The current debate about health and masking has brought in some interesting players. One famed TV preacher has suggested that G-d would not want you to wear a mask, because then he can’t hear your prayers. Which seems an odd thing to say about G-d (and creates a great way to get away with sins of words!) It also seems to — well, I don’t want to say “fly in the face” when we’re discussing masks, so I’ll say — provide  strong contrast to how the Bible calls for disease to be treated.

Leviticus 13:45 has this being said unto Moses:

Anyone with such a defiling disease must wear torn clothes, let their hair be unkempt, cover the lower part of their face and cry out, “Unclean! Unclean!”

So, G-d not only allows for but demands masking in some situations… and expects the mask wearer to still be heard.

But what (you may be asking — no, look, I can see a couple of you nodding at this, you know where I’m going here) does this have to do with this blog, with the work of Charles M. Schulz?

Let me show you the opening panel to the January 22, 1967 Peanuts strip.

This is, of course, a Sunday strip dealing with the unsanitariness of having touched the dog. Is Snoopy wearing torn clothing? Yes! Is his hair unkempt? Yes! Is he crying out “Unclean! Unclean!”? To the best of his abilities; it’s well enough that Woodstock could hear him, so I’ll say yes.

But the lower half of his face is no covered. He’s only in 3/4 compliant.

But worry not; we are often told that all dogs go to heaven, and I doubt this is enough of an infraction to send him to the other place. (But still, Snoopy — mask up!)

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