It now appears that Rivka Holtzberg HY”D was not covered with a tallis when her body was recovered in the Mumbai Chabad House as was previously believed.
Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, teary-eyed, spoke of the event at the opening of this week’s cabinet meeting. The news of Rebbitzin Rivka wrapped in a tallis, presumably by Rav Gavriel, rapidly spread around the world.
According to a Haaretz report however, quoting official sources, Israeli diplomatic officials and the rescuers on the scene did not see that she was covered in a tallis, or any of the other victims for that matter. It appears the source of the story was one of the Zaka team in Mumbai, who was in touch with people abroad, using his cellular telephone.
According to IDF attaché to India, Colonel Yossi Turjeman, the rumor began to emerge as a result of the efforts of the local Jewish physician who was assisting, tending to one of the bodies in a Mumbai hospital. The physician, wishing to honor the victim, covered the body with a tallis in the hospital morgue. An Israeli diplomatic source quoted by Haaretz stated that reports that one of the hostages managed to cover a body with a tallis has been ruled out beyond the shadow of a doubt.
(Yechiel Spira – YWN Israel)
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6 Responses
It was very hard to believe that the Rav Zt”l was able to cover his wife Aleha hashalom, since they were found on different floors.
However, is there any confirmation if the body that the Jewish physician covered was that of an Israeli/Jew or was it just an act of kindness for a deceased sole? Possibly one of the foreigners or one of the two Americans?
Couldn’t one of the terrorists have removed it? It doesn’t mean it wasn’t there to begin with. Also the fact that the Rabbi was on another floor when found doesn’t mean he wasn’t with her when she was killed.
who cares if it was or was not covered? why is this newsworthy? all the news channels are carrying the itme that “it is not true that the body was covered with a tallis”.
why does it make a difference?”
If everyone was bound then no-one had the ability to cover anyone with a tallis. And knowing the brutal mindset of these pere adam, why in the world would we expect them to allow such a final and compassionate act?
I also do not understand why this article had to be printed.does it just give people something else to speak about. the families are suffering enough.
instead of all becoming sherlock holmes, why dont we rather learn a mishna or say a kpitt’l teheilim