[UPDATED AT THE END OF THE ARTICLE] LAST UPDATE 9:02PM IL: Following are some of the facts being released shortly after Shabbos in Eretz Yisrael pertaining to the Kedoshim in Mumbai HY”D. information is sketchy as ZAKA volunteers on the scene continue working to expedite the kvura of the victims.
• It appears that Rebbitzin Rivka HY”D was killed the first night of the attack based on the state of her body when it was recovered on erev Shabbos, referring to rigor mortis. The body was covered with a tallis when rescuers arrived, which we presume was done by the rav, whose body was found on a different floor. Rav Gavriel Noach HY”D appears to have been murdered shortly before the event ended. ZAKA volunteers reported his body was still warm when they received it from local officials on erev Shabbos.
• (Click on image to ENLARGE) The body of Rabbi Leibish Teitlebaum HY”D was found in the library slumped over a open Gemara Brochos.
• The bodies of two females HY”D were found with telephone cord wrapped around them.
• The body of R’ Bentzion Chroman HY”D was brought by local authorities to ZAKA at the entrance to the Chabad House. All they know is that he was murdered on the 5th floor.
• Terrorists placed booby traps and hand grenades in the hands of the victims, making their identification and evacuation significantly more dangerous and complicated.
• A local physician who knew the Holtzbergs assisted in identifying their bodies. He appears to be working with ZAKA as they try to prevent autopsies.
• ZAKA head Yehuda Meshi-Zahav remains in constant touch with Maran HaRav Elyashiv Shlita as he did erev Shabbos pertaining to the many questions, which included how and when to notify the Toldos Avraham Yitzchak Rebbe Shlita.
• Shabbos was the second birthday of Moishele Holtzberg, who no longer has parents to celebrate the day with him. May HaKadosh Baruch Hu give him the strength he will require during this difficult period, along with his grandparents, the entire family and the extended family of Chabad shlichim worldwide.
• According to a Kol Chai Radio report on Motzei Shabbos, the entire five-story building that housed the Chabad House was trashed. “There was not a room that was not destroyed. Every book in the library was ransacked and items thrown around. The entire building was destroyed. The only thing that remained untouched was a picture in a glass frame of the Lubavitcher Rebbe ZT”L on a wall in the library.”
• Shimon Grossman, a member of the ZAKA team in Mumbai and a relative of Rivka Holtzman reports dealing with the removal of the bodies is extremely difficult due to the fact the building and bodies are booby trapped. He also reports authorities are insisting on performing autopsies but they continue efforts to prevent them.
Chabad has set up a fund to help the family and rebuild the Chabad House in Mumbai which was seriously damaged in the terrorist attack.
Donations can be made online at http://www.chabadindia.org.
On a personal note: For those who recall Parshas Vayera (1994). It was a Friday night, not too long after Shabbos began in Eretz Yisrael. A failed rescue attempt by an IDF Sayeret Matkal unit resulted in the deaths of the team leader Captain Nir Poraz HY”D and the soldier they tried to rescue, Sergeant Nachshon Wachsman HY”D.
The point – for those who remember that week, the entire global Jewish community was united — davening on his behalf. Shabbos candles were lit with tears streaming down the eyes of b’nos yisrael, who davened for Nachshon.
There was achdus!
This past week, Parshas Toldos, the scene was the same, achdus! Yidden around the world were not interested in the political or religious affiliation of the hostages. We were one!
Jews around the world davened for the safe release of the Chabad Shaliach, his wife, their children, the mashgichim and the others. The differences in their hashkafa became irrelevant. They were Jews in trouble.
YWN worked round-the-clock to provide readers with up-to-date information in the hope of permitting readers around the world to ‘be there’ with the hostages as much as possible.
The ending was tragic, but if we lose the achdus brought about by the Kedoshim, it will be even more tragic.
9:01PM IL – Israeli media is reporting that officials in Mumbai are now agreeing to back down from demands to perform autopsies on the Kedoshim.
The terrorists were preparing for seven months before the attack and two of them were employed in the Taj Hotel, explaining their familiarity with the building.
(Yechiel Spira – YWN Israel)
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54 Responses
This is all just so horrific! I think we all should give our thanks to the Indian woman who saved little Moishe! The only good news from this tragedy!
BS”D
So actually what remains is the maseches Brochos and the Rebbe’s picture?
I will IYH BN learn the entire maseches Brochos during the 11 months of shiva for the kedoishim.
The siyum will be held in Yerushalayim; let it be Yerushalayim habnuyah in the courtyard of the beis mikdash hashlishi!
OY! hashem we need your help! may we be zoche to the geula shlaima bimhaira!!
‘Jews around the world davened for the safe release of the Chabad Shaliach, his wife, their children, the mashgichim and the others. Their hashkafa became irrelevant. They were Jews in trouble.’
With all due respect to YW for your wonderful reporting and tireless efforts , I cant help but point out that the above comment is TOTALLY inappropiratie.
The fact that Jews all over the world were mispallel for these two wonderful people, who spent their last few years in a city like Mumbai ; devoting their time for others, is perfectly normal if not imperative.
NO JEW desereves a special Yoshar Koach for davening on behalf of their brethern because their hashkofos differ.The fact that it has to be pointed out, is the ultimate proof that we have a long way to go before we genuinely can
improve ourselves
Besides, how do you think the families feel when they read that?
I would like to propose that every one of us choose 1 machlokes that we are currently involved in–we all have at least one–and LET GO OF IT. Even if we are right. Start with just one and let it go completely.
May Hashem comfort all the families among the mourners of Zion, may they know no more tzaar, and may we all be zoche to come together with ahavas yisroel for simchos only.
i don’t want to point fingers but it seems when ever we loose our achdus in the charidi community something like this happens (the past mayrol elections led to fist fights and alot of hard feelings there were even some groups who voted for a nonreligos candidate argubly cuasing the election to be lost by M. P.) why do we need to be reunited with such unfortunate tradgies lets try to stick together before such things c”v happen i heard tonight from r’ don segal that when we loose our achdus were placing ourselves in danger (sorry if this sounds very greecy but its the truth)
Boruch Dayan Emes
Hashem Yinkom Damom
Is there any info yet regarding the levayas ? Will any of them be in Eretz Yisroel?
There are no words in any language that can express the pain we feel. All YWN readers who baked Challah…thank you. Your Brachas in their Zchus were not in vain.
YWN had the “best”, the most accurate information and gave us tremendous support.
If every Yid, Frum & frei, takes on 1 extra Mitzva in the Zchus of these Kedoshim, Moshiach must surely come. When your neighbors & friends, co-workers and service people, express their sorrow, ask them to do 1 good deed L’Iluyei Nishmas.
May we only hear B’soros Tovas & Simchos in Klal Yisrael.
Any levaya info?? Please post as soon as it becomes available
it has been reported that : “Chabad Shliach spoke many times to one of the terrorists many times in R’ Holtzbergs cell phone, one time terrorist told him we have nothing against israelis only against the indian goverment. Also, Chabad leaders have requested to bring to Israel Sandra Samuels the helper that rescued the 2 y/o Moishe, because she’s closest to the orphan.
fellow yidden…
you see with open eyes that we are one people..lubavitch…toldos aron..boro park…flatbush and YES EASTERN PKY…we are one people. it takes a chabad house in the middle of our world to demonstrate that we need each other ..to bring MOSHIACH.
let us give up the craziness of who is more chashuv..it did not matter at the chabad house.
comment # 6 your are not greecy you are a hippocrite ,talking about not pointing fingers&achdus ,you pointed a finger to show your hate.Unfortuatly we are our own enemies I have seen more comments of hate and anger towards Ger the last few weeks than on any Moslem Terrorists folowing the attack.sic
“Their hashkafa became irrelevant”
This should win as the dumbest comment of the year, so unpolitical and insensitive, this is basically trashing anybody who has a different hashkafah then the litfishe, I will quit reading YWN, unless this comment is removed.
“There was not a room that was not destroyed. Every book in the library was ransacked and items thrown around. The entire building was destroyed. The only thing that remained untouched was a picture in a glass frame of the Lubavitcher Rebbe ZT”L on a wall in the library.”
Photo shows otherwise…
#12,
I think thats exactly the type of bickering we should be avoiding….
Let’s keep the achdus going. I propose that we the YWN community start saying Mishnayos and plan on completing it all for sholshim.
I will be learning Berachos.
Please post either here or in the coffee room where I will open a thread what you will learn.
i just gave tzedaskah at the site mentioned above. i am not lubavitch, nor do i agree with some of what they do, but this is act was against all of us, and all should give at this time. even a dollar. this boy will be lonely his entire life. give, and give generously!
#15 – Right on!! Tefilla Tzedaka u’Tishuva Ma’avirin es Roah Hagizeira. Let’s get to it now.
I wish somebody would spare-head some sort of campaign to unite the various groups of orthodox yidden. Is their anyone who has any ideas how we can accomplish this?
I believe that now that we don’t have the leaders of previous generations, our own convictions and beliefs in our sects have been somewhat weakened, thus perhaps dulling some of the differences between the communities. Isn’t there a way we can try to unite? Aren
Rabbi and Mrs Holtzberg HY”D over the time spent in India must have touched hundreds of or perhaps thousands of people but after there death and during this treacherous ordeal they have touched literally BILLIONS of people all over the globe who are astounded by there self sacrifice and self less devotion to Judaism and the downtrodden
May this huge kidush hashem along with the rest of there mitzvos and masim tovim be a zechus for there dear son who will never know his parents and be a zechus for all of klal yisroel to be mekarev the geulah speedily in our days
It should not only be after such horrific tragedies that we show such outpouring of love for fellow Jews.
Amen, amen to all who express our great need for achdus.
Rabbi & Mrs. Holtzberg HY”D served a very special purpose. There are hundreds of non-religious young Israeli backpackers who go “searching for spirituality” in India every year. And Reb Holtzberg was there for them, to show them true what Yiddishkeit really means. No doubt, we will soon here from those whose lives were turned around just by meeting these warm and friendly Jews.
I wish to express my huge appeciation to all the effort on behalf of this website for being so on top of this story that it because my main source of information. I don’t know where they got their information, but it was accurate and prompt, often ahead of the “mainstream” media.
Would anybody come forward to Spare-head a campaign uniting our communities?
Firstly, Boruch Dayan Ho’Emes, HY”D. Secondly, as 22 says, a big “shkoiach” to TYW for keeping us all updated.
I was wondering. Reports say that 9 Yiden were killed, rachmono litzlon. But there are 7 names. Are the reports of nine killed untrue? (hopefully)
HaNistaros LaHashem Elokainu……
These great people died al kiddush Hashem
May we all be inspired by that, and by their incredible mesiras nefesh for Klal Yisroel.
This outpouring of achdus during such a tragic situation just shows that as yidden we all have deep within us a special connection. It is always there.
Let us show HKB”H that we can tap into this inherent ahavas yisroel without painful incidents like these. We can do it.
May their families have a nechama soon, and may we all be zoche to the geulah shelaima in our day.
My dream always was to make an ‘Achdus Conference’ or a Convention, rather, from all different faction of those who keep Shulchan Aruch, and discuss our deferences and common ground, and unavoidably fading some of them out and working a lot together.
But,obviously, it’s just a dream for many reasons. But then again, maybe…
After all that has been said, what can I add?
…In reality there is so much to be said that “kol hamosif…” The achdus, ahavas Yisroel, the tragedy, the rishus.
I would just like to add that it was mentioned that one of the reshoim ym”shm was an employee of the hotel, which explains why they knew so much about it. Maybe this is one more reason why we cannot hire any Arovim, especially in such a situation (like a hotel), but actually anywhere.
Of course it would be better if the whole Western world figured this much out as well. They are all targets of the terrorists, and we don’t know which Arabs are those terrorists or which ones are not.
We have to realize that the ideal structure of Klal Yisroel is of different factions. Achdus is about recognizing each others place, and correcting each other with love just as within a family…
Maybe now we could make some kind of Achdus movement towards that goal.
Representative from each factions talking about the different approaches and different Mesoras, their pros and cons in today’s world, etc. Just the talk itself will do a tremendous amount.
Unfortunately I met the young widow of R’ Leibush Teitelbaum, HY”D, about ten years ago here in Flatbush when her father the Toldos Avrohom Yitzchok Rebbe, Shlita, came in on his annual fundraising trip. It was at the Friday night Tish here in Flatbush. She was then a 17 year old newlywed. She can’t be a day over 28 year now with at least 7 or 8 yesomim to take care of now. Nebech!
I want to know if the Arabs in Gaza are doing the same thing they did after the massacre at Yeshivat Merkaz Harav; dancing and singing in the streets and throwing candies? YM”SH!!!!!
I have no problem with the words used. I think we all need to see from here what the chabad houses all over the world do for klal yisroel. There is a toeles.
KEEP THE WORDS!
(For the record: I am the farthest thing from a chabad person)
so, then, maybe there is a way that we can have representatives from the Chassidish, litvish, and Lubavitch sects to disuss a way that we can be united, despite our diffences. For ex. there are many chassidish lecturers/ speakers who would address litvish crowds and vice-verca. We have so much to gain from each other. Can’t we include our minglings with Lubavitch , we with them and they with us?
we can learn from what these dispicable terrorists attack what they fear the most and what we can do to make thier attacks backfire:
they attack a chabdad house which trys to educate jews on our religion-they want people to fear going to torah places because they know that the more jews are growing in torah the harder it is for al queda to win their war: so when such events happen both religious and secular jews should scream and yell and say we want to become closer to G-d by learning and growung more and more in our Jewish religion. We should publically say we will grow in Judaism becasue of these attacks. What these islamic fundamentalist want most is that Jews BECOME MORE AND MORE SECULAR AND LESS AND LESS OBSERVANT. SO WE SHOULD LEARN FROM THEM THAT WE SHOULD BECOME MORE AND MORE OBSERVANT AND LESS AND LESS SECULAR! tHEY KNOW OUR REAL POWER IS PRAYER AND OBSERVANCE SO SHOULDN’T WE KNOW ITHIS AS WELL? AND ACT UPON IT? FROM A LITVISHE YID WHO KNOWS WE NEED ALL YIDDEN FROM WHATEVER BACKGROUND THEY COME FROM
I am a father and husband, not a chasid nor “yeshivish”, but just Jew who works for a living, learns when i can, has my ups and my downs in Torah and Yiras Shamayim, tries to teach my kids the derech haTorah . . . I have been watching this story on YWN like an addicition. I said Tehillim and I found myself crying in front of my computer on erev Shabbos . . .looking at the picture of the baby rescued by a chasida shel umos haolom. Thinking about the ordeal of the people inside the Chabad house. Thinking about how although I am far from perfect and not a chabadnik, every interaction I have ever had with a chabad shaliach has been pleasant, how they always convey a deep caring and respect for people . . .for me. How I have heard nonfrum colleagues who are so put off by what they call “ultra orthodox” who then add “except for lubavitch”. And what frum Jew would not go to the Chabad house if they found themselves in Mumbai, or Calcutta, or Manila, or countless other corners of the World where they are a minyan, a meal, a lifeline. And they treat everyone no matter how frum, or how not frum, as simply . . . Jews. And so when I think of the kindness and mesiras nefesh that the Holzbergs must have always displayed and their great mesiras nefesh, and then I see that baby Moshele, made a yasom by animals who are exactly the opposite of what his parents were, or think of the Rav who had to cover his wife with a tallis and maybe wondering about the fate of his son . . I just can’t stop the tears. I know we have to accept the gezeros of HKB”H and just focus on mitzvos and Torah . . .I know. . .but bain adam lacheviro are mitzvos too. And derech eretz kodma LTorah. Everyone talks about the importance of unity. Just as they unified yidden in life, so the Holtzbergs have continued that work after their passing. Hamakom Yenachem Es Mishpachsam Besoch Shear Aveli Tzion VeYrushalyim. And all of us. May we all have a nechama.
I am a Lubavitcher living in Detroit and would be more then happy to join a cross group throughout the country (maybe the world) to build achdus among all. My father lived for that and it would be my honor to continue this. I also want to compliment Yeshiva World for an incredible job during this process. May we only know of simchos.
This is my first comment at YWN and I hope this comment is appropriate for this thread.
We musr remeber that the reason klal yisrael remains so b’achdus is because our brothers and sisters suffered a tragedy beyond comprehension.
rabbi and Rebbetzen Holzberg were shomrie Torah Umitzvos and gave up there lives to be oved H-ashem. That is why we cry and suffer with them. NOT because hashkafa is a subject to be taken lightly or that it doesn’t ‘make a difference’. The essence of Klal Yisrael is built upon the ideation of Mesora, Hashkafa and Minhagim. We should never imply that that the efforts of the Gedolim (Chasidic or litvish etc)to preserve the path of Jews during the exile is nothing but trivial politics. Chalila V’Chas…Regardless who you belong to our job is to follow the holy words of our sages.Those words never come from sinah but rather for the search of truth. That having been said , when yidden in golus suffer it becomes completely irrelevant Lubavith or Litvish etc…Its totaly innapropriate to limit our ahavas yisrael to our own camp. However, lets not sound like all these different camps is nothing more profound then the summer camps in the catskills. Klal Yisrael lives by the word of Gedolim and each should and must identify with their Gadol.
May H-shem comfort ALL of Klal yisrael and may we ALL be zoche to greet moshiach tzidkeynu together.
I hope my words are not miscontrued…
According to Arutz-7,the levaya for the Holzberg’s will be monday at Kfar Chabad
Gut Vach! I am not a frequent visitor to this site, as a matter of fact- Friday may have been my first time visiting. Afte reading some of the comments below, I feel that I must say something. In light of all that has taken place, it is shameful that some of the comments are focused on words of division…even as they preach of unity.
The article stated: “Jews around the world davened for the safe release of the Chabad Shaliach, his wife, their children, the mashgichim and the others. The differences in their hashkafa became irrelevant.”
It didn’t say hashkafa itself is irrelevant (as some readers have suggested) but that when praying for a yid- hashkafa becomes irrelevant.
Unlike some of the above commentators- I am Chabad, I have been to India, I have litvish, chasdisiha (Beyanna, Toldos Aron to name a few) and non religious relatives. Like so many of you- I yearn for a time in which we can celebrate as one Mishpacha. Even here in the comment section- set aside the finger pointing and the questions and open your hearts and your minds to HaShem’s children in pain- aren’t we all in pain??
I just heard a Rav speak about the lesson from this. he said that the fact that there was such achdus is not the chidush, thats what we are, but the main kidush hashem is the families of the kedoshim , they are living thru the nisayon of the akaida and they are out sheluchim which we must remember. And we don’t understand why hashem picked them but we believe that there is a cheshbon for everything and hashem only gives a nisayon for those that he know will be able to come out winning it.
May we only know of simchos and Mashiach should come RIGHT NOW!
as an added comment to no.11
the korbonos at the chabad house were nebach niftar together…can we at least live together.
in short..
In dying there is achdus in klal yisrael, nebach
In living, can we live without machlokes?
please please yidden, wake up.
STOP ARGUING, a terrible thing just happened to us and what do we do ARGUE whether a comment was smart or not! just stop daven for a geulla and try to improve your self but arguing doesnt help
YW EDITOR,
Please heed comments nos. 4 AND 13, and remove that ridiculous remark,regrading how their ‘hashkah became
irrelavant’!
Alan Scherr and his daughter Naomi hy”d, the father and daughter members of the meditation group who were killed at the hotel, were ALSO Jewish. The levaya for them will be in Baltimore on Sunday night.
ke’ish echod be’laiv echod.
let that be our renewed motto.
let’s ride this new spirit that was created from the ashes of this great tragedy all the way up to Moshiach. Let’s walk right up to anyone who fights and beg them to stop. Anyone, even if theyr’e brothers. Even if they are Rebbes, or Roshei Yeshiva. Enough is enough. Machlokes kills. Machlokes destroys. Let’s practice at least once a say a little Ahavas Chinum.
Does anyone know their fathers’ names, so we can continue to daven for their neshamos?
When I heard this news, I thought to myself – AD MATAI!!! UNTIL WHEN!! Ad Matai is the gematria of 524, the same as “”Milchamto” – (Deut 1:41). there will be no rest until all these vermin are destroyed.
Even though many might thank Indian special forces for so-called “Great Operation” I believe that something was not done properly here. In my opinion that if you know that terrorists are out there to kill as many as possible, and are not interested in negotiations, and are ready to die, you need to do operation as fast as possible, and not to wait 30 plus hours, and report on TV that operation will happen any minute (Terrorist also watch TV on their cellphones etc) And after 30 plus hours of standoff, Indians used so much explosive force, that it easily could could any hostages if they were alive. Besides I saw scenes the waty Indians were shooting at Nariman house, they were not even aiming, and were just shooting at the windows, as there were no hostages there. I feel so upset, that Israeli goverment didn’t pressure India, to allow Israeli Commnado speacial anti-terorist Yamam unit to do this operation. I guess Israel haven’t learned that lesson after 1972 Munic massacre, when German police also failed in saving Jewish Hostages. I’m not blaming India for what happened, but I think they handled this situation very bad, and they didn’t seem to carry for Jewish hostages at all, after all it should not be a surprise. It’s my opinion and I’m sure some proffesional in that field will agree with me.
It seems that part of the mussar haskil we can take from this is based on the Indian people – Hodu in hebrew, meaning ‘praise’, is to eat and live more simply. When we eat a bread meal instead of tossed greens, or kal v’homer, sugary nosh, we need to better justify the indulgence.
They who understand, will comprehend.
Everyone, please learn to disagree without demonizing or even showing disrespect. All of this is simple Hilchos Isurei Dibur. Maybe have someone who knows these halachos thoroughly go over postings on this site and suggest ways that the points could be made al pi halacha. This would be an enormous step to bringing achdus to Klal Yisroel. There’s an excellent ArtScroll sefer “Laws of Interpersonal Relations” (earlier versions were called “Journey to Virtue”) where these points are covered very well.
i feel as though i have lost family members, even though i have next met or heard of the Kedoshim before wednesday. my heart breaks to think of the mental, emotional, physical pains they went through, ansd what all their families must be going through.
how can ppl be fighting about little things when something so horrible happened to one of our own? stop fighting. don’t you see that this is what H-sham was warning us against. every sect of yidishkeit joined together – because that is who we are and what we do. why should any negativity come from this. don’t we want Moshiach??? Sinas Chinam destroyed the B”MK, and H-shem had to cause something so horrible to bring us together- and now we are fighting over little things… why hasb’t anyone learned their lesson!!!
may all the families of these Kedoshim and all of Klal Yisroel find a nechama quickly – and lets hope all this fighting can end so we can be ready for Moshiach!
It’s heartwarming to see this great Achdus amongst all kinds of FRUM people. But today the Rabbi of the Conservative Temple WALKED over to the Chabad Shul in Long Beach, CA to express unity and solidarity with the local Lubavitch community. It was a beautiful moment.
Chevra, let’s keep the Achdus momentum going!
Remember, the terrorists don’t care what kind of Jew you are. We shouldn’t either. They hate every Jew indiscriminately. We need to love every Jew indiscriminately.
Kol Hakavod, for these nice and sympathetic comments. Let’s have this positive energy and influence make a difference in our future.
Kol Hakavod, for YWN for being so careful in posting updates; accurately. They were really right and careful.
And of course, these kedoshim? who has the right words? to comfort a greiving nation? a family? a child? a wife and parents? there are no words. The only comfort I keep finding through my tears ever since wednesday night is when I think that Hakadosh Baruch Hu has a major plan that we don’t yet know. And this is what he wanted for a great reason not yet told. I think, that these people have really fulfilled their amazing tafkidim in an amazing way on this world. They all share a very similar thread, each one was doing for someone else. They weren’t on vacation, they were doing the greatest work. I’m a teacher and have some other occupations and from thursday night, I’ve been crying, sick and so so touched by this.
I know there was nothing in the power of man and whatever happens is ultimately the will of Hashem but I will agree with #46.
I watched the whole scene unfold LIVE with Yeshiva news. There was no method, there were no tactics, there were lunchbreaks on the roof top by the NSG, there was just shooting in thin air. This was right after someone waved a tzitzis out of the window. There was huge concentration on the Taj Hotel, even when the bodies and hostages were all removed. It became sort of like a mission to prove their power to the world. TO get the terrorists. Meanwhile, there was someone still alive in the Narmina; Chabad House. I was sitting on pins and needles. I thought: If there’s someone alive how could they possibly be protected with the unmethodical tactics of the NSG. There were explosions, then came an announcement: “We want to finish this operation by days end” you want to finish off innocent people by days end? who gives a time limit, when it comes to saving lives? The indian govt. didn’t want to speak to the terrorists. Neighbors witness the first group of police arriving a half hour after the first call. The israeli govt. realized their failures right away and offered assistance but they insisted on proving they can do it alone. Not to say that the israeli govt. would be able to be greater than the koach Hashem, but at least it would satisfy our human, simple naked eye. The indian govt. should and must pay these families. These innocent victims. They all left families with children etc. And it is clear that they failed to act during this operation.
At the same time, I’m comforted by the knowing that Hashem runs this world with wisdom that man can never understand or compare himself to.
BY knowing that this is just what hashem wanted , I’m comforted.
By knowing that these kedoshim fulfilled their tafkid in this world; comforts me.
And by concentrating on doing good and being an oved hashem I gain comfort.
I’m still pained, tears keep on flowing when reading the updates, where all just basar vedom and the reasons we will not know now but the inspiration and the tikunim we have to make we have to know now.
“ According to a Kol Chai Radio report on Motzei Shabbos, the entire five-story building that housed the Chabad House was trashed. “There was not a room that was not destroyed. Every book in the library was ransacked and items thrown around. The entire building was destroyed. The only thing that remained untouched was a picture in a glass frame of the Lubavitcher Rebbe ZT”L on a wall in the library.” “
Accompanying the article is a photo.
The photo is of ZAKA volunteers in the library of the Chabad house after the attack.
Half of that photo is taken up by a bookcase in perfect condition filled with seforim that were B”H not harmed in any way.
I am not in any way trying to belittle the tragic events that transpired.
No words can explain the grief that we all feel.
That said, there is no place here for Chabad propagandists attempting to portray the miraculous survival of a picture of the Rebbe.
Even if there was truth to the story, this is not the time or place to deify a picture of the Rebbe, and even more so now that we know the story is a sham.
Pictures of the Rebbe, or any gadol for that matter, have no kedusha at all.
Even is this story had any truth to it, it would be sick and twisted for people to use this tragedy to push their political agendas.
To 52
There always was and always will be people who focus on the trivial and the irrelevant.
Let us focus on the life of a remarkable couple who cared for EVERY Yid, Led an extremely productive life. Just imagine, He would Shecht 100 chickens a week and she would run the kashering process herself. Would fly in monthly to Mikva until built one themselves. Lost child to genetic disease and had another in EY. Prepared and gave shiurim, dealt with an immense ammount of emotional and spiritual issues their backpackers came along with.
Just read the posts and comments all over. Satmer, Litvish, Modern, Frei, Spiritual, Lost, Israeli on and on, all found a open home and heart.
These idealistic people looked past their OWN VIEWS to profoundly affect Yidden of all sorts.
Let us do the same.
To 53
Sorry, 52 is not trivial or irrelevant. Whether this misreporting was done for political reasons or out of sloppiness, it serves to cloud knowledge of this terrible event.
As Jews we are supposed to not cease in “the effort” according to the Pirkei Avot. Part of the effort is finding out as close to possible what happened, for a host of reasons I won’t enumerate. This in no way negates or takes attention from the unification of klal Yisrael in grief at this chillul Hashem, the tragedy of the deaths. In no way. Just as chazal called in experts when there was a difficult and specific problem, so must we follow in their footsteps.
The amount of misreporting and confusion in Israel is huge…it must be turned around.
I went through a lot of effort to keep shomer in the distant part of chutz I was from, now in EY there are difficult trials of another sort. Clarity and light come from increased love, but most often from increased knowledge when it is combined with that love. Knowledge and truth.