BechukosaI. Vayikra 26:3. Etymology and Sociology

אם־בחקתי תלכו ואת־מצותי תשמרו ועשיתם אתם

Rashi:

אם בחקתי תלכו. יָכוֹל זֶה קִיּוּם הַמִּצְווֹת, כְּשֶׁהוּא אוֹמֵר וְאֶת מִצְוֹתַי תִּשְׁמְרוּ וַעֲשִיתֶם אֹתָם הֲרֵי קִיּוּם הַמִּצְווֹת אָמוּר, הָא מָה אֲנִי מְקַיֵּם אִם בְּחֻקֹּתַי תֵּלֵכוּ? שֶׁתִּהְיוּ עֲמֵלִים בַּתּוֹרָה (ספרא):

The Sifra explains that "Teileichu" can not mean "walk in the path of the Torah by doing mitzvos," because that is the subject of the next phrase in the passuk. So what does Teileichu mean? It means "diligent study of the Torah." 

Why would teileichu/walk mean study? And how does it mean "Ameilus," rigorous study?

From the Merriam-Webster website:

Inculcate derives from the past participle of the Latin verb inculcare, meaning "to tread on." In Latin, inculcare possesses both literal and figurative meanings, referring to either the act of walking over something or to that of impressing something upon the mind, often by way of steady repetition. It is the figurative sense that survives with inculcate, which was first used in English in the 16th century. Inculcare was formed in Latin by combining the prefix in- with calcare, meaning "to trample," and ultimately derives from the noun calx, "heel."

From Etymology Online:

...from Latin inculcatus, past participle of inculcare "force upon, insist; stamp in, impress, tread down," from in- "in" (from PIE root *en "in") + calcare "to tread, press in," from calx (1) "heel" (see calcaneus). 

To inculcate is to learn by treading on, by stamping in, by steady repetition. That is precisely the sense in which the word is used here: Teileichu-walk-inculcate through ameilus.



We all scratch our heads, wondering why it is that the Chareidi and Chasidic communities seem to shrug off the Covid precautions that every health agency in the world says are vitally important, with the result that השם ירחם the infection rate in those communities is horribly high. 

In this case, the postscript denigrating those that wear masks in Shul, and strongly requesting/warning that they stay out of their Mikdash Me'aht, is on a separate piece of paper, so it may be the work of one individual and not reflective of the group as a whole. But let's not fool ourselves.

I think it is generally acknowledged that part of disproportionate spread in the Orthodox community was because innocent international Meshulachim acted as vectors on Purim before anyone knew what was happening. 

But to some extent, I think the answer is that inculcation is the handmaiden of indoctrination, and indoctrination, done well, trumps empirical evidence. We are taught that Torah and Mitzvos and Tefillah protect us, and that what poses the threat of harm to others is not dangerous to us. That being the fact, we should go to shul, we should go to yeshiva, we should gather to do mitzvos, because the zechus of doing these things will protect us, and the sin of not doing them will endanger us. Ayy, we see the opposite? Doesn't matter. We know the truth.

This preference for faith over evidence has preserved the Jewish People over the millennia. The nations deride us for holding fast to our faith when we are the smallest and most endangered of nations, when for thousands of years the blood of Jews was hefker and misery and abuse were the lot of the Jew.  The nations say, with justification,  איה נא אלהיהם.  But we don't care! We know what is true, we know that  אתה בחרתנו מכל העמים, אהבת אותנו ורצית בנו ורוממתנו מכל הלשונות, וקידשתנו במצוותיך וקרבתנו מלכנו לעבודתך, ושמך הגדול והקדוש, עלינו קראת.  We know that the Ribono shel Olam loves us and will redeem and reward us.

I think that ignoring health directives is both assur and wrong. But I also believe that the quarantines and enforced isolation has had unintended and unexpected consequences, arguably worse than the disease itself. I know many people that delayed medical attention to problems, and when they finally went to the doctor it was too late to do anything about it. Two of them passed away in the last month. I know of people that have become hermits, paranoid, agoraphobes. I know of people whose finances are ruined. Only a prophet could have anticipated this, and only an omniscient mind could know whether the benefit outweighed the terrible costs. Along the same lines, I think, I have seen, that six months away from Shul, and the possibility of not joining a kehillah for the Yamim Noraim, can do irreparable harm to Jewish families.  

You will say that if staying at home shakes our faith, then our faith must have been a facade, a social phenomenon instead of true belief. I do not believe that is true. But I do believe that faith needs chizuk, and the psychological damage done by months of isolation can cause serious problems, even to sincere faith. If that is true, perhaps the Chasidim are right. Lives might רחמנא ליצלן be endangered, but that is a risk worth taking to preserve our way of life.