So here we are, three weeks since my last post, when the magnitude of the Coronavirus pandemic was not yet fully understood - and the situation has deteriorated exponentially.
Schools are closed, only the most essential services and businesses are open, many millions of Americans in multiple states are under a “shelter at home” order, and the number of confirmed cases - and sadly, fatalities - grows with each passing day.
How do we cope with the relentless onslaught of discouraging news? I believe the answer lies in the Mi Shebeirach prayer for healing which I discussed in my previous post.
There, I referenced the phrase r’fuat hanefesh - a healing of the spirit - and suggested that even when we know that physical healing is unlikely, we can still hope that our spirits can find peace and a sense of healing.
Today, I’d like to suggest a slightly different interpretation: even though the phrase r’fuat hanefesh precedes r’fuat haguf - a healing of the body - implying that you can have one without the other, perhaps it is when we are healthy that we are still in need of r’fuat hanefesh.
Most of us, thank God, have not contracted Covid-19, and if we continue to follow the recommended guidelines prudently, there’s a good chance that we won’t.
But even though we are physically healthy, we may not be in such good shape emotionally. Dealing with the “new reality” of this time (and notice, I didn’t say “new normal,” because there’s nothing normal about our lives these days) is extraordinarily stressful.
We’re all fearful of contracting the disease. Some of us continue to work in essential professions, with the constant threat of exposure to the virus. Many of us have lost our jobs and don’t know how we will be able to pay our bills. Parents are dealing with children no longer in school or childcare, who need to be nurtured, cared for, educated and entertained. (There must be a lot of baking projects taking place these days; my supermarket was sold out of flour!)
Through it all, it is essential that we keep, to the greatest extent possible, a positive attitude that the day will come when we can return to a semblance of normalcy in our lives.
How do we achieve that r’fuat hanefesh? To quote Elizabeth Barrett Browning, “...let me count the ways:” There’s prayer, of course - a full service or perhaps a favorite prayer or Psalm. There’s mindfulness - meditation, yoga and the like. There’s exercise and eating well - keeping our bodies healthy. There’s engaging in a favorite pastime, or starting a new hobby. There’s connecting to our family members in meaningful and intimate ways. There’s directing our efforts at helping those in less fortunate circumstances than us - giving tzedakah, checking in on the most vulnerable among us.
And there’s music, the universal language. Music has the power to soothe us, to inspire us, to strengthen us.
On the “Audio Clips” page of this web site, you’ll find a song entitled “B’yadcha Afkid Ruchi.” It’s a song of strength, a song expressing faith in God’s protecting care. Perhaps its message will speak to you.
May our world be blessed bimheira v’yameinu - speedily and in our day - with the twin gifts of r’fuat nefesh and r’fuat haguf.