By: David Herman, Israel

In these corona-dark days of doom and gloom, of despair, bereavement and loss, of locked-in loneliness, throughout the world without exception, when humanity sees itself for what it really is, frail, insignificant, powerless, patently unequipped to meet the nigh-invincible foe, I for one, alone, impoverished, only too aware of my mortal frailty, and yet also aware that there exists, over and above all the distress and woe, a golden opportunity to transform the world from a world riven by seemingly insoluble and unceasing conflicts into a new world order, a world that at last will answer the prayers and aspirations of billions of ordinary people, a world of total peace, reconciliation and cooperation to a degree never seen before and previously unattainable. So what does this vision of the future have to do with the corona pandemic and why do I bring it up just when we are blindly searching for ways and means to combat and overcome this invisible and seemingly invincible enemy of mankind? I do so because, as an observant Jew living in the Holy City of Jerusalem, I feel that via the virus Hashem, the Lord, is sending us humans a message which says basically that “Enough is enough! Enough of centuries of wars and conflict and oppression! I didn’t put you on earth and gift you with life so that you can spend your days and nights dropping bombs and firing rockets at one another with the cursed aim of ridding my world of as many lives as possible and even to the extent of being prepared to run the risk of totally erasing all human life just to satisfy a few leaders’ lust for power or conquest.” Of course, I have neither right nor ability to try and fathom Hashem’s thoughts and plans, but I think that the basic trend, as evidenced so tragically by the blood-drenched course of history with its blatant disregard for innocent God-given human life, is unmistakably clear, which is why the seemingly irresistible corona virus seems to me so clearly a final warning to humanity to change its history-charted ways, or else! Whereas we humans all over our corona-struck globe, despite all our scientific and technological advances, with our cars and jets and spacecraft and apparently limitless inventions, innovations and inclinations, appear powerless to oppose and repel the remorseless attack of the corona virus on every aspect of our daily lives, there is nonetheless the feeling that Hashem in His Goodness is offering mankind a Divine Golden Opportunity via the virus to at long last throw off the conflict-cursed flow of human history and begin at last to see what Living and Life in His World is and should be all about. Now, if ever there was, is THE TIME to tell all the leaders and nations who have been at each other’s throats for decadent decades of human decay to put a full and final stop to their infantile and futile aggressions from which nothing can be gained except increasing suffering for their populations and worrying and disturbing contributions to the imperiled future and fate of mankind. And if they are unable to control and subdue their aggressive tendencies then they must be removed and replaced by leaders who understand the Divine Message to all humanity spelled out in the current implacable advance of the virus: ”I send you this plague to convince you and your leaders to once and forever change the world and save the world by following the path of peace and peaceful cooperation, for by failing to do so and by continuing to adhere to the path of war, conquest and conflict you are ensuring a tragic and horrific end to the saga of mankind. So all you leaders and nations, heed this message and understand the tragic folly of your ways and open the door to a new and peace-blessed world for all peoples to live in happily.”

If the corona virus onslaught has taught humanity and its leaders to help and cooperate with one another and not to hate and to forsake the cursed folly of conflict and war in order to create a much better and far healthier world, then all our current suffering and impotent distress will not have been in vain.