B"H
Monday, Mar-Cheshvan 20, 5779 / October 29, 2018
It is with great pain that I write today’s Torah Fax, as Jews all over the world are trying to process the horrific murders of eleven innocent people during prayers in the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh. Words cannot express my feelings. A greater means of expression in this case is through deeds. For every person whose life was so brutally extinguished, there should be another thousand people attending services in synagogue.
King Solomon in Ecclesiastics says, “There is a time to speak and a time to be quiet.” Today is a time to speak and to be quiet at the same time...
We express our heartfelt condolences to the victims and their families. To the people who were in synagogue praying. To the police and first responders who put their lives on the line and who gave their lives to save those they were able to save. We pray for the victims who need a full and speedy recovery. But whatever we say, we are still quiet, for words cannot fully do justice to the horror and distress those present experienced.
The shots fired by this anti-Semite, Nazi and Jew hater, in the Tree of Life Synagogue, were aimed not only at the people there, but at every Jew wherever they may be. The shots were heard and reverberated all over the world and penetrated every Jewish heart.
The shooting took place on the Shabbat when Jews all over the world read Parshat Vayeira, in which we read the story of the Akeida - the story of the “Binding of Isaac.”
G-d tells Abraham, “Take your son, the one whom you love, Isaac, and bring him up to Mount Moriah, and bring him as a sacrifice.”
Abraham is tested by G-d. It will be his tenth, the last and final test. Abraham is ready to do exactly as G-d told him. Isaac was already bound, when an angel calls out to him from heaven, “Abraham, Abraham, Don’t stretch out your hand to slaughter your son, and do anything to him, for now I know that you are a G-d fearing man and you have not withheld your only son from Me.”
MountMoriah(where Abraham was ready to sacrifice Isaac) was selected by G-d as the place where G-d will eternally rest His glory amongst the Jewish people. The Holy Temple was built on Mount Moriah.
This Shabbat morning, at the Eitz Chaim Synagogue, (which is ironically called “Tree of Life”) in Pittsburgh, more holy souls have been added to the millions of Jews murdered by vicious anti-Semites, only because they were Jews.
During the Shabbat morning prayers, we say a special prayer for those who have been murdered because they were Jewish. “They were beloved and pleasant during their lives, and in their death were not parted… May G-d remember them with favor, and avenge the blood of His servants..” May their holy souls rest in peace in Gan Eden. May G-d bless us all with Shalom-peace Amen.
HAVE A VERY GOOD, HAPPY, HEALTHY AND SUCCESSFUL DAY