Blue and White: Shmuel Sackett

Over the years, many people have asked me, “Shmuel, I’d love to live in Israel, but what about my job? What about the kids in school? How do I know I’ll be happy with my new neighborhood? Will I adjust to the different medical system? How will I manage?” To all these questions, I have the same answer: “Hashem speaks Hebrew!” Huh? Let me explain what I mean.

In no way does this article mean to minimize the pain many people have suffered due to COVID-19. It has brought sickness and death to thousands of people. It has caused financial problems, marital problems, and psychological problems. The COVID-19 pandemic is not a laughing matter, and we must all observe the medical guidelines and safety procedures. Recently, a rav I am close with told me how things in his Monsey community have “returned to normal.” He boasted that they have kiddushim and Shalosh Seudos meals together and even “eat from each other’s plates.” Yesterday, he emailed me that he has COVID and asked that I daven for him.

How should a Jew conduct his or her life? We have always been told to daven to Hashem for everything we need, but also to make the necessary effort to “make it happen.” So, what comes first? Do we first pour out our hearts to Hashem, or do we take action and then daven?

I made aliyah in July 1990, and it took time until Saddam Hussein gave me my “Welcome to Israel” present. Six months after my arrival, the Iraqi meshugana fired 39 Scud missiles into Israel. Sirens went off and, like all other Israelis, my family and I sat in our sealed rooms, hoping and davening that we would be okay. When we heard the siren, the first thing we had to do was to put on our masks – big, bulky, and scary looking ones! Israel’s security services were worried that Saddam had armed the missiles with chemical warheads, so every citizen, resident, and tourist was given a gas mask. We went everywhere with them, because we never knew when this evil person would press the “fire” button. That was life back in early 1991.

I cannot be quiet any longer. While I will not mention any names of cult members in this article, I have decided that I must write against a few people in the Torah world – some of whom are my friends! – who write, text, Tweet, and post about what they call the “alleged COVID crisis.” To them, this is not a pandemic, but a PLANdemic, designed by wicked people such as Bill Gates, Binyamin Netanyahu, and those who support the New World Order. They refer to anyone who is involved as Amalek and have made videos and posts that anyone who davens with a mask (which they call a face diaper) as worshipping avodah zarah. I am not kidding nor exaggerating. This is exactly what they say, and their little group of cult followers are very vocal in the world of social media. I’m sure this article will be blasted by all these cult members who seem to have nothing better to do all day than spread their ideology of lies, deceit, and nonsense.

A lot is being written about the “Trump Peace Plan,” and experts on both sides of the political fence are giving their side of what they think. It reminds me of a multiple-choice test: A) I like the plan; B) I do not like the plan; C) I am somewhere in the middle; D) None of the above. My answer is simple: It is a definite, positive “D) None of the above.” Let me explain.