Recently we have seen in the news that the police in New York are issuing summons to people not wearing masks.
The question is: Is this method effective? Or is it better to use a positive approach by handing out free masks to those in need?
This week’s Torah portion, Emor, starts with, “G-d telling Moses to tell the Kohanim (priests), the children of Aaron, that they should not become ritually impure.” This double expression (telling and tell) teaches us that it is the responsibility of the elders to teach the younger generation these laws. Or to interpret it another way, it is the responsibility of the courts to teach these laws.
Let’s apply this teaching to our lives today. The elders and parents should teach the young. Or the courts, meaning the authorities and the police force, should teach the public how to remain pure and safe from any virus and disease. How is this done? By education. This is not done by punishment. This is done by positive reinforcement.
When we teach a child what it means to grow up to be a holy “priest” and how special it is to be able to serve G-d, this child wants to be extra careful in his or her behavior so that they are always pure and holy.
If we cannot inspire ourselves in our behavior, how can we expect to inspire others? When we practice responsible social distancing (according to CDC guidelines) then when the economy starts to reopen and we go back to work, others will do likewise, not because they fear that we will snitch on them, but because they are inspired to do the same.
We are in this together. Let us be a holy nation. A nation of “priests.” Let us remain healthy and happy and let us pray that a remedy will be found for this awful coronavirus quickly!
Shabbat Shalom.