Plague Is Decided by Percentages, Not Absolute Numbers!

“We must not look for pro forma loopholes or so-called solutions which –at best– may mitigate, but certainly will not eliminate, the dangers of this disease. The Torah absolutely condemns and forbids acting in a way which – under any circumstances – may allow for the death of a Jew.”  (source for the quote, emphasis added by me)

If this is the standard our Rabbis are now adopting, then forget leaving your house ever again.   You drive a car — you may get into an accident.  You walk the streets — you may get attacked, run over, etc.  It is simply impossible to eliminate danger from life, whether it be from this disease or any other illness, threat, or source of danger.

Especially in the current situation, there is simply no way to prevent the death of a Jew “under any circumstances.”   See here — one of what I fear will be many suicides to come. See here — “Dr. Jay Bhattacharya, who researches health policy at Stanford University, said…The coronavirus can kill…but a global depression will, as well.” See here — “The looming global recession… could cause hundreds of thousands of child deaths…”  I could go on and on with many similar citations and examples. This is a trolley problem — there will be deaths no matter what course of action is taken.  The ONLY strategy that makes any sense is to try to MITIGATE the worst of the consequences. By not realizing that that is the goal — not the elimination of death due to the disease — we risk wasting time, money, and resources and doing more harm than good. Again, just my opinion. With all due respect, I am really at a loss to understand the thinking here.