Dear Friends,
I am taking the opportunity to answer the many individuals who have approached me, via text, call and on the street. And I’d like to address the pain, fear, confusion and horror we are living through. One gentleman stopped me in the supermarket and asked me how we live through what has occurred to our brothers and sister in Eretz Hakedosha and as I spoke with him a small circle of people joined us and, one by one, the individual levels of pain, fear and outright terror emerged – along with a smattering of apikorses to make it more interesting. Herein, you will get my answers to them and, hopefully, find your own questions answered and fears addressed.
Bechol dor vador, omdim alainu lechalosaynu! Our history is filled with pogroms and holocausts – under different headings, in different countries and at different times – but always under the same heading of anti-Semitism and hate. In every generation there are notable incidences of discrimination, blood libels and atrocities directed at us for being who we are. But this time it was one of the worst atrocities yet witnessed by a silent, sleeping world.
The terrorists that attacked in Israel are everywhere throughout the world, having quietly infiltrated countries and communities in major cities, quietly biding their time and multiplying inconspicuously until such time as they are given the order to emerge. 9/11 is but a memory here, remembered only once a year. We have become complacent and easily forget how the terrorists danced in the streets of the word as American lives turned to ash and the World Trade Centers burned to the ground. We lost almost 3,000 loved ones that day; it only took ten terrorists to crash two planes filled with innocent people into two of the largest buildings at the height of the morning business day. With each passing year, the memory grows dimmer, and the terror cells grow stronger as they lay in wait for the go-ahead to strike yet again.
The answer is not to fear. Fear is paralyzing, making one incapable to act. The time is now to bombard Washington and the powers that be to put measures in place to protect everyone from impending harm. This day should warn every country, every city and every person that this can happen here, and if we are complacent until it does, it will be too late to do anything about it.
To the gentleman who asked, “Why does Hashem allow this to happen?” Hashem weeps with all of us over this horrific carnage, but what comes to mind as a reply was “Remember Amalak and what they did to us!” Hakodsh Boruch Hu gave us this beautiful land which He gifted to our Forefather Avraham not once, but yet again in 1948, and what did we do? We invited the “Palestinian/ Amalaykim” back into the land to show our good-will and fair mindedness to a world who couldn’t care less! As Jews we must never question G-d’s business. He weeps with us and for us when our bechira is faulty and not in keeping with how and what we need to be. We have much to atone for because we have strayed from the life we are supposed to lead and tried to be different in all the wrong ways.
And to the lady who piped in to say I was being unfeeling and insensitive to everyone who is suffering, I said I have two wonderful, beautiful grandchildren who are the heart in my chest and the air I breath – who are in the midst of it there in seminary and yeshiva and I am both so very proud of them and fearful for them at the same time. So yes, I truly know the painful fear on a very personal level. I also have many close and dear friends whose children are soldiers in the army and my heart bleeds for them. And for the friends who just today buried their chayal son, only 20 years old, yes the tears don’t stop to fall and the pain is beyond description.
We are all suffering, fearful and broken, but we must never feel defeated. We will rise above this latest attack upon our people, against our faith and against anyone who wishes us ill or harm. And we will show the world that we are one people with one land bequeathed to us by one G-d, Hashem yisborach shemo! And we will be here till the end of time, together, as one, bound and protected by the love of our Creator. So take heart, dear, good friends. The time will come when we will rise again, but this time greater than before. The mourning will, in time, end and then the rebuilding will begin, and where the rockets scarred the heavens, doves will, once again, return to nest on the walls of the Kotel which will encircle the Beis Hamikdash habnuya to the sounds of the shofros heralding the arrival of the geulah.
