We don't know exactly how HaShem (God) works. Perhaps we know certain things (Middah Kneged Midah-Measure for Measure etc), but to say for certain that covid19 is because of a particular sin is poppycock. In the words of my Rav (Rabbi), Rabbi Simcha Shafran ztzl

(may his righteous memory be for a blessing), on a different topic, "Those who know don't say and those who say don't know." That doesn't mean that one shouldn't be doing some soul searching during a pandemic! It's certainly not a bad idea to take this time to reflect and perhaps find one or more areas of our spirituality or even character that could use some work. But for somebody to blame the whole pandemic on the actions of the world is wrong, fear-mongering, and really just shows by them saying anything-how little they actually know. We can't know why there is a covid19. What we do know is that it could never hurt to work on ourselves which of course would help us find more favor in God's "eyes." But to say definitively why we have a pandemic, and even worse to blame other people for it...no, just no.

So please, enough with the "cute" gematrios (numerical value calculations) and drashos (lit. Discourses/ in this case- personal elucidations of Judaic texts) about why it's happening. If you have a personal middah (trait) that you feel you need to work on - of course, do so. But please, do not project your self-guilt for your own sins onto others.

B'eizer HaShem (with God’s help), not only should we see the geula sheleima bimheira (final redemption quickly), but in the meantime, may we also see the geula (redemption) from this magaifa (pandemic) as well- bimheira (quickly), without ysorim (sufferings) and without

choloyim raim (bad illnesses).

For all of those who need a refua sheleima (full recovery) from anything, may they have a refuah sheleima bimheira (full recovery quickly).

Written by Yehuda Leventhal