Q&A: One Who Separates from the Ways of the Community
One Who Separates from the Ways of the Community
Question
Hello Rabbi, I wanted to ask whether the conduct of some of the Haredim who ignore the coronavirus guidelines (I’m not referring to the debate over whether or not to open educational institutions, but even on the basic level of masks, events, and the like) is included in Maimonides’ words there in the laws of repentance: “One who separates from the ways of the community—even though he has not committed sins, but has separated himself from the congregation of Israel and does not perform commandments together with them, and does not enter into their distress, and does not fast in their fasts, but rather goes on his own way like one of the gentiles of the land, as though he were not one of them—has no share in the World to Come.”
Thank you very much
Answer
There is definitely such an aspect here. I don’t know if it fits completely, because there are instructions there from their leaders to do this wickedness, and the flock follows them like a blind herd.
But the question whether they are considered as separating from the ways of the community is secondary. They are indirectly causing murder, and that is worse.
Discussion on Answer
Hello Lev, I don’t agree with you, my friend. I think Maimonides implies that each one of them by itself is enough.
He simply spelled out all the conditions that define the concept of “one who separates from the ways of the community.”
Just to note that from the plain sense of Maimonides’ words, it seems that all the above conditions are required, and not just one of them.