Ahead of the Purim holiday, Rabbi Gershon Edelstein, one of the heads of the Ponovezh yeshiva in Bnei Brak and leader of the Lithuanian-hasidic community, issued a call urging yeshiva students not to wander around on Purim, Kikar Hashabbat reported.
"It is worthy to ensure that yeshiva students do not walk around at all on Purim, and only add in their Torah learning," he said. "In this fashion we will be saved from the plague."
"This year, it is even more important than any other year to ensure that all of the yeshiva deans take care that their students remain in yeshiva over Purim and learn, and do not wander between houses at all - not even during the festive Purim meal."
Typically, it is during the Purim meal that yeshiva students go from house to house collecting money for their yeshivas.
Rabbi Edelstein emphasized that "on Purim it is worthy to add a lot of Torah learning; and this is the only merit which will protect us so that we can be saved from the virus. By ensuring there will no no more sick people, we will be able to start the summer term as usual, with no restrictions."
"The days of Purim are a special time to merit accepting the Torah and achieving spiritual advantages. Therefore, it is a great obligation to strengthen ourselves in these days through learning Torah, because only through this can we merit the highest advantages.
"And it is known that those who occupy themselves with Torah on Purim have great success and help from Heaven throughout the entire year, and that the merit of the Torah is greater than all other merits, and the Torah provides success in every issue, especially during a time when there are great trials and it is more difficult to learn, those who overcome this and attempt to occupy themselves with Torah despite all the difficulties [should know] that this provides them with very great merits."
Turning to parents, Rabbi Edelstein said they should "supervise their children of all ages, so that they will not wander at all through the streets of the cities during the days of Purim, and especially on Purim night, when [such wanderings] lead to many obstacles and serious deteriorations which influence the entire year. Other than the physical dangers that there are this year, more than any other year, there are very great dangers to the children's spiritual future."
"Happy are all those who will keep to the standard learning schedules in the holy yeshivas. In this merit may we be worthy to see G-d's salvation speedily in our days, amen."