Hagaon Harav Asher Weiss delivered a special shiur on the coronavirus on Sunday evening, during which he said: “I know that many say that most patients are fine – that’s not relevant. What’s important is not the number of people who are fine, what’s important is the number of people who are lo aleinu at risk, especially the chronically ill and elderly.”
“Everyone needs to think about his family and decide who he’s willing to give up – on Saba or Savta, on his Rav or Rebbe – these are the people at-risk.”
“The first rule is to wear a mask. I know that there are ‘chachamim’ among us who aren’t willing to accept the authority of the Health Ministry. Why do we need to listen to them? These are the experts. People all over the world are wearing masks. The Biur Halacha already wrote that one shouldn’t leave his home during a mageifah and whoever must leave should cover his mouth and nose. What the Health Ministry says today, the Gedolei Hador knew 200 years ago. Don’t take it lightly.”
“Whoever feels symptoms is obligated to be tested,” Rav Weiss continued. “If you don’t get tested, you don’t know if you need to be careful and you can infect others. One person can infect hundreds and some of them can chalilah be at great risk. A person will have to face din if he chalilah infects others.”
“A Jew came to me weeping because he was almost certain he infected someone who subsequently died. He requested tikunei teshuvah. This man will never forgive himself. This is why I’m asking you to adhere to regulations.”
(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)
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We’re all mature enough to make our own decisions! No need to listen to Rabbonim, authorities or anyone who tells us things we’d rather not hear cuz we’re smart people! But when we face challenges, all of the sudden we go running to them! Why they don’t lose their patience for our stupidity is beyond me!
there are health experts who say not to wear a mask
“Nobody gives by the way publicity to the WHO’s recommendation quote they do not recommend masks for the general public, unquote, even in their updated note, if you bother to read their whole technical note they say that. And they are talking about the only time you wear a mask is if you are at risk, high risk group, in an area of widespread transmission of the disease and you cannot be three feet away from someone.” [Interview on Fox News, Jun 9, 2020]
Dr. Scott W. Atlas, M.D. is a Senior Fellow at the Hoover Institution of Stanford University and a Member of Hoover Institution’s Working Group on Health Care Policy. Recognized internationally as a leader in both education and clinical research, he was a Senior Advisor for Health Care to a number of candidates for President of the United States during the 2008, 2012, and 2016 presidential campaigns.
@ PleaseStayCalm
For every Doctor who says not to wear masks I’ll find you hundreds of others who say to wear them.
Halacha dictates that when it comes to Safek Pikuach Nefesh we listen to two doctors who say to eat on Yom Kipur even against the advice of hundreds.
Rav Asher Weiss is a widely recognized medical Posek, he’s in charge of Shaarei Zedek hospital and more. I just don’t get how anyone could think they know better and post a copy and paste comment against his Psak…
How hard is it to wear a mask?
It’s the simplest, most non-invasive way to avoid spreading the disease, yet some people want to say it’s not necessary. Even if you think it might not be necessary, is it harmful? Will it make you sick to wear one? So do it. It’s no biggie!
The main reason people won’t wear a mask is because they are like little children screaming at their parents and teachers, “Don’t tell me what to do!”
@PleaseStayCalm Congratulations! YOU are the type of person Rav Asher Weiss is talking about! Rav Asher Weiss does not get his info from Google, YouTube, FoxNews, WhatsApp etc. He gets it from mainstream medical professionals. Halacha (i.e. Hashem) dictates that we follow mainstream medical opinion, right or wrong. It’s called hishtadlus. That’s all we can do. Hishtadlus and Tefilla (which is part of hishtadlus but whatever…). Just because a respected doctor says something, does not mean we listen to him. We follow the majority of mainstream medical professionals. That’s our job, plain and simple. I really don’t understand the difficulty here. We believe that Hashem runs the world. He told us what to do, just do it, and stop thinking you know better.
Whoever want to see what W.H.O. says :
https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019/advice-for-public/when-and-how-to-use-masks&publication=advice-on-the-use-of-masks-in-the-community-during-home-care-and-in-healthcare-settings-in-the-context-of-the-novel-coronavirus-(2019-ncov)-outbreak
The following can be found on page 7, @pleasestaycalm After analysis of the situation around you in to which category do we fit in? What is the WHO recommendation? If you can’t figure it out, why don’t you rely on those giving recommendation’s for you as opposed to the WHO which gives recommenations for goverments?
Situations/settings Population Purpose of
mask use
Type of mask to consider
wearing if recommended
locally
Areas with known or suspected
widespread transmission and limited or
no capacity to implement other
containment measures such as
physical distancing, contact tracing,
appropriate testing, isolation and care
for suspected and confirmed cases.
General population in public settings, such
as grocery stores, at work, social
gatherings, mass gatherings, closed
settings, including schools, churches,
mosques, etc.
Potential
benefit for
source control
Non-medical mask
Settings with high population density
where physical distancing cannot be
achieved; surveillance and testing
capacity, and isolation and quarantine
facilities are limited
People living in cramped conditions, and
specific settings such as refugee camps,
camp-like settings, slums
Potential
benefit for
source control
Non-medical mask
Settings where a physical distancing
cannot be achieved (close contact)
General public on transportation (e.g., on a
bus, plane, trains)
Specific working conditions which places
the employee in close contact or potential
close contact with others e.g., social
workers, cashiers, servers
Potential
benefit for
source control
Non-medical mask
Settings where physical distancing
cannot be achieved and increased risk
of infection and/or negative outcomes
Vulnerable populations: • People aged ≥60 years • People with underlying comorbidities,
such as cardiovascular disease or
diabetes mellitus, chronic lung
disease, cancer, cerebrovascular
disease, immunosuppression
Protection Medical mask
Any setting in the community* Persons with any symptoms suggestive of
COVID-19
Source control Medical mask
Sorry I’ll try that again, the following appears on page 7 in table 2.
https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019/advice-for-public/when-and-how-to-use-masks
1] In Areas with known or suspected widespread transmission and limited or no capacity to implement other containment measures such as physical distancing, contact tracing, appropriate testing, isolation and care for suspected and confirmed cases.
General population in public settings, such as grocery stores, at work, social gatherings, mass gatherings, closed settings, including schools, churches, mosques, etc. SHOULD WEAR NON-MEDICAL MASK
2] Settings with high population density where physical distancing cannot be achieved; surveillance and testing capacity, and isolation and quarantine facilities are limited. People living in cramped conditions, and
specific settings such as refugee camps, camp-like settings, slums. SHOULD WEAR NON-MEDICAL MASK
3] Settings where a physical distancing cannot be achieved (close contact) General public on transportation (e.g., on a bus, plane, trains) Specific working conditions which places
the employee in close contact or potential close contact with others e.g., social workers, cashiers, servers
SHOULD WEAR NON-MEDICAL MASK
4] Settings where physical distancing cannot be achieved and increased risk of infection and/or negative outcomes Vulnerable populations: • People aged ≥60 years • People with underlying comorbidities, such as cardiovascular disease or diabetes mellitus, chronic lung disease, cancer, cerebrovascular disease, immunosuppression SHOULD WEAR A MEDICAL MASK
5] In Any setting in the community Persons with any symptoms suggestive of
COVID-19 SHOULD WEAR A MEDICAL MASK
Thank you R’ Asher
@PleaseStayCalm – I invite you to read this YWN article. One of the last lines is powerful.
“Just before the patient died, he looked at the nurse and said, “I think I made a mistake, I thought this was a hoax, but it’s not.”
אל תהיה צדיק הרבה
https://www.theyeshivaworld.com/news/headlines-breaking-stories/1881375/patient-dies-after-catching-virus-at-covid-party-in-texas.html