A leading ultra-Orthodox Israeli rabbi has ruled that stopping studying the Torah is a greater risk to the Jewish people than the novel coronavirus.
Rabbi Chaim Kanievsky, a leading authority in Israel's Haredi Jewish community, said that suspending Torah study even for one day would be more dangerous than contracting Covid-19, a ruling that has seen many yeshivas (religious education institutions) and Torah schools stay open despite the government having ordered the closure of schools and other educational institutions.
Tens of thousands of Haredi students attended religious classes on Sunday in line with Rabbi Kanievsky's ruling, Haaretz reported.
When asked by his grandson whether yeshivas and schools should close in order to slow the spread of the coronavirus, the rabbi replied: "God forbid".
That sentiment was echoed by Yitzhak Weiss, a representative of the Orthodox Council of Jerusalem.
Senior police officials headed to Rabbi Kanievsky's home on Sunday in an attempt to persuade the influential religious leader to shut the yeshivas' doors, Israeli media reported.
The police also visited the homes of other influential ultra-Orthodox rabbis who had ordered students to stay on at yeshivas despite measures to prevent the virus' spread.
Other religious leaders have fallen in line with the new health ministry regulations, however.
Ashkenazi chief Rabbi David Lau advised last week that the "requirement to take care of yourself in order to avoid hurting a fellow person supersedes even the requirement to take care of yourself for your own sake".
Later on Sunday, Rabbi Kanievsky relented and agreed to limit Torah study to groups of 10 or under in line with health ministry regulations.
At least 250 Israelis have tested positive for the novel coronavirus and tens of thousands are currently under quarantine.
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Rabbi Chaim Kanievsky, a leading authority in Israel's Haredi Jewish community, said that suspending Torah study even for one day would be more dangerous than contracting Covid-19, a ruling that has seen many yeshivas (religious education institutions) and Torah schools stay open despite the government having ordered the closure of schools and other educational institutions.
Tens of thousands of Haredi students attended religious classes on Sunday in line with Rabbi Kanievsky's ruling, Haaretz reported.
When asked by his grandson whether yeshivas and schools should close in order to slow the spread of the coronavirus, the rabbi replied: "God forbid".
That sentiment was echoed by Yitzhak Weiss, a representative of the Orthodox Council of Jerusalem.
"It is more dangerous to close the [ultra-Orthodox schools], because our tradition says the Torah protects and saves us from calamities, and to close the schools of Torah learning children would do more harm," Weiss told The Jerusalem Post on Sunday.
"This is how we have acted throughout the ages."
Senior police officials headed to Rabbi Kanievsky's home on Sunday in an attempt to persuade the influential religious leader to shut the yeshivas' doors, Israeli media reported.
The police also visited the homes of other influential ultra-Orthodox rabbis who had ordered students to stay on at yeshivas despite measures to prevent the virus' spread.
Other religious leaders have fallen in line with the new health ministry regulations, however.
Ashkenazi chief Rabbi David Lau advised last week that the "requirement to take care of yourself in order to avoid hurting a fellow person supersedes even the requirement to take care of yourself for your own sake".
Later on Sunday, Rabbi Kanievsky relented and agreed to limit Torah study to groups of 10 or under in line with health ministry regulations.
At least 250 Israelis have tested positive for the novel coronavirus and tens of thousands are currently under quarantine.
Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to stay connected