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 We just celebrated Purim, with its theme of v’nahafoch hu – the sudden turnaround of events. We have seen a similar turnaround in the race for the Democratic Presidential nomination. Two weeks ago, it looked like the Super Tuesday primaries would give Bernie Sanders an insurmountable lead. But the actual results revitalized the campaign of Joe Biden and made the battle for the Democratic nomination a two-way race. It is now time for all of us to unite around Joe Biden in that race.

I had planned to write on a number of different topics over the past few weeks. But with the outbreak and spread of the coronavirus, the subjects I had planned to write about have paled into insignificance.

The Friday preceding Shabbos Ki Sisa seemed like an episode of the popular television action series 24, with the situation escalating hour by hour; but instead of 24, the number was 18:42, the candle-lighting time when all electronic communications ceased in the Jewish community.

Shortness of breath… febrile… weakness – these have been the words ringing in my ear as the report is being given to me as the change of shift happens. “Admitting diagnosis – rule out COVID.” It has been a very exhausting, overwhelming, sad, and frightening, to say the least, these past few weeks. How one small virus has overtaken the globe! But is it really the virus?

It should surprise no one that the global pandemic known as COVID-19, a.k.a. coronavirus, a.k.a. Wuhan virus, has become a political hot-button issue. Given the tense relationship (which is nearly always at a breaking point) between the Trump administration, the Democrats, and their media counterparts, any crisis turns political. Combine that with a Presidential election in eight months, and this latest disaster was never going to be a unifying moment for the country.

Last week’s parshah was Tzav. It tells of one of the most glorious days in the history of the Jewish people, the dedication of the Mishkan, when the Sh’chinah came to dwell among us. Yet on this greatest of occasions there was unspeakable tragedy, the sudden death of two sons of Aharon. We are about to celebrate a Pesach unlike any that most of us have ever seen. We will celebrate the festival of freedom as virtual prisoners in our homes. We will sing the Hallel while crying for those we have lost and fearing for the future.