Ki Tisa (Shabbat Parah): Self-Quarantine; Not Ostracism

I can't decide if it's a good thing or a bad thing that this Shabbat includes a special reading about ritual purity. Feels a little on-the-nose, to be honest. But at the same 

time, how could I really speak about anything ELSE??? Well, there's at least one comparison between the ritual purification of the Ancient Temple and our current coronavirus-predicament that I DO appreciate; the removal of stigma. Every year, I've felt a need to clarify that the Torah's understanding of purity and impurity is NOT about being "clean" or "dirty." But it's often a losing battle. When you read the text, it FEELS like the Torah is labeling one as "good" and the other as "bad"; one as "free of filth" and thus "free of sin," and the other as "dirt-infested" and thus "sinful," "shameful," and worth of social ostracism. Maybe COVID-19 will finally help us focus on treating the ailment... but NOT stigmatizing and humiliating the ailing.

When Tom Hanks can reveal that he has the coronavirus; when Sophie Grégoire Trudeau, the wife of the Canadian prime-minister, can reveal that she too has tested positive; and when athletes, politicians, cab drivers, and people living in YOUR backyard can all admit that they are testing positive - it truly becomes a level
playing field. Sadly, that does not mean everyone will be impacted equally. School closures and quarantined communities will still disproportionately harm low-income communities, who may rely on school meals, public internet access, and other services that some have the luxury of taking for granted. But again, one thing I DO hope and pray will be true is that we not look for a "scapegoat" and ostracize people from China, or those who practice a certain religion, or who are part of a specific socio-economic group. This thing is hitting everyone and anyone; so perhaps one primary, crucial, essential thing we can do is NOT turn on one another.

This moment calls for vigilance. That is absolutely true. And we should take ALL necessary precautions, and practice social-distancing, even when it feels
antithetical to who we are as individuals, social creatures, community-minded professionals, and as Jews. Yet let us also be VERY mindful of how we talk about the coronavirus, and how we treat those who are infected and affected by this pandemic. The Torah DOES include language about ostracism, in conjunction with our reading about ritual purification... however, it only applies to someone who deliberately transgresses the rules or intentionally refuses to participate. In other words, as long as we are mindful of one another's health, and actively working to be IN community with one another, no one should be ostracized or excommunicated!

The Torah still suggests isolation for a period of time. Ritual impurity does change a person's predicament, and the Torah has rules for how to spend time apart from the
community before rejoining... much like self-isolation and quarantine in our current crisis. But in both the Torah AND in the news, quarantine is NOT a cause for alarm or panic. We need to deal with the situation as it presents itself, be mindful of the consequences for ourselves as individuals and for our greater communities, and then go through the necessary steps to emerge on the other side. Throughout it all, the Torah keeps a level head, even while acknowledging that these issues are serious and important. We should take the same approach; today, for as long as the pandemic persists, and hopefully moving far off into the future as well.


CC images in this blog post, courtesy of:
1. 59th Medical Wing
2. Walt Disney Television on Flickr
3. Mariano-J on Wikimedia Commons
4. The CDC