I guess the majority of the Justices of the Supreme Court don’t know the Jewish value of health preceding all else; whether or not the minority four do, I don’t know. I do know that the 5-4 decision to allow faith communities to be open to far more people than is deemed healthy is absurd considering this pandemic.

We say that health is the primary goal; you cannot possibly study Torah or pray with an open heart if medical concerns weigh upon you. Do medical concerns weigh upon the five Justices? Would they put the Constitution before health if one of their loved ones was afflicted with COVID-19, if one of them died from COVID-19? Should the Court have even considered the case at all?

Do these five who sit in their judicial nests really care about those who cling to their faith especially during these times? And do the clergy of those who clamored for the Court to overturn the New York’s Governor’s edict – Jews among the other faiths who petitioned the Court – really think that one good solid Shabbat or Sunday with their prayers, praises and hymns of glory will keep the dreaded curse from their flock? We’ve read about the mega-church ministers who opened their churches without even requiring masks, coming down with the virus…dying…as have their parishioners; and our beloved Brooklyn brothers – sisters as well - believing HaShem will save them while welcoming hundreds of guests to weddings let alone daily and Shabbos services in their shoulder-to-shoulder packed shtiebels.

Utter nonsense, and now officially sanctioned by these judicial sages!

Religion is important, but you need living people to follow it, with the operative word being “living.”