It is with abject horror that we have all witnessed the reckless driving in the Catskills spiral from bad to worse, and now, to outright terrifying. What was once a summer haven has become a death trap, and we must refuse to stand by any longer while people’s lives are recklessly endangered.
I have been coming to the Catskills for my summer vacations since I was a child. Back then, there were always a few dangerous drivers on these winding roads, but nothing like the carnage we see now. Every summer for the past few years, there has been a tragedy. This summer, only one incident so far—a horrifying crash that claimed the lives of two young men on Thursday night. I am not here to accuse anyone of speeding or reckless driving in that specific case because I do not know the details. But this isn’t about that particular tragedy alone—it’s about the toxic culture of recklessness on these roads that is putting lives at risk daily.
The summer driving in the Catskills has become a perennial disaster waiting to happen. Long, winding roads mixed with the so-called “freedom” of vacation have given birth to a culture of lawlessness. The wake-up calls have been many, but guess what? No one is waking up. Year after year, we see the same reckless behavior and the same preventable tragedies. Enough is enough. It’s clear that without intervention, nothing will change.
We have reached a point where complacency is complicity. Every camp administrator, every community leader, every person who turns a blind eye to this recklessness is failing in their duty to protect lives. If you know someone who is guilty of this dangerous behavior and you are staying silent, then their blood is on your hands too. And we cannot let that slide.
Firstly, Catskills Hatzolah has to step up. I understand that this summer is almost over, but the time to begin working on a plan must begin now. The least it could do is hire a production company and create a video showing the horrors, wrecks, awful injuries and the number of accidents that occur on Catskills roads every year. Take that video and make it mandatory viewing at every camp and every bungalow colony. Try to give people the tiniest semblance of an idea of what their actions on the road lead to.
Secondly, but equally importantly, law enforcement and askanim with law enforcement connections have to step up. This has been going on for years now. There has to be a crackdown on dangerous drivers like there has never been before. Rather than trying to get people off the hook for speeding and reckless driving tickets, askanim should be working to get such people in hot water. They are dangers to the public, and if you are truly an “askan,” you should be an askan for “tzorchei tzibbur,” not “tzorchei yochid.”
Sadly, I don’t think that Hatzolah and askanim will actually do anything about this scourge. Had they wanted to, it would have gotten done already. But I hope I’m wrong. If I am not, I’m prepared to take matters into my own hands.
For the past three months, I have been collecting evidence—footage shared on social media, showing the very worst of this behavior. Videos of speeding cars, reckless joyrides, and an absolute disregard for life and safety. I have compiled a list of camps that irresponsibly allow young drivers to take camp vehicles on “errands,” often involving high-speed joyrides that endanger not only the driver but everyone on the road. At some point, I will begin publicly shaming every single person engaging in this behavior.
I am also in consultation with a respected posek about whether I should turn over the identities of these dangerous drivers to law enforcement. You can call me a moser if you like, but let me be perfectly clear—if you are part of the problem, whether you’re the one behind the wheel or enabling this behavior, you are not an innocent bystander. You are a rodef, and I have no qualms about coming after you.
It’s long past time for accountability. We cannot afford another “wake-up call” that gets swept under the rug. This is a call to action, and if no one else is willing to step up, then I will.
People’s lives are at stake, and I refuse to watch any more families bury their loved ones because of reckless, preventable tragedies on the roads. To the drivers who think the Catskills is their personal racetrack—know this: I am coming for you.
Name withheld upon request.
NOTE: The views expressed here are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent or reflect the views of YWN.
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47 Responses
listen to this shiur on TORAHANYTIME from RAV SHOLOM AHRON EHRENFELD
about reckless driving etc
https://torahanytime.com/lectures/312934
I don’t think it’s appropriate to put out this post now when our hearts r still bleeding of the loss of to holy Yidden,
When it may sound from the post that they r at fault,
Please be more sensitive.
Thank u
You sound like Cory Booker. Not a compliment.
Your condescending tone and irresponsible hyperbole don’t belong on a yeshivish site.
BTW, are you related to yaffed? Your disregard for other people and your narcissistic tone are similar.
Thank you!
Renowned Posek Rav Mechel Steinmetz shlita, Skverer Dayan of Boro Park declared publicly years ago that one who speeds is a rodef.
Who is your posek
If people are careless with life, maybe stop going there.
If people are careless with life, they are probably careless with many other important things.
If you have no qualms about coming after people, why withhold your name?
I whole heartedly agree that there should be something to change the recklessness of drivers, and think that a campaign to educate drivers in the area about the dangers of reckless driving is a commendable way to go about it.
I recently heard quoted from Rabbi Ribner, that he recommended to a Rabbi who was getting an anonymous letter claiming to reflect a majority view, to throw away every letter that’s published anonymously, as the person who’s writing it doesn’t want to be quoted, so they clearly have some form of cognitive dissonance about speaking the words out explicitly, they just want to hide behind a mask of Anonymity to express a harsher opinion in a way that won’t be able to be rebutted. so it ends up being a more extreme view than they would’ve otherwise expressed, and therefore, be seen to hold.
My point is, that as this topic of encouraging everyone to drive more carefully shouldn’t be controversial enough to prevent it from being published with a name. the Author should stand behind their words. (I’d like to point out that, yes; I am indeed undermining my own message as my name is also an anonymous; but see how I can simply hide behind my pen? I’m proving my point while being a hypocrite)
OR
The author should leave out the comment’s he was worried would lead to lashback, specifically the “Joyride” comment, as an ex-counselor, i know that most of the time (in our camp anyways) the only reason a young adult the camp trusted enough to allow to drive the vehicle, left camp with said camp vehicle, was because he had some tachlis to take care of.
Not sure why that addition was necessary.
A lot of bluster from someone who won’t even sign their name.
What you’re describing is not a Catskills problem, but a cultural one, borne of a culture of entitlement, selfishness, and narcissism.
Not that everyone is that way, but lots of young frum men are.
Of course the posek is wary of getting involved and in having his name attached to your tuning over the evidence.
However, it’s not clear to me why consultation with a posek is required before stopping a rodef.
As a child decades ago I witnessed quite an accident on old 17. It stayed with my whole life. I heard from Rav ACS ( born in Bessermin Hungary) in the name of the Shopraner Rav that the word country is derived from contra. Whatever morality we have in the city we go against it in the country. His honor said that years ago. That is why we say Pirkei Avos when people go contra. והמבין יבין
I’m making a kabala bli neder not to drive more than 5 MPH over the speed limit for the next week.
Who’s joining me?
@Shlomo 2 – You took the words out of my mouth.
The culture of entitled, reckless driving does not happen in the Catzkills only – it’s deeply ingrained in many of our community. And no, this isn’t just an issue of age.
I’m from Boro Park, and every time I drive there I witness reckless drivers. People who cut red lights – not just-making-the-light issues, but full-fledged driving on red. Complete disregard to Stop and Yield signs, complete disregard of pedestrians trying to cross (and pedestrians who can’t be bothered to walk 5 feet over to the crossing and instead cross in the middle of the street).
People shooting out from a parking place without care about the traffic, drivers who honk their heads off from half-way down the block without having a clue as to what the problem is. Drivers who swerve from lane to lane so they can pass someone else – and the list goes on.
Just over a year ago, we were all stunned by the tragedy of a young, newly-wed yungerman who was killed on Erev Pesach in an accident caused by two reckless drivers, who were both so hot on getting there in time that they couldn’t care less about anyone else. (I have eyewitness testimony from someone who was right behind one of them and saw the accident unfold in real time).
Did we learn from this? Did that cause people to stop speeding on our crowded streets or cutting that red light? It might have affected a handful of people, but we, as a community, shrugged and went on with our lives.
Now take all that bad behavior and add to it open twisting roads and a sense of wild freedom, and you get our yearly Summer tragedies.
The issue is first and foremost one of simple Gaavah – “I” come first and before anyone else, and “you” are nothing before me. “I” deserve to get where I’m going on “my” time and “you” are a pest who is keeping me from that.
Yes, I agree. Chinuch is the most important aspect of this, and it is something that needs to be ingrained in each one of us from a young age.
Yes, the Askanim need to get together and put up a comprehensive safety program that will be taught in our Mosdos. We need a “Dina Demalchusa” event – not just on business law, but on road safety. And to keep repeating this constantly.
As far as passing information to the authorities, this needs to be decided on, not by one or two Rabbonim speaking to their congregation, but by ALL of our competent Poskim and Gedolim. Once we get a clear Psak, then we can go about figuring how to do that.
And for all you commentators who have nothing better to do but try and shame or criticize the author – I wonder what your own driving looks like, and whether your knee-jerk reaction is driven by guilt feelings..
Writer looks like an impulse sick man..
I understand that there are certain issues where if the letter writer does not write his name, then the letter should be disregarded. This is not one of those. The concept of people dying or being injured needlessly is something we can all agree needs to be addressed. Whether or not a reckless driver is a halachik Rodef is unimportant to the victims and their families. To summarily dismiss the issue simply because the letter writer failed to present his name is a willful disregard of an important issue. I trust that no victim’s family is disregarding this letter. The concept of Arvus should not allow us to turn a blind eye.
I too can do without the personal bravado. But don’t confuse the message with the messenger.
Especially with the roads that look like a drunkard made the roads(that cant go straight for mor than a few ft)
I’d like to first acknowledge that the author of this article definitely has a point and something must be done about the reckless driving that happens in the Catskills. However I believe there to be a deeper issue at hand and it’s not just the summer and driving in the Catskills. The complete disregard for road safety and reckless driving is a year round issue and it’s just during the summers in Catskills that the consequences are felt the most.
I lived in Israel for 8 years and was a member of MDA. In the 8 years and thousands of calls I responded to I’d seen less car accidents in Israel than I did in 2 years in Lakewood, Brooklyn , and Monsey as a bystander. It pains me to say this but I find that in Lakewood specifically there is a complete disregard to road safety especially amongst younger drivers. And as more and more people from Lakewood come up to the Catskills for the summer the number of accidents increases exponentially. While many people will say I drive this way all year in cities like Lakewood, Brooklyn, and Monsey. These cities have the ability to mask the actual dangers as they are highly populated and well lit so the margin of error are larger as you can’t travel as fast and you have better visibility.
The author mentions that Askonim spend more time getting people off of tickets then letting them deal with the consequences of their dangerous behavior. This issue is much deeper in many places the cops don’t even bother enforcing driving laws. They know that in all likelihood the ticket will be dismissed and an angry Askan can cause them to be transferred to a less desirable location or be fired.
The author states that it doesn’t seem that Hatzalah wants to deal with the issue. I can’t say for certain but I do believe that there an element of truth to this. Road safety and reckless driving are not cool topics to conquer. When it is discussed the person who brings it up is more often than not looked at as some worried nut or Karen rather then someone who is truly concerned about the safety of others. Hatzalah is a fabulous organization and they do a lot of good but at the same time they do care about optics and a road safety campaign is not a hot topic to touch. Unfortunately there has now been a serious incident and Hatzalah is making a statement which is the right thing to do. But why has it taken so long and will they continue after the shock of this tragedy wears off. Additionally will other divisions and affiliates of Hatzalah run with this to encourage road safety or will they turn a blind eye and say it didn’t happen in our area. If we truly want to minimize the dangers on the road a full campaign with Hatzalah, Rabbonim, and Chaverim from all communities needs to be waged year round. Videos and images of horrific and graphic accidents should be shown to all high school aged boys and girls before they start driving so they can fully grasp the horrors of what can happen when they disregard road safety and drive recklessly. If these things are done then perhaps people can start to fully grasp the dangers of reckless driving and maybe something will change. I know that as a community we try to insulate our children from the horrors of the world and that truly is an amazing thing and should be celebrated. However in some circumstances the benefits of exposure can out weigh the benefits of protection. It is true that seeing such horrific images can cause emotional distress but if it will prevent the physical and emotional damage caused by a tragic car accident it will be worth it.
I sign off with the hope and prayer that we can all arrive home safely every night.
This is not the time for this. You have no idea if reckless driving was a factor or if a deer startled the driver. Posting this letter implies that you know that this accident was due to reckless driving. You have no clue.
As mentioned by some above, this is not just a Catskills problem. In fact this is a problem ALL YEAR ROUND. Where I live (a “famous” town in Central Jersey) there are many “near” tragedies every week. This is a Makos Medina by our frum oilam and it should be taken very seriously. No need to wait for a tragedy before we DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT!
Talk is cheap…. we must ACT NOW.
In the sunbelt, from coast to coast, I see people from New York and the area driving in certain reckless ways that are dangerous and they have no idea how their car handles from 30mph to 60mph and the difference. I guess this is universal among all groups from the region. I’ll talk about it daily and not be anonymous if that’s what you all want. Because it’s ruined many nice places. No one wants to see all of that.
What you have just mentioned in your letter of the tragedies happening in the Catskills from crazy drivers is a true parable message DIRECTLY FROM HASHEM and it’s the Major issue of today’s generation of the entire world (Jewish or not) of
“LIVING IN DENIAL instead if doing the correct thing of immediately FACING REALITY”
Sadly in today’s generation when tragedy strikes the numbers are shocking YES 98 PERCENT will block it from their face and convince their corrupted mind, what does Hashem want from me? I don’t know these people who were hit by tragedies Rachmana litzlan, I have nothing to do with September 11 cause I don’t work in Manhattan, I don’t even visit Manhattan, so what does Hashem want from me? BUT THE TRUTH IS that all the way in the back of our heads and minds we all get Hashems wake up call, we’re just not ready to ADMIT IT AND FACE REALITY and tell our loving father Hashem yes we get your wake up call message for serious Teshuva and Achdus together, so we leave Hashem no choice but to keep on hitting klal yisroel with horrific tragedies non stop Rachmana litzlan.
It shocks me just like the author of this letter how we can be going through a time of such non stop horrific tragedies hitting klal yisroel and Instead of waking up and FACING REALITY with serious Teshuva and Achdus together as one loving nation we choose to continue living in denial and then wonder why there’s so much tzaros in Klal yisroel today.
what is the message DIRECTLY FROM HASHEM and why would Hashem have two innocent tzaadikim killed on the road? The answer is that when we continue to live in denial instead of immediately FACING REALITY and openly accept Hashem’s wake up call for serious Teshuva and Achdus then we leave Hashem no choice but to Chas VShalom hit his loving nation klal yisroel directly with non stop horrific tragedies as we have all seen just in the last few months alone. ARE WE GOING TO CONTINUE LIVING IN DENIAL? and then ask ourselves why there’s so much tzaros in Klal yisroel? When it could’ve all been avoided if we only accepted Hashem’s wake up call for serious Teshuva and Achdus together as one loving nation.
Do YOU know any father in the entire world that likes to hit and punish his child? Sometimes the father has no choice, the kid won’t do his homework or listen and go to sleep when told. What do we call that? A potch of LOVE, the parent has no choice and it’s completely for the kids benefit of chinuch and when he grows up if he remembers the story he might even come back to his parents and thank them when he now as an adult knows it was completely out of love and for his good.
It pains Hashem to see his loving children Klal yisroel suffering but there’s no one else to blame except ourselves when we all openly see the horrific tragedies hitting klal yisroel and Instead choose to continue living in denial and doing nothing about it versus waking up and showing Hashem that we accept Hashem’s wake up call for serious Teshuva, Kinnus and Taanis like we did in the story of Purim and our lives were saved because of it.
May we all finally stop living in denial and FACE REALITY with serious Teshuva and Achdus together as one loving nation so Hashem can send Mashiach already bkarov
The writer wrote the truth and wrote well and all the criticizers are not addressing the issue so they must be part of it.
1.There are more second homes in the Catskills than ever before and the roads were not meant to hold this much traffic especially on visiting day or in particular areas like Woodbourne or Rt 42 or the winding Anawana Rd. These large homes frequently have 3-4 cars . Thousands of more cars are using the roads than 5 years ago.
2. City drivers are in a hurry with the NYC mentality. Country driving requires more politeness and care for other drivers. Just today, a clearly City driver made a left turn dangerously in front of my right of way so he could get to Skopps grocery and not miss the light. I had to brake hard.
3. Just today on the Brickman Road leading to the 4 corners from Skopps, a long line of cars waited for the light to change and impatient drivers cut ahead of others while others blasted their horns. No one was going anywhere except to wait for the light. Why the horns? Why the cutting?
4. The new Gourmet Glatt supermarket in Kiamesha lake has the parking lot exiting into Rt 42 instead of the side road. Bad traffic patterrn.
5. The Buy Rite in Woodridge needed more parking so they took the driving lane near the store and made more parking spots. Now cars and pedestrians share a narrow ribbon of road while flower sellers and others hog the little space left in front of stores. Accident waiting to happen. The Buy Rite exit also contains a deep pothole. Fix it!
6. So many more second homes coming up all emptying into the same width road as before. Why not mandate an extra lane taken from the private property to allow for better merging? They do that all over the US when malls and stores create more traffic. The local towns and villages are blind struck by the extra tax revenue and ignore these long term problems. These local villages are raking in hundreds of millions. Where is the money going? Not schools, not roads, not libraries, then where? The tax bill says 75% goes to welfare and medicare. Really? My taxes are now 9,000 a year for a summer used home. 10 years ago they were half that.
7. Bottom line- this is a legitimate concern. Slow down, don’t give your keys to junior drivers without a talking to and a lesson on how to drive on country roads with little visibility and sometimes no clear markings, lose the City attitude, be more polite to other drivers and DO NOT SPEED. Country roads kill. Finally, why are you driving in the break down lane at 60 mph to avoid the Rt 17 traffic? You know who you are with big SUV’s and mini vans. These are not hot rods. These are Family cars with families in them. Why? Why? Why? 10-15 minutes and you can save a life. Your own.
I’m just wondering if Hatzalah or others have noticed that it seems that many of these car accidents where the cars explode and catch fire are hybrid or electric cars? We never used to see so many terrible car fires (even after a turnover). The consumers are not being warned of the danger of the lithium batteries that explode so easily. Can you ask Hatzalah? Perhaps we should start noting in these news articles if the car that caught fire was a hybrid or electric car? If this is true, the financial savings on gas would not be worth the risk, in case of an accident. (The mainstream liberal green media will not publicize this data which would impact the sales of these energy efficient cars.)
You made some very good points but Honestly
Disgusting, and low to blame this mess on our most cherished organization HATZALAH.
You owe them an apology
They spend their entire summer and Frankly, their lives responding to emergencies and it’s cynical of you to blame them.
YOU SHOULD BE EMBARRASSED.
Major kudos to the writer for raising these very important issues, and to some responsible commenters for adding important information and encouragement.
For those who call to reject the message due to the anonymity of the writer, let me share what that the great Rambam taught: קבל האמת ממי שאומרו – accept the truth from anyone (even if they are anonymous). Did you reject out of hand the Chofetz Chaim’s sefer when he published it with his identity obscured in his earlier years?
Even if the letter is not perfect, we need to focus on the important points it has raised. Hatzoloh has in the past run campaigns for safety, touching on road safety as well, e.g. the ones for a safe and responsible Purim. So they should be able to touch this too.
Hatzlocho and Besoros Tovos.
Your takeaway from all this is that the poster POSTED ANONYMOUSLY?! That’s it! WEIRD!
I just want to say another dangerous trend that has to do with young drivers getting in the road. Unfortunately, many of them don’t take studying the rules seriously and take the permit test just guessing the answers. These are the same people driving 10, 20 years later without knowing the basic rules about driving: car passing, stop signs, speed limits, seatbelts, car seats, booster seats, yellow lights, courtesy driving, pedestrians first, yellow lines, DUI, etc. These can be the same people who are machmir with every Mitzvah B’Hidur but when it comes to driving on the roads, Dina D’Malchusa Dina flies out the window. Following state and traffic laws has to be re-instated in school curriculums. People no longer learn them on their own in their teen years.
The writer is a know all who has no emuna. There is no such thing as an accident. If it happened it is the will of the Eibishter who rules the world and everything that goes on in it. He decides what goes on. We have to have the emuna to believe that. It really is that simple. If someone dies because of anothers apparently wreckless speeding, that is because the Eibishte willed it that way. Maybe the one who died was not so good and his time was up but the Eibishter has rachmonas on his family so he takes him that way. Maybe if people who are speeding have a crash and die, it is similar. Their time has come and if they go this way others will have rachmonas on, and support, the family. We have to stop second guessing the Eibishter. Everything he does is for the good even if we cannot see it
Killed men or families by car?? Driving UTI? Speeding? Each Year I read about men, women, children crashing in the country. I am not from NY. I know nothing about the country. Deal with this Horrible Plague now! Get the roads worked on. Cameras every few hundred feet. Give tickets and take away License. It won’t stop if you do not give a punishment.
This article is on the button.
As accidents in Catskills increases every summer accidents in Boro Park go down summer time. The irresponsible drivers are all upstate for the summer.
Please come back home safely and drive responsibly when you return.
The way it works these days is that even if some Yidden killed people, the “leaders” of various places would be working to get them off the hook
Theo, that’s preposterous. The Torah says you must act to protect your lifew
Nothing will change. Ingrained in us is “Heimishe Guyvah”
Tell a group of our men they’re really hard to see at night wearing black & offer free reflectors. How many would start wearing one (especially in front of their friends)? I’d bet zero! Why not? It’s free, it takes no time to put on, it doesn’t weigh anything, so why not? Guyvah.
Give a presentation on whether on vacation one may buy a bottle of water with only 3 Heimishe Hashgachas & it’ll be standing room only.
Give a presentation on safe hiking, proper gear, hydration & what to do if lost & you’ll get 3 Nebachs & 2 Ousvarfs there for the free refreshments. Ehy
Allow me to add the following, from Rabbi Eliezer Melamed:
One of the main questions concerning the laws of safeguarding life – and in our generation, perhaps the most important question, is: What does ‘halacha’ (Jewish law) have to say about people who transgress traffic laws? Does somebody who drives excessively fast, passes on a white line, or drives too close to the car ahead of him, transgress a Torah prohibition or not?
Since this is an important question, and since I knew that, perhaps, the true answer would not be pleasing for some people, I did not rely on my own judgment, but turned to the Chief Rabbi Avraham Shapira, and asked him if, according to ‘halacha’, there is a prohibition to violate traffic laws. And if there is a prohibition, what is its severity – is it a Torah prohibition or a less-severe rabbinical prohibition? His answer was unequivocal: someone who drives excessively fast (speeding which is customarily punishable), or one who does not comply with the rest of the laws of safety, transgresses a Torah prohibition. This is because the Torah commanded us to greatly guard our lives. In other words, not only is it forbidden to commit suicide, but we must also distance ourselves from danger and be careful. Obviously, traffic laws were not fixed arbitrarily in order to anger drivers. Rather, they were fixed by experts in the field, who checked and investigated the issue and came to the conclusion that driving at such a speed, or passing in such a spot, etc., is dangerous. Consequently, one who violates these laws transgresses a Torah prohibition.
The basis for the obligation to be cautious of dangerous situations is learned from the mitzvah of placing a guard-rail, as it is written (Deuteronomy 22:8): “When you build a new house, you must place a guard-rail around your roof. Do not allow a dangerous situation to remain in your house, since someone can fall from [an unenclosed roof].” The Sages expanded and explained (Sifri, ibid) that by way of the mitzvah of the guard-rail, the Torah comes to teach us a general mitzvah – to be careful and guard ourselves from all types of danger.
In other words, a roof without a guard-rail is an example of a dangerous situation which the Torah commands us to prevent by placing the railing. This is the case concerning all hindrances and dangers – we must guard ourselves from them and remove them.
It must be emphasized that someone who does not obey traffic laws, even if he was lucky and did not cause an accident, nevertheless, because he was not cautious, transgresses a Torah prohibition, for the Torah commanded us to be careful. Accordingly, the answer of Chief Rabbi Shapira is clear; anyone who violates traffic laws, which are intended to prevent the loss of life and were fixed by experts, at a high price of human blood, cancels a mitzvah from the Torah, and transgresses the prohibition “Do not allow a dangerous situation to remain in your house.”
Furthermore, someone who drives hazardously should know that even if he personally did not cause an accident, he is nonetheless guilty of accidents occurring. Due to his speeding and recklessness, he has helped create a negative standard, and has surely caused other drivers to follow in his path – trying to match his fast speed, and more than likely, one of them will get hurt.
Rabbi Eliezer Melamed
Nothing will change. Ingrained in us is “Heimishe Guyvah” Tell a group of our men they’re really hard to see at night wearing black & offer free reflectors. How many would start wearing one (especially in front of their friends)? I’d bet zero! Why not? It’s free, it takes no time to put on, it doesn’t weigh anything, so why not? Guyvah. Give a presentation on whether on vacation one may buy a bottle of water with only 3 Heimishe Hashgachas & it’ll be standing room only.
Give a presentation on safe hiking, proper gear, hydration & what to do if lost & you’ll get 3 Nebachs & 2 Ousvarfs there for the free refreshments. Why? Guyvah.
I remember when a few Heimishe men went into the ocean at night and drowned. My first thought was, “How did they not know going into the ocean at night is often a death sentence? Guyvah!
Why did they ignore the “No Swimming” signs? Cuz signs are for the Modernisha & Goyim. Besides the Goyim probably put up the sign to look busy more than there being a real danger. Guyvah!
Same goes for boating, swimming (especially in lakes, rivers & oceans). We claim to care so much about saving human life but as soon as that includes “The Heimishe” sitting through a class that isn’t on Torah but on a secular issue the “Heimishe Guyvah” kicks in & peer pressure keeps most away.
It’s sad but it’s the reality.
Think I’m wrong? Next summer setup trainings on summer safety issues including driving in the mountains & tell me how many from our “Heimishe” communities showed up.
It’s ALL about Guyvah!!!
Amichai,
You sound like you don’t know so you’re better off KEEPING QUIET because you sound foolish.
I didn’t know which hick town you are from and from which hick state but think of it like driving the winding county roads out in the stix . Roads you’re not used to driving with large four legged animals darting out suddenly.
That being said,, so far NO ONE knows what happened here other than there was a גזירה מין השמים that these two should be niftar. People fail to realize THIS WAS THEIR TIME.
To LBK I disagree with you. If there was l”a a fire regardless of the circumstances it’s a good time to talk about smoke alarms and fire safety. The same if l”a a drowning you talk about water safty. If there is a car accident you talk about car safety especially if someone is
@Theo – “If someone dies because of anothers apparently wreckless speeding, that is because the Eibishte willed it that way. ”
Your comment exemplifies a twisted, anti-Torah belief that is actually a root cause of many of the terrible accidents that constantly occur in the “frum” community.
In Moreh Nevuchim 3:17, the Rambam denounces the notion that everything is caused by God as a false notion of the Islamic Ashari sect. The Rambam describes this as a nonsensical belief that Hashem sends prophets to warn the Jews to observe the Torah, and then He causes the Jews to violate the Torah, and then He punishes them for violating it.
The “frum” world needs to face up to the fact that it has accepted dangerous, non-Jewish, anti-Torah beliefs.
We’re all tziterring from your threats.
Get a job.
Karen.
@LakewoodNJmon:
Unfortunately, you are correct that certain types of accidents are more likely to cause an EV to catch fire.
Here is the frightening part, lithium burns at 5,000 degrees and can take up to six months to properly extinguish.
It can also start at any spot under the car since the batteries are under the entire car.
Truly frightening.
As long as your actions are approved of by a real psek then you are certainly not a moser.
Bzchus your halachic vigilance may Hashem keep us all safe – in the Catskills and beyond.
Perhaps a car sticker on cars that commit to safety. Contest and prize for the best desugn.
Yup this is someone with a heavy backbone, you won’t even sign your name, why should I even take you seriously?
Maybe it’s time for ulster and Sullivan counties to install speeding cameras on all those roads . I am sure they will get their money back only from 9 weeks summer.
wow, i didn’t intend for the leitzim to bandwagon on my comment and claim that that is an excuse to deny all the valid points made.
My apologies to the Author.
I only meant to try to say that if the message is one you truly stand for,
לא תגורו מפני איש
put your name on it! nothing to be afraid of!
@Theo, if you ever read the Chovos Halevavos, he makes a distinction between having Bitachon about things your Chayav to try to do yourself, and says that that isn’t Bitachon at all, and one who thinks that “i’ll do xyz, and not do abc, because only what Hashem wants to happen will happen” is sorely mistaken.
bechira obligates one to chose properly to activate the neural network between his brain and muscles to do the Ratzon Hashem.
Hashem makes his limbs actually move. your chayav for the decision to do an aveira, or the lack of action to do a Mitzva.
The only excuse is that you were paralyzed by Hashem, and your muscles don’t work when your brain wills them to.
Not a commonly found excuse.
I wouldn’t sign my name either, if I wrote this letter and actually sent videos to the police. Would you want your family terrorized by a bunch of self righteous punks (see some of the comments here)?
By the way, the video the letter writer speaks of already exists, only with non jewish actors. it is mandatory viewing in every 5 hour licensing class. Perhaps we should start by making sure people actually sit through these classes, instead of allowing the “$60 and your out in 45 minutes, maybe even get in a maariv” to exist. If people actually understood that a car if misused if a dangerous weapon, and actually learned the rules of the road, instead of driving with the mentality that it is “my” road we wouldnt have to hear of any more accidents.