Sunday, November 30, 2008

Stop Terror II

What can we say after the bitter tragedy that took place in Mumbai? May Hashem comfort the mourning families together with the rest of us who mourn over Tzion and Yerushalayim.

The Chazon Ish zt"l once said bitterly to his brother-in-law Rav Shmuel Greineman zt"l, "Heaven hid the decree regarding the Holocaust from me. Because I did not know that the destruction of the Jews of Europe was hanging over our heads, I could not even make efforts to nullify the decree through prayer!"
Unlike the Chazon Ish, we can see how tenuous our situation is now. Unfortunately, we are so preoccupied with material concerns that we really don't yet feel that the tragedy has to do with each and every one of us personally.

It's time to truly change. We must learn to value ourselves. Every little bit of emunah and yearning for Hashem and every word of Torah and prayer makes an indelible impression on high and protects from such horrors.
Of course we will never understand why Hashem allows such a thing to happen until Moshiach comes to explain every single tragedy and how it was part of the larger fabric of redemption. For now, we need to cry, pray, and improve ourselves. We must have true emunah that what we do counts and that the Jewish weapons of faith, prayer, Torah study, teshuvah, and commitment to mitzvos is what will protect us and our brothers and sisters throughout the world.

It is well known that the Chofetz Chaim once said, "To miss a ma'ariv today when so many do not fulfill mitzvos is tantamount to a soldier slacking in his duty. The Jewish people as a whole needs every little mitzvah now that so many are distant from Torah." How much more so in our times.
As Jews, we all have a spark hiding within us that we always have the power to coax into a roaring flame. It's time to truly understand that doing what we can is literally a matter of life and death!

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Kvod HaRav, my heart was broken by this. Thank you for your instruction.

HaSepharadi

Anonymous said...

Hasefardi: Everyone's heart was broken by this. But we can't let this break or emotionally paralyze us. We need to keep doing our best to serve Hashem--no matter what. Hashem should help us fulfill this!
I was very inspired by the Rebbizten's parents who are taking over the Chabad House in Mumbai. What mesiras nefesh!

Anonymous said...

yasher koach, this is what we need. tanya 33 talks beautifully about light from darkness...