know very good there is minimal danger for 99.99% of young healthy buchorim.
You dont see the difference? This has nothing to do with the government. This is a mageifa – pikuach nefesh.
You should have asked this question years ago. All this is is a gezaras shmad 2020 version or churban bais hamikdosh 2020 style. Do we treat our shuls with proper respect? Rabonim have been telling us not to talk in shuls or at least during davening, not to use cell phones in shuls, respect the shuls. Now we have to sit home and think about how we can improve. Are the yeshivos doing their part to accept all children? are the parents giving proper respect to the rebbeim, teachers and hanhala. Obviously no one knows Hashems real reasons but this seems obvious. In addition when was the last time yidden had to sit in self quarantine and even announce they are sick. It was when we had Metzorim, they had to announce to everyone I am Tamai. Perahaps Hashem wants us to watch how we talk. Be well zeit gezunt.
Tzros comes for ritchicha giluy arayus and gezayla
I’ll pick these over lashin horah ,
Assisted suicide just passed by one vote and we the orthodox could have stopped it
Vichay bahem , to suspend yeshivas till after a epidemic is not the same as suspending indefinitely or a gezayras al had as.
Think of this like tisha biav or availus certain halachas are the same.
BMG just put out a robocall asking everyone to learn and daven at home (yes to daven b’yechidus)
Gzaras shmad 2020 version. Whoever would have thought there would come a time that we would be closing our own shuls and yeshivos. I know someone who needs to find a healthy mohel to make the bris. If the shuls are the mikdosh miat and the gmara in Shabbos says were not mevael talmud Torah even to build the bais hamikdosh. Then perhaps its not farfetched to say That Hashem wants us to prepare for the real bais hamikdosh by sitting in our homes thinking about how can better the decorum in our shuls and how our yeshivos can better serve even those who aren’t mitzuyonim. Sitting home in self-quarantine I feel like a Metzorah so I dusted off my sefer chofetz chaim and started learning. Zait gezunt
how many of us have shed a tear – not a churban from 2000 yrs ago , in front of our eyes . i asked a few ppl how re you ” hings are crazy but i’m ok” OK??? how in the world
3 weeks ago this matzav was unimaginable and although bh hospitalizations by frum yidden is extremely minimal yet there is still the unknown
“Have we all gone crazy?”
No – actually those of us who realized a while ago that by going to yeshiva we are endangering the lives of others and therefore stayed home are quite sane.
It’s the naive ones who think that this is a war against the yevanim and insist on endangering others that are suspect of being insane.
STAY HOME AND LISTEN TO WHAT THE RABBANIM have all poskened.
Stevens , You are a Chochom of the Ma Nishtana , Don’t you realize that this is Pikuach Nefesh for so many people ? Young people can easily spread this to a few hundred other people and then it might reach someone that is vulnerable , Chas VeShalom .
Stevens- You are STILL not getting. “young healthy bochrim” who get this disease- which you can have for 2 weeks before knowing it- can expose the elderly and others to whom this is DEADLY. READ THE MATERIAL!!!!
This is a punishment from shamayim because we elected toeiva candidates to ruin America. All European countries are suffering for this like by noachs flood. Look at Medrash rabbah 26
I didn’t elect them. You elected them. Speak for yourself !
All of you don’t get it! Are rabbonim the those that know best about Corona virus, no, all they say is to listen to the law and government officials, and that’s my point government officials did not say to close the yeshivas so when are we supposed to listen to our government officials and what not? When do we say we have our own common sense and when do we say leave your common sense and obey the government.
Ner Yisroel was still open today, just closed after 2nd seder. They were the LAST makom torah to close in North America!
Incorrect. Chaim Berlin, here in Brooklyn, was open till the evening. Even made an impromptu Maariv.
https://www.google.com/search?q=chloroquine&rlz=1C1GCEV_enUS859US864&oq=cloquine&aqs=chrome.1.69i57j0l7.6349j0j7&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8
So let’s review:
It’s pikuach nefesh not to starve so you’re allowed to endager others in order to go shopping in public, but to daven to the Aibishter and learn his Torah is not pikuach nefesh so you’re allowed to throw your Yiddishkeit in the toilet. Aha. I hear. Mamesh brilliant.
I’m sorry you don’t get it. Going shopping should also be avoided as much as possible, but in a supermarket your spit is not flying all over other people. And many gedolim have said, that now we have to serve hashem by davening at home. The same Hashem that said we have to daven with a minyon tells us now because of pikuach nefesh you daven biyichdus. (Heard from Rav Uren Reich)
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Coughing/sneezing/spit in a food store is 1000 times worse. you are coughing/droplets directly on to food that someone else will now pick up and bring to his home. someone else will touch the packaging, eat that tomato, drink that water, etc…
The zman is already mostly over, so not that much time was lost.
All the bochurim coming out of the freezer at one time and everyone is quarantined. Wow. Ouch !!
Stevens, I am sorry to say that you remind me, however vaguely, of the description of the chosid shoyte…
I don’t care much whom I remind you of, I’m talking logic and I raised a serious question if you can answer that please do so, let’s not get personal.
@ Perspective.
The zman is already almost over? do you understand what a minute of torah means do you comprehend the courageousness of this gezeras hashem on the bnei torah?
No one said not to learn. Learn every minute. Don’t waste one!!! But at home.
Daven your kishkes out…… but at home. We are not an onais on davening we are only an onais on davening together in a confined place. Learn and daven with joy knowing that you are fulfilling ratzon Hashem and Daas Torah and be in pain that there is such a nasty gzaira against our Batei Medrash Batei Knissios, Tinokos shel Bais Rabban and Tfillah btzibur. But please dont waste time- learn and daven…… daven and learn and in between- clean for Pesach!!
It is also a nisayon as to how strong and resilient we are. Can we learn well under the circumstances?? Hashem wants our TFillos and our Torah…..can we live up to the challenge??
It is impossible to have proper kavana in our small apartment with kinayna hora many little kinderlach running around. Maybe you are zoche to live in one of those monster mansions on a secluded cul-de-sac where you have plenty of extra rooms. Not everyone has that.
I understand your point very well since I don’t myself live in a mansion, but in comparison to our grandparents and grand-grandparents we all do.
Stevens, you are really not understanding the whole situation. Of course the Rabbonim aren’t the ones that know best about Coronavirus, and they know that themselves, so that is exactly why they had literally hours and hours of meetings with All the top doctors in New Jersey(I know this for 100% fact from one of those doctors- I heard him with my own ears!) and discussed what is the best way to proceed from a medical and Torah perspective! Please don’t ever doubt these choshuve yidden! And to all of Klal Yisroel- lets please be mechazeik in our Torah, Tefillah, tzedaka and shemiras halashon even though it may be extremely hard. This is all just a test from Hashem to see if we are really ready for Moshiach! Hatzlacha!
Lets have agavas yisroel and not attack each other .nothing is gained lets all keep our comments to ourselves
I don’t understand where these claims of Bitul Torah come from and gezeiras shmad come from. As R’ Uren Reich Shlit”a put it so well, by not davening and learning b’rabim, one is oseik in a mitzvoh: hatzalos nefashos. In our history, when yeshivos were closed, the result was not to mekayem a mitzvoh – it was a bitul for absolutely no gain or benefit. Here, the closing of these institutions accomplishes just that.
Am I missing something???
It is now a little over 26 years since I physically moved from BMG and the whole New Jersey area, yet, just upon seeing this article’s headline, I was already greatly (especially) pained. When looking at the numerous comments and seeing the remark about Ner Yisroel, I was further (especially) pained, for the Baltimore Ner Yisroel was the first Yeshiva that I attended.
Of course, it really should totally go without needing to be said, NO Yeshiva or Shul or Beis Medrosh anywhere is, Chas V’Shalom, really being “closed” or “Shutting its Doors”!! On the contrary, each institution is in full existence and operation as much as ever. The only difference now is that there has been a — temporary — “change in location.” And, at this “change in location,” which is our own homes, the Roshei Yeshivos and other Rabbonim have instructed us to fully continue our Limud HaTorah!
(Continuation of my previous remarks)
B’Ezras Hashem, when learning at home, utilizing a telephone and/or the Internet, a tremendous amount of learning B’Chavrusa can be done and numerous Shiurim, both live and previously recorded, can be listened to.
A large amount of our Seforim Kedoshim are on the Internet; for a few examples:
The entire Shas Bavli, of an actual photographed copy of every Daf, with a link to the Soncino English translation, is at the website of DafYomi (org) and E-Daf (com).
The entire text of the Mishne Berura is available at the website of MishnaBeruraYomi (org)
The entire Tanach with some Meforshim is at the website of Kodesh (snunit) (k12) (il) (On Chumash, there is Rashi and the Ramban, on the Chameish Megilos, there is Rashi, and on all the other Sifrei Nach there is Rashi and Metzudas). Also, at the website are the entire texts of Shas Mishnaiyos, Shas Bavli, Shas Yerushalmi, the Tosefta, the Medrash Tanchuma, and the Rambam.
An English translation of the entire Tanach with Rashi is at the website of Chabad (org) under the tab “Learning & Values.” Also there, there are numerous more links to, for a few examples: numerous videos of numerous Shiurim on Gemara and the entire texts with English translations of: the Parsha HaShavua with Rashi, Pirke Avos, the Rambam, the Rambam Sefer HaMitzvos, the Kitzur Shulchan Aruch, the Shulchan Aruch HaRav, the Tanya, and the several daily readings of Minhagei Chabad.