Last Friday morning in the northeast of Italy, early spring sunrise began. No one seemed to anticipate what was going to happen. A few hours later, the commotion began: the virus appeared in several places, and after a few days the infection was more than 250.

The majority are dealing with the disease and recovering from it, and life in the big country is also struggling as usual. But already learned sages, who are given permission to corrupt corrupt, no longer distinguish between righteous and non-righteous. When the pandemic started at the end of the camp, the people no longer watch the details; All of them are preoccupied with the Corona virus (crown). They fear a terrible fear of him. We unknowingly blamed the cause of the disease.

Modern man has learned to believe in the power of science; The scientific theories explained everything to him. And here came the Corona virus and devoured the cards; Currently, we do not know how to make it. It is invisible and more deadly than the known viruses. Mysteries and the lack of knowledge about him heighten the dimensions of fear and panic. The rumors also deepen the horror.

For the last few days, I've been thinking about the movie "The Eighth Traveler" (1979). In the role of the virus: an alien hatching from eggs of an ancient race on one of the planets in the universe. Terribly, he disappeared into space and hunted down the crew one by one.

The fear of this virus lies on a deep psycho-historical platform in European consciousness. By the middle of the 14th century, the "black epidemic" of the continent had hit within six years about a third of Europeans. Some researchers talk about Deber and others say it was a virus. Even then, the plague was brought from the Far East. The epidemic undermined the old order and gave rise to social and cultural changes, from the Renaissance to the Lutheran Protestant Reformation.

In Italy, the black epidemic gave birth to Giovanni Boccaccio's book, "Decameron." Ten elves and maidens escape the plagued Florence to an out-of-town villa, and for ten days tell a hundred daring stories - not only erotically but also in the criticism of the church of those days. Only under the auspices of the pandemic could the Florentine writer be able to break through the limits of freedom of expression.

Still, life is banging on the embassy door. In Rome life goes on almost as usual, but north of us, in Milan, the situation is different: events are canceled one by one. People avoid mass conferences; Rejected football games, empty theaters, and toward Saturday, the question arises as to whether minyan worshipers are dangerous to health or that mitzvahs are not damaged ...

Last Saturday, the rabbi stopped in the middle of the affair, just as they read the words "morbid illness," and together we were praying for the patient's medicine all over the world, especially in China. We did not yet know that the disease had also erupted in Italy. The other day I spoke with Attilio Fontana, governor of Lombardy, an industrial-rich province of which Milan is his capital. I wanted to express my sympathy and demand peace of the residents. Told of the situation. I asked how we could help. He replied that he was glad that Israel was a friend of Lombardy, and that he knew that Israel had the best minds in the world; He hopes that they are now diligent about finding a cure for Mecca. I told him I would pass on his words.

The virus may fade and weaken - I wish! - But it may be strengthened, and the situation in Rome will be reversed. At the embassy, ​​we have to address all the scenarios, and yesterday we practiced an emergency: who stays at the embassy, ​​who's at home and who's back. There are messengers here with families and children. From China we learned: Foreign Ministry emissaries remain the last on the wall. Israel has important interests in the world, and it is essential to continue to exist in crisis situations as well.

Right now, it's important to watch out for unnecessary panic; Truth is the best friend. There is no need to receive any Torah knowledge from Sinai; It is worth checking its credibility with a number of sources, and catching up on government offices. Eventually, the crown of the corona will be lifted, and a righteous sun and healing will purify the good soil in its rays.

Dr. Dror Ider is the Israeli ambassador to Italy