Rabbonim in Betar Illit are calling for increasing ‘ahavas chinam’ in response to the fatal fire in the chareidi city on Tuesday night which claimed the lives of two small children, leaving others injured.

Killed in the fire were four-year-old Efrat and two-year-old Tzvi. The children who perished R”L are great-grandchildren of the famed Ponevezh Mashgiach, HaGaon HaRav Yechezkel Levinstein. Their grandfather is HaRav Shlomo Ginzberg, a Ram in Yeshivas Harei Yehuda in Bein Meir. The parents are Reb Yehoshua Ginzberg, an avreich in Yeshivas Beis Yitzchak and the mother is Mrs. Devorah, daughter of Rav Nosson Dovid Shapira.

Rabbonim in the city on Wednesday morning, as the levaya preparations were underway, issued a kol korei for additional ahavas chinam.

The rav of the city’s litvish community, the same community the Ginzberg family is a part of, HaRav Moshe David Adler, stated “this is a true Torah family, a holy family from holy roots, the mashgiach Rav Yechezkel Levinstein ZT”L. This is a tragedy for the entire tzibur.”

The rav explained the tzibur does not possess the tools to digest a tragedy of this magnitude and the tzibur at large must respond, and we dare not look at individuals. He explains a hisorarus of the tzibur is in order.

The rav of Achdus Yisrael in Betar, HaRav Binyamin Hotah is quoted telling Kikar Shabbos News that the tzibur must increase ahavas chinam, especially during these days, which are full of sinas chinam and machlokes, which he ties to the upcoming municipal elections, scheduled to take place at the end of October. The rav explains that tragedies occurred prior to the last election as well, adding “we do not and cannot know cheshbonos Shomayim.

A fund has been established to assist the family.

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)