This is my dark side speaking. I am not even sure that I want to give it voice. Better it should live in my imagination or nightmares; better it should live in my silent fear. I come to this naturally. We say in Hebrew: Al Tiftach Peh LiSatan – Do not open your mouth to Satan. Or put a little less esoterically. If you don’t verbalize it won’t become real. (Or something like that.)
But it has or it is becoming. We are ready to accept three thousand people dying a day from the virus in the US alone. We are ready to accept that this social distancing is the new norm. We are ready to accept that the more we open our society without enough testing, without a viable treatment, without a vaccine or immunity, we will push the death rate higher and higher. And our vulnerable will die; our seniors will die; our disenfranchised will be at higher risks; our care givers and first responders, our doctors and nurses will be put in more and more danger. It’s a mess.
If I were writing science fiction, I would give the virus “intention”. The earth would have a sense of consciousness, and this would be a warning/punishment/cleansing/teaching that we have gone too far and this beautiful blue globe will not keep spinning if we do not start to take care of it. In shutting us down; the virus has brought clear waters to the canals of Venice. A lesson.
Or if I were writing theology of a reward and punishment style, I would give the virus a Creator. And there would be prophets running around preaching and prophesying of an Apocalypse. Everyone is saying: It is the end of the world as we know it. Where is Jonah when we need him?
If I were writing alternative history, I would tell my readers that the virus has purpose. It will make our society leaner and younger. The burden of a growing, aging, infirm population will be eradicated. And we will breathe again – we the immune; we with the antibodies; we with the new identity cards that have a CF embedded in gold. CF for Covid Free. We will go out again and the new ID with CF will get you into bars and arenas, theaters and malls, restaurants and house of worship and study.
Or we will just descend into sporadic and seasonal chaos. Ever read “The Road” by Cormac McCarthy? It is a post-apocalyptic novel of a father and son navigating the new reality some unknown disaster created. I actually gave a sermon based on it, seeing the father as Abraham and the son as Isaac and the road they navigated as a test of faith, love and ingenuity.
I told you my dark side was speaking. “WASHINGTON, D.C. – Toilet paper isn’t the only commodity in short supply during the COVID-19 pandemic. Personal safety concerns triggered by the pandemic have made nationwide gun sales explode. Many gun dealers in Northeast Ohio say business is so busy they’ve had trouble maintaining inventory.” (Cleveland.com) And today Palm Beach County opens in Phase One. Restaurants and Retail at 25%. No nails done – a big topic in my house and no haircuts yet.
Progress but so much unknown. Progress but so much yet to be determined. Progress but so many lessons yet to be learned. Certainly, we will be a masked society. Certainly at least for a while we will keep our distance from each other. Certainly, we will think twice about things that used to be routine. Like touching a door handle or shaking hands – although I sort of like the Namaste fold – it is respectful and humbling which in these times is a good thing. I am getting used to some of the restrictions but that’s a different post. This one is staying dark.
rabbiunplugged 
Thank you Rabbi for penning these dark thoughts that frequently appear in my head. When they come, i need to shelve them for a while so i can feel the blessings all around me.
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Nice – I also shelve them whenever possible and keep the positive (blessings) in front of me
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❤️❤️ WOW ❤️❤️
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Usually it is my place to be the cynic how ever there comes a time when, even to me, such a posture is not of value. In stead I will offer: חֲזַק וֶאֱמָץ – be strong and be courageous
Shalom
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I didn’t know you knew that much Hebrew (Just kidding). You are right
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I were ejewkated at Brandees.
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I liken what we are going through to Exodus. Moses keeps telling Pharaoh to let my people go. And Pharaoh’s heart keeps getting harder and harder. God did free the Hebrew slaves just as God will free those who labor without even much straw. I mentor a 57 year-old black man who has asthma and high blood pressure. I have begged him to quit but there are other men where he lives who come and go every day plus he has to report to parole. He told me he sees the situation he is in clearly, he enjoys working, he is putting himself into the safe hands of God. I pointed out that the safe hands of God would not necessarily keep him alive. He said he understands and accepts that. Pharaoh, let our people go! All of us who have our money and security, let our people go! Oh richest country in the world, let all people have good health care, fair wages, good education, respect and prospects for a good future.
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That man’s faith is admirable. I agree with you that how sad that this richest country in the world cant take care of its people. There is a Pharaoh whose heart hardens daily in charge here – we need a Joseph
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Almost hate to say it but you have written down many of my thoughts! Once again I suggest reading Station 11 to find some hope! And yes, while I know we are opening up, I feel hesitant to be around people and that is sad. But I know the human spirit will prevail even under altered circumstances 🙂
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I will add Station 11 to my list. And the human spirit will prevail – my dark side says – we might not
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Progress? Only in the Northeast, thanks to Gov. Cuomo’s leadership. In Florida, we have a governor lying about the number of deaths attributable to the virus. What we have guiding the rest of the country… guiding is the wrong word. We’ve got an incompetent reality TV host trying to lead. And not getting anywhere because most Americans know he isn’t believable. He’s responsible for the deaths of thousands of Americans. He’s easily the worst president in my lifetime.
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OY VEY!
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You have such an amazing talent for expressing yourself in a meaningful way. Keep writing and posting….gives us something to look forward to. Namaste!
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Howard, Thank you as always for your insights. With some trepidation, I am going to disagree with you. it is not YOUR dark side that is speaking — you are accurately and with sadness recounting the dark things that are happening to all of us and to our society as a result of the pandemic and the mishandling of it by public officials and some who care more about their “personal liberty” than the welfare of the community. I spoke on many of these topics in a sermon I gave at Bethesda yesterday. I’ll send it to you. Blessings, Tom
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Thanks Tom – you hav enever had trepidation before – I look forward to reading the sermon
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Thank you, Howard. As many have said, you have unearthed thoughts we have not necessarily wanted to entertain. However, you have also organized them and clarified them. That is often the beginning of finding a way out.
Again, thank you.
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Hey Roger —- you are making a career on Interfaith Family (or whatever it is called) — nice!!!!
PS _ I am ready to find the way out
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Thank you dear friend for the lucid words. You have given voice to what mNy of us are experiencing.
Look forward to the day when we can meet up in person, here ,on the shores of the mighty St Lawrence, or there, in the land of sunshine.
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Thank you dear friend for the lucid words. You have given voice to what many of us are experiencing.
Look forward to the day when we can meet up in person, here ,on the shores of the mighty St Lawrence, or there, in the land of sunshine.
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I would love to see you on the shores of the St. Lawrence — thanks for the kind words
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staying Dark is exactly the way I feel. On a bright sunny day—hardly ever in New Jersey where it mostly forgets its spring and more likely to snow—is in line with the darker mode of the current situation. I hate the song “Don’t worry be happy”. You can’t order someone to be happy when they are visiting that darker place. Thank you for your beautifully written reconfirming dark place
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I think our dark sides could be friends.
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Rabbi, I’d forgotten The Road. I remember the sermon well and your talk of redemption, which I believe I questioned when writing to you(?). It was the winter I spent in Haifa – it was freezing rain day afer day and the wind screamed across Mt. Carmel. I read The Road. I cannot get out of mind, ever, the roasting baby. I’ve not gone to that very, very dark place, but I have accepted the reality of no vaccine, no personal freedom to wander without worry of contagion. This is not an easy reality when living alone. I’m not sure what to even call it. It isn’t loneliness. It is a stifling of the spirit. Zoom is not a fix.
Thank you always for your thoughts and writing,
Sammy
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