[Avodah] Ultra-Orthodox suffering in COVID-19 pandemic due to sins of community

[Micha Berger]

On Wed, May 13, 2020 at 05:17:58AM +0000, Rich, Joel via Avodah wrote:
>> But again, even in the Rambam, the response to suffering is to look for
>> what to do teshuvah about. Not to think you do or can find a cause. The
>> response is not about causality.

> See Chulin 7b:
> Rava  seems to think some suffering is not announced above
>     R. Eleazar said: The blood of a bruise atones like the blood of
>     a burnt-offering. Raba added: It is only the blood of a second
>     bruising of the thumb of the right hand that atones, and then only
>     if it happened to one who was about to do a religious act.

I don't see it.

I am not sure Rava is disagreeing with R Chanina. To me it looks like he
is only arguing with R Elazar.

I contrasted two things -- thinking you can find cause, and using an event
to take a lesson.

R Elazar and Rava are discussing a third thing -- atonement.

BTW, the Maharsha asks about "sheluchei mitzvah" and how this person
could get hurt. He offers an answer that I found elegant: We're talking
about what atones kedam olah. The olah is kaparah for hirhusei haleiv.
And to the extent the sheliach's thoughts are not lesheim mitzvah, he
is indeed vulnerable.

Tir'u baTov!
-Micha

-- 
Micha Berger                 Today is the 46th day, which is
http://www.aishdas.org/asp   6 weeks and 4 days in/toward the omer.
Author: Widen Your Tent      Netzach sheb'Malchus: How can some forms of
- https://amzn.to/2JRxnDF                       "unity" be over domineering?