There is a Jewish axiom that everything we see and hear can become a source of inspiration. Even negative experiences contain positive messages.

In the last few weeks the media has bombarded us with the threat of the swine flu pandemic. In school history I remember learning about epidemics but not pandemics. To clarify the difference I looked up the dictionary definitions:

Epidemic:

"disease affecting many persons at the same time, and spreading from person to person in a specific locality..."

Pandemic:

"disease prevalent throughout an entire country, continent, or the whole world"

Apparently in recent times, communication, travel and technology, has made it almost impossible to speak of epidemics. A contagious disease is hard to contain in a confined space. What happens in Mexico affects Australia. What transpires in one place, anywhere in the world has a global impact.

The good news is that this is not limited to sickness or economic downturns. This idea is stronger and even more emphasized in a positive context. Goodness and morality are also extremely contagious and their effect reaches way beyond the immediate environment.

Every good deed, every smile, every time we lift someone's spirits or do a mitzvah we generate positive energy that affects the entire universe. Every time we behave morally we set an example that influences someone who in turn will affect another. We cannot underestimate the power of one small step in a positive direction.

Many are of the opinion that the scare of the virus pandemic is a false alarm. But the ripple affect of the good that we do has been absolutely confirmed by all the experts. There is no doubt about it. Goodness is catchy.

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