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As humans, we are exceedingly complex creatures. Oftentimes we perform deeds that others would consider bad, but G-d considers them good. Sometimes, unfortunately, is the opposite. This is the intent of R’ Yosef, the son of R’ Yehoshua (Bava Basra 10b), that in the next world things seem the other way around.
But it’s even more than that. Ever since the sin of the Eitz Hadas (eating from the forbidden fruit in the Garden of Eden), good and evil became inextricably intertwined with each other that seldom can it be said that any action is purely good or vice versa. The only way to really know what is good and what is bad is to carefully study Torah and Mussar and apply it with lots of self-introspection. Actions that are bereft of true Torah values have the ability to be good-intentioned, but evil just the same.
The Chazon Ish (Emunah U’Betachon Chapter 3) gives the following parable to illustrate this point.
In a small village in Europe there lived some veteran Melamed. He had been teaching Torah to the children in town for nearly half a century. Along came a group of young and energetic Rabbis who sought to revitalize the entire educational structure in town. In days before pensions and social security funds were the norm, elder people who had only been living hand-to-mouth and were not able to put aside money, didn’t have the luxury of retiring. Taking on the plight of the elder, many in the town resisted what they perceived as a hostile takeover of the educational system. The system had worked for years, the elder was still capable, and without the income the elder and his family would starve to death. To combat the injustice, they badmouthed the younger group, protested that the new group is being masig gevul and created a situation where anyone who would join the other group would be rejected from the community.
If the halacha would be that one is permitted to stop newcomers from taking over the education system, then all the steps they had taken would not only have been correct, but they would have been virtuous. However, due to the fact that by schoolteachers there is no prohibition of hessig gevul the situation flips on its head. The Chazon Ish continues to enumerate numerous prohibitions that the enraged townspeople violate, simply by not following a single line in Bava Basra (21a).
Many people are judged broad stroked without acknowledgment of the details. Oftentimes, though, even if we are privy to the details, we are not in the position to judge. We cannot fathom what’s truly in the heart of our fellow man and definitely not of his Creator.
Which brings us to our topic of discussion.
Last year, in 2021 a Rabbinic Proclamation was released warning about the harms of the Gardasil vaccine. The many injuries and little benefit in our community had led rabbis to question and subsequently forbid the HPV vaccine.
Are you wondering why you didn’t hear of this letter? Why are children in the community still receiving this vaccine en-mass? Why are doctors ignoring the rabbis’ advice?
A bit of inside information may shed some light on this.
Subsequent to publishing this letter, the lead author of the letter received a phone call from Lakewood’s famed veteran doctor. The doctor took offence at this letter which he deemed to be a frontal attack on him personally. The doctor insisted that the rabbi retract his letter. The rabbi replied “Doctor, you’ll never get me to change my mind on this one.” The rabbi related that too many people had reported to him personally of the devastating consequences of this vaccine. Others had gone through the “science” related to the vaccine in depth, so the rabbi had a real understanding of the shenanigans underpinning the alleged ‘safety’ of this vaccine. (It didn’t start with the covid vaccine). Faced with humiliation, the doctor proceeded to tell patients who inquired that this ruling was nothing but a forgery! All this after speaking to the rabbi directly! The rabbi got intimidated and called his gabbi and asked him not to circulate his proclamation any further. And this is how the opinion of leading rabbis died an ignominious death. The doctor in question still shills the Gardasil vaccine to any adolescent who enters his office. The Rabbinical proclamation notwithstanding, failure to agree to accept this vaccine results in shaming and exclusion from his practice.
The fact that one performs good deeds and charities definitely shows one’s virtue. However, deeds notwithstanding, if one only performs good deeds because his intellect and morality guides him so, but not because he is following a higher calling, is not necessarily the epitome of good (see Rambam end of Chapter 8, Hilchos Melachim). Someone who performs good deeds irrespective of the Torah can accurately be labeled a Good Samaritan, but remains a Samaritan all the same.
What is the purpose in pimping out a vaccine that is supposed to prevent a sexually transmitted disease to a demographic that categorically frowns on such behavior outside the sanctity of marriage?