After the bodies of the seven children of the Sassoon family who perished in the NYC blaze on Shabbos arrived in Eretz Yisrael for kvura, the Sanzer Rebbe Shlita stated “We must all do a cheshbon nefesh”.
Shortly following the levaya of the children, the rebbe attended a dinner for Mosdos Sanz in Tel Aviv. The rebbe states “While Rosh Chodesh Nissan is a happy day, this time it was an extremely difficult day for Yahadut. The tragedy in which the seven children perished in the United States demands that we all conduct a cheshbon nefesh contemplating why the Midas HaDin has struck us so hard and in this most difficult way”.
“This tragedy is shocking to us all. This tragedy requires an introspection into our actions towards determining where improvement is required”. The rebbe suggested that his Chassidim are mechazeik in their limud and observance of Torah and Mitzvos.
Numerous prominent rabbonim and public officials attended the dinner. The main speaker was HaGaon HaRav David Cohen, Rosh Yeshivas Chevron Givat Mordechai.
(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
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5 Responses
It is truly admirable to see the amount of pain and anguish felt by our Non-Yiddishe neighbors, even though the tragedy R”L happened to children who are of a different ethnicity than they are.
Umei’hem Yilmudu, we should learn from them, and teach our children to have the sincere compassion and empathy, to all decent people even if they’re not Yidden.
This will, finally-finally, be M’oirer Rachmei Shomayim, Vlo Yoisif L’davoh Oid.
From the pen of my heart flows sorrow
Something terribly tragic happen on shabbos that no person can fathom. A family was torn asunder. Seven pure and lofty souls left us, left us bewildered, left us tormented and shaken.
We stand confused as a haze of feeling and thoughts race through our minds as we try so hard to hold onto our beliefs and clarity .But then , only then a small parting in the massive clouds of darkness allows a bit of light thru. I look around , all around and I feel it. Continents apart, separated by expansive seas , diverse cultural backgrounds and opposing outlooks don’t divide us . We are one people .yes, one family’s pain is our pain, one family’s tragedy is our tragedy. From every corner of our world the pain flows. Everyone cries and everyone prays.
Why, Why I ask myself does this beam of light ,this unity , this oneness , this concern , this love for one another seam to only come when those dark clouds cover our lives. Why I ask do we need wars ,enemies, death and sorrow to unite us. Please Hashem I ask, in the name of all the Jewish people, help us , help us be one nation both in bad times and good. Amen
#2
You are sooo right! Why do we need these tragedies to pull us all together as one?
The answer is that as soon as everyone realizes that this world is not a playground – we seem to forget our materialistic needs and objections, jealousy and indifference’s, our true Neshamos begin to bond since we let loose of our bodies and we shine through with unexplained unity we will experience when Moshiach comes, or how we experienced it when we stood as one at Mount Sinai when we got the Torah. We then had a high level of purification that let us bond as a “Ish Echad – Am Echad”
May we work on being less dwelved in this worlds distractions and become closer to Hashem that in return will grant us this bond forever with Moshiach Amen!
I think if you look at the average Jew on an average day you will find that they relate to other Jews with love, caring and respect.
If, on the other hand, you look at the average Jewish newspaper on the average Jewish day and read what the average Jewish politician or activist has to say you will probably get a very different picture.
What happens during times of trouble and pain is that the average Jew and their love and caring become more noticeable.
To #2 Betzalel Brown!
What a Prolific writer.
Boy do You have what it takes to inspire others.
Thanks!