HaGaon HaRav Gershon Edelstein spoke in his weekly shiur about the devastating earthquake in Turkey and Syria, which was felt in Israel as well.
“There’s a Gemara – no calamity comes to the world except for Yisrael,” the Rosh Yeshivah said. “When there is calamity in the world, it is for Yisrael, and there is a passuk about it, which says: ‘I have cut off nations, their towers have become desolate. I have destroyed their streets so that there are no passersby…I said: ‘Surely you will fear Me, you will accept mussar.'”
“All the calamities in the world are for the purpose of ‘Fear me, accept mussar’ – to influence Am Yisrael in order that there will be yiras Shamayim and mussar,” the Rosh Yeshivah emphasized.
“In recent days, as is known, there was a calamity, a great calamity, a very terrible calamity. And everything is in the hands of Shamayim – ‘it came into the world for Yisrael’ – to influence us! And what is the purpose? ‘Fear me, accept mussar.’ Two things – yiras Shamayim and mussar – this is referring to moral behavior, behavior in accordance with yirah.
“Shamayim provides a reason for yiras Shamayim, there’s a mitzvah of Es Hashem Elokecha Tirah – it’s a mitzvah d’oraisa. There are many pessukim about yiras Shamayim in the Torah but it’s not enough – there are also calamities that come to the world for the sake of yiras Shamayim.”
“In other words, this is a siman – if there was proper yiras Shamayim, why would calamities be necessary? But it’s a siman that yiras Shamayim is lacking, as much as there is – there’s much lack.
“There’s a Rabbeinu Yonah that there are many madreigos of yiras Shamayim. But as much as there is – it’s not enough and Shamayim wants more from us, we need to increase yiras Shamayim. If we don’t do it on our own, min haShamayim does chessed with us to awaken us, an awakening from below [‘אתערותא-דלתתא’] of yiras Shamayim.”
“And which tzibur of Klal Yisrael does the calamity affect? Those who don’t have yiras Shamayim or emunah – how does it influence them? They don’t see [the calamity] as hashgacha. But it was intended for us – for we are ma’aminim bnei ma’minim and we have yiras Shamayim. But it’s not enough, we must do more. And since we’re not doing it on our own, min haShamayim they’re giving us a special Siyata Dishmaya in order that we increase our yiras Shamayim,” the Rosh Yeshivah concluded.
(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)
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22 Responses
The real message I’d take is that old buildings might collapse just like they did in Turkey during the next major earthquake near the major fault line in Yisroel…. That’s the message I’d take. The message is that many Jews are sitting ducks in Yisroel…
Thank you Yeshiva World for bringing to us this important article.
Givalldig……………………………………………..
Hashem Yaarich Yomov,
There is also other Pashattim
Interested Email please…$100.oo For Mier baaal hannes (paypal xcepted)
Biyomin Rabbinovitz
Can anyone post the מראה מקומות of the chzal and the pasukim that the ר”י was mentioning. Please.
Thanks
20,000+ human beings dead, one million homeless.
For the sake of sending Klal Yisroel a message that could not have otherwise been sent.
Let’s hope we properly received that message and act upon it, so that all that death and human misery was not for nothing.
I hear, but maybe this was their punishment for killing 7 people in a shell in Jerusalem and celebrating it? it seems more soothing to see it that way
אמת אמת ואמת
Their towers have become desolate surely refers to 9/11
When it comes to personal tragedies and all the more so to a calamity of this magnitude it would be proper to learn the Peleh Yoetz in אות ב בכיה he writes there that Hashem is so perfect that when he causes someone to die ל”ע Hashem doesn’t only consider the one that died but everyone that is affected by the death gets the exact amount of pain that he deserves. Not more and not less.
how does the Rav know that it’s a message
many horrible things happen daily somewhere in the world
those are also messages
the best answer why bad things happen is: we don’t know and leave it as such
those that don’t agree with me, please explain the Shoah to us
“maybe this was THEIR punishment for killing 7 people in a shell in Jerusalem…”
Get it straight: Who is “THEIR”….have you seen the horrifying photos of the Hatzalah MD volunteers pulling body parts of children from the rubble with their parents looking on?? What do these poor people have to do with the Palestinian terrorists. Most of the residents in this part of Turkey probably have no clue of the terrorist attack last week. Perhaps you should get your warped thoughts straight…..
You can request the Rosh Yeshiva’s shmusen by email to [email protected] also available in English
@yechiell and Gadolhadorah; the Rosh Yeshivah shlita is just quoting chazal and your lack of Emunas Chachomim in such dangerous times are really frightening.
emesayid asked for the מראי מקומות :
The possuk is from Tzefanya 3:6 (the possuk is also cited by Rashi on Chumash – Shmos 7:3):
הִכְרַתִּי גוֹיִם, נָשַׁמּוּ פִּנּוֹתָם, הֶחֱרַבְתִּי חוּצוֹתָם מִבְּלִי עוֹבֵר, נִצְדּוּ עָרֵיהֶם מִבְּלִי אִישׁ מֵאֵין יוֹשֵׁב
The Gemorah is from Yevomos 63a:
אמר רבי אלעזר בר אבינא: אין פורענות באה לעולם אלא בשביל ישראל (ליראם כדי שיחזרו בתשובה), שנאמר הכרתי גוים נשמו פנותם החרבתי חוצותם, וכתיב אמרתי אך תיראי אותי תקחי מוסר
Also in Tanchuma Parsha B’Har (3):
ודעו מה הקדוש ברוך הוא מנסה את ישראל לדעת אם יעשו תשובה. תחילה מביא פורעניות על האומות, שנאמר, הכרתי גוים נשמו פנותם וגו’, אמרתי אך תיראי אותי תקחי מוסר (צפני’ ג ו-ז). חזרו, מוטב. ואם לאו, מפסיד ממונם, שנאמר, אכלו זרים כחו וגו’ (הושע ז ט). אם חזרו, מוטב. ואם לאו, הקדוש ברוך הוא מביא רעה על אחת מערי ישראל, שנאמר, ותלהטהו מסביב וגו’ ותבער בו (ישעיה מב כה). אם ישובו, מוטב. ואם לאו, מה כתיב, במדבר הזה יתמו ושם ימותו (במד’ יד לה). ואל יאמר אדם, לא למעני תבא רעה. יהיה יודע שימות, שנאמר, ימותו כל חטאי עמי האומרים לא תגיש ותקדים בעדינו הרעה (עמוס ט י)
The Rabbanu Yona is in Sharei Teshuva – and very similar in concept to Tanya Perek 42 that yiras shamayim begins with “yirah tato’ah” – an awakening from below and then there are many other madreigos higher.
(I excelled in Bais Yaakov).
DavidtheKanoi:
This time Gadolhadorah did not deserve your ire. Reread the comment.
to Yechiell and all of klal yisroel
Every tragedy has a wake up call message directly from Hashem that your not going to find in any sefer in the world or read in any newspaper from a Gadol Hador or speaker saying about the tragedy. and neither is it from me a YWN internet reader. But actually shockingly directly from Hashem above.
Shocking Messages from Hashem relating to the Holocaust that happened R”L:
1)The holy Zohar states that starting from the beginning of the torah, each posuk relates to a year in the jewish calender-starting from the first pasuk being year 1 etc…-I am just going to mention a few pesukim & they are the pesukim relating to the hebrew year that comes out in the English year from 1939-1945 (WW II). It begins in parshas Netzovim perek 29 pasuk 22. each pasuk relating to that year. 1-1939) Sulphur & salt a conflagration of the entire land, it cannot be sown & it cannot sprout, and no grass shall rise up on it; like the upheaval of sodom & gomorrah, admah & Zeboiim, which Hashem overturned in his anger & wrath 2-1940) And all the nations will say, “for what reason did Hashem do so to this land; why this wrathfulness of great anger?” 3-1941) And they will say, “because they forsook the convenant of Hashem, the god of their forefathers, that he sealed with them when he took them out of the land of Egypt; 4-1942) And they went and served the gods of others and prostrated themselves to the-gods that they knew not and he did not apportion to them. 5-1943) So gods anger flared against that land,to bring upon it the entire curse that is written in this book; 6-1944) And Hashem removed them from upon their soil, with anger, with wrath, and with great fury, and he cast them to another land, as this very day 7-1945) The hidden -sins- are for Hashem, our god, but the revealed-sins- are for us and our children forever, to carry out all the words of this torah. Now if I skip 3 years to 1948 which pasuk comes up? (perek 30 pasuk 3) the 3rd pasuk in Parshas Hateshuva-which i’m sure a lot of us here say every day-what does that pasuk mean? Then Hashem will bring you back from captivity, & he will have mercy on you & he will once again gather you in from all the people that Hashem scattered you around. Now what happened in 1948? Israel became a state of independence & millions were gathered & brought back to Israel. I would now like to move forward to the pasuk that relates to the year that 9/11 happened. What does that pasuk say? Is it to hashem that you do this, O vile & unwise people? Is he not your father, your Master? Has he not created you firmed you? What is this pasuk telling us relating to the generation of todays society & 9/11 happening? In todays society we all depend on others (from Rebbe’s to money etc…) & do not depend on Hashem-turning to him when we need help-causing us to lack in one of the most fundamental parts of Yiddishkeit. The part of Betuchin & Emuna (faith & trust in Hashem). Last but not least I would like to go to the pasuk relating to the year of 2011. What does the pasuk say? They (klal yisroel) would provoke his (Hashem) jealousy with strangers; they would anger him with abominations. What does this pasuk tell us relating to the generation of todays society? The same message as 2001 & that message is that Today-sadly-we turn to other things/people for help lacking our dependance in turning STRAIGHT to Hashem for help-rather its through tefilla or teshuva etc…-& are R”L an abomination to Hashem. Now that everyone knows which pesukim relate to which year-in the Hebrew calender-everyone is now free to look up any pesukim & see what Hashem says for that year. How many years will it be until Mashiach comes?
2)Why did WWII happen?all of us would be reform today, don’t start telling me these stories my grandfather learnt in ponovetz yeshiva hes still a צדיק today. We would all be reform today it was just a matter of time Hashem had no choice but to do it. Before the 2 בתי מקדש were destroyed there were only 2 choices what to do (& one of them wasn’t to put a hunger in the land) either kill out all jews or destroy the בית המקדש that was the only makeup for the sins we did then, if Hashem destroyed all the jews then Israel is not full of uncleanliness anymore, if the בית המקדש is destroyed then the holiness left the land & the jews can live (either both holy=no jews or both uncleanliness=no בית המקדש) Hashem had to destroy it we were too low in spirits & couldn’t be with it anymore.
There are many other shocking wake up call messages directly from Hashem relating to every situation. From the coronavirus pandemic Mageifa to the current Russian Ukraine war about to be a year old already and 9/11 etc….
May we all stop living in denial and wake up immediately to accept Hashems wake up call for serious Teshuva and Achdus together ASAP like we did in the story of Purim so Hashem can send Mashiach already bkarov.
To Reb Shmuel Klein:
Thank you for your helpful comment.
Sam Klein are you crazy? You wrote something up that long that no one even reads it
Gadolhadorah
they should call you Gadolmoron instead. you obviously don’t know simple basic jewish history. are you nuts??? turkey was always anti Israel and supporting these terrorists. the Arabs were always murdering jews in cold blood, even today as we speak there was an attack in Israel against jewish people. you obviously have no brains. so I will get it straight for you, Hashem is taking revenge, period. and you now what Hashem is taking revenge on those nazis in Ukraine too. and im not telling you my own thing either this is what rabbi avigdor miller held that eventually Hashem will take revenge on those fools. obviously you need some help if you cannot understand simple things
Am Yisroel
Look how it hurts all us when a chassid, a Jew gets killed.
See how we come together when a tragedy hits us.
WHY
WHY CANT WE BE UNITED IN BUSINESS AND NOT ONLY UNITED WHEN WE SUFFER THE MURDER OF FELLOW.
Stop being a shul Yid.
Help people when they ask for it.
Step back to help someone new in business.
Ask a unaffiliated if they want to come for shabbos instead of yelling “Shabbos”.
I agree with the Rov the Turkish rubble is a warning to ALL OF US.
Stop thinking your a better a Jew because you were a hat or strimel open up our harts to all the Jews. Maschiach is here
He just needs a Jewish unity
Oy Vậy
“20,000+ human beings dead, one million homeless. For the sake of sending Klal Yisroel a message.”
Does anyone else see a moral problem with this???
Two birds with one stone. Increase anti-Semitism and drive moral/thinking Jews away from Yiddishkeit.