INN is reporting that Prime Minister Ehud Olmert is being harshly criticized for not attending the 19th anniversary ceremony in memory of 73 IDF soldiers who died in a helicopter crash.
The Yad LeBanim organization, which works on behalf of soldiers charged that “it is an insult to the families and a disgrace to the memory of the victims” that the Prime Minister did not attend.
He said that Prime Minister Olmert’s office blamed problems in security for his absence and sent a video recording, which the video’s families said will be returned without being shown.
This news story brings to mind the story with Maran Horav Shach ZATZAL, who was found crying hysterically upon hearing of this tragic helicopter crash (or possibly a different crash when two choppers collided). A Talmid asked him why he was crying if there were no Frum soldiers on board. To which he answered in a voice choked up in tears “they were Yidden just like you and I”.
His love for each and every Jew was so great……..
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8 Responses
from ehud barak to ehud olmert, we have come a long way
A quick correction: The terrible crash occurred 10 – not 19 – years ago. Hashem yogen aleinu v’al kol amo Beis Yisroel.
let’s go ahead and criticize him all the way…
it’s time for a change, we need somebody new……
barak was a no good’nik as well.
This is a long yet interesting (at least i yhink so)comment
About 8 years ago i heard of another amazing story in connection with this. A Frume person in the Land of Israel picked up a hitch-hiking soldier, who was unfortunately distanced from Yiddishkeit. During their course of conversation it turned towards Judaism ect. (what else is knew). When they parted, the driver invited the Chayal for a Shabbos.
The Shabbos was uplifting and enjoyable for the Yid, prompting him to commit to further explore Religious life. Yet, since he was still in the service, where he felt it would be too difficult to begin this road, he made up to begin as soon as he is discharged. However his host suggested he act upon his inspiration immediately in some way.
For whatever reason they agreed upon the halocha of how one should put their shoes on. We put our right shoe on first without tying it (a right handed person), then our left shoe, tie it followed by closing our right shoe. This he would begin immediately.
A while later he forgot to put his shoes on in this fashion and only remembered during a training procedure, upon which he asked to be excused for he had a “petza bregel”. He took his shoes off behind a tree and replaced them properly. This repeated itself several times, until his commander became suspicious and followed him. The commander demanded an explanation for this strange behavior of putting the shoes back on. The truth enraged the commanding officer as it seemed to be making a mockery of the army.
The soldiers punishment: 2 weeks in solitary confinement.
A week into his sentence, the news that his brigade tragically perished in the above mentioned chopper accident (which he was forced to miss) reached him.
WOWOWOW! Amazing story!
It reminds me of a similar incident during that terrible tragedy in Israel a few years ago where during awedding, the hall collapsed and so many perished.
At the simcha, there was an aspiring Baalas Teshuva who suffered from the intense heat while she was dancing. She was wearing ajacket over asleeveless top. Her Yetzer Hora tried to pressure her to take off the jacket regardless of tzinus so that she would be more comfortable. She kept on debATing within herself but DID NOT FLYNCH! sHE KEPT HER JACKET ON NOT WANTING TO REVEAL WHAT WAS FORBIDDEN.
FiNALLY AFTER A FEW MINUTES SHE COULDNT TAKE THE HEAT ANYMORE SO SHE WENT TO THE LADIES ROOM WHICH WAS UNATTACHED TO THE MAIN FLOOR , TO SPLASH SOME WATER ON HER FACE IN ORDER TO REFRESH HER.
at that moment she could hear the horrible shrieking of those unfortunate victims who fell through the floor. She was saved in the zechus of her commitment to Tzinus!!!
Maybe it’s just me, but why would someone think that one SHOULDN’T be sad when Jews are killed? We truncate Hallel for dead Egyptians, after all.
Am I missing something?
Charedim – well said!