The Zealots of the Beis Hamikdash

The Zealots Destroyed the Food Warehouse and caused complete starvation; Megillas Eichah describes the horrible consequences!

 

Screenshot from Yeshiva World News

Rabbi Elhadad Visits Rabbi Dov Kook

"אלו נשמות של צדיקים מדור קודם".

 

"אלו נשמות צדיקים מדור קודם" - מרגש ומחזק הרב אלחדד ששיכל שני בנים באסון מירון בביקור אצל הרב דב קוק

See also "Thoughts from Shabbos"

Seeking Redemption Now

This is an excerpt from Seeking Redemption Now by Rabbi Avraham Chaim Carmell, that I read on Shabbos, in Hamodia Inyan Magazine, July 7 2021. (typed by me and any errors are mine)

“Sefer Bamidbar, which we will include this week is, as its name denotes, all about golus. […]

“The tumultuous events of the last year and a half make it very clear that the time is ripe to bring moshiach now. What should we be focusing on? is the question on every thinking person’s mind. As an answer, a colleague of mine, Harav Pinchas Zaltzman, shlita, Rosh Kollel of the Boston Shas Kollel in Beitar, brought the following Chazal to my attention (quoted by Rashi and the Radak on Hoshe’a 3:5).

“Rabi Shimon ben Yochai taught: Bnei Yisrael rejected *three things during the time of Rechavam [son of Shalom Hamelech] – the sovereignty of Heaven, the monarchy of the House of Dovid and the Beis HaMikdash …Rabbi Shimon ben Menasha said, “Yisrael will not see any sign of blessing [i.e. redemption (Yalkut Shmuel 1:8)] until they return and seek these three…’ Indeed, in this passuk, the Navi Hoshe’a prophesied that before Mashiach comes, ‘then Bnei Yisrael will return and… seek [a] Hashem their G–D, and [b] Dovid their king, and [c] they will anxiously wait (Malbim) for Hashem and His goodness at the end of days (“His goodness” refers to the Beis HaMikdash, as in Devarim 3:25).”

“This message becomes all the more poignant when one considers the previous pesukim in Hoshe’a. Under Hashem’s instruction the Navi acquired a wife for 15 shekel and a measure of 30 se’ah of barley and 15 se’ah of barley. The Gemara (Chullin 92a) explains that the 45 se’ah refers to 45 tzaddikim in whose merit the world exists  – 30 from Eretz Yisrael and 15 from chutz laAretz. The Gemara continues to say that most of these tzaddikim are not publicly known. Rashi on the verse says that it refers to the period between Pesach and Shavuos.

“This description brings to mind in chilling detail the recent tragedy in Meron, which all of our Gedolim have said was a wake–up call for us to do teshuvah. And the Navi has told us what is expected of us in order to bring the much awaited Geulah.

_______________________

Rabbi Avraham Chaim Carmell studied in Manchester and Gateshead Yeshivos in England and in Yeshivas Ponevez. Since 1980, he has been teaching in Boston Kollel, Yerushalayim. His articles have appeared in Hamodia since its inception.

The beginning and remainder of this article which goes into the detail of the *three things, can be found in the most recent copy of the Hamodia, available at newsstands and by subscription at  https://hamodia.com

[Me: this article appealed to me because I find my inner self is in limbo, waiting for …. what is to come next. That is why I posted this article under the title “Foundation of the Third Beis Being Uncovered in Our Day” – https://habayitah.blogspot.com/2021/07/foundation-of-third-beis-being.html. The Western Wall Excavations and the City of David Excavations is, in my opinion, the building of our next Third Beis HaMikdash (covertly). I’m sure readers can identify with this feeling. Your comments appreciated.]

An Assessment

To find truth, one must search with candles . . . 

Harav Moshe Mordechai of Otwock 

(Chassidim Mesaprim, Rabbi Y.L. Levin z”l)

I had been wondering what this NEXT PHASE of our Geulah Process means for us, and what Hashem might be telling us. The following are some of my perspectives on Our Current Situation (with simanim):

Our Father-in-Shamayim’s Eternal Embrace

A very powerful siman that struck the world, after the likewise “tragic accident?" in §Meron on L’ag B’Omer, was the climactic embrace of the father of Eitan Biran as their cablecar was sent careening down the Italian Alps. “*A Father’s Embrace” insured the survival of his son, the only survivor of that tragic accident. There is a video [https://youtu.be/hKEOuusO8Hw] that captures the last moments of the cablecar nearly reaching its landing, and then the cable snaps and . . . . (its painful to view, but a reminder of how fragile our lives really are, if not for the second by second protection of Hashem).

Why did Hashem deem that the People of Eretz Yisrael must have a secular government headed by a Shomer Shabbat Prime Minister, and other Shomer Shabbat members?

Netanyahu had to be ‘dethroned’ in order to leave open the opportunity for Teshuva of Israelis, as Rabbi Kessin says is necessary.

Netanyahu had to be ‘dethroned’ because he failed in his ‘assignment’ by the Rebbe.

Netanyahu, in all probability, might NOT be found guilty; but if he is it is for the former reason.

God had planned for Moshe Rabbeinu to die in the desert long before the episode of

Mei Merivah occurred, for other more profound and hidden reasons. So God caused

events to occur that would result in Moshe’s hitting of the rock, so that He would have a

pretext to “punish” him with death in the desert and fulfill His decree

Rabbi Winston, Chukas, 

“The Holy One, Blessed Is He, “takes the wise in their own craftiness” (Iyov 5:13)

Hashem Shows Am Yisrael The Lesson of **Unity:

"If one takes an objective look – putting aside any open of its character – and considers what occurred to form this government, it is really quite incredible. . . . It is no secret that the only glue holding this diverse coalition together was … to remove Binyamin Netanyahu from … premiership at all costs”

"[…] If the truth of the common dedication to ousting Mr Netanyahu was enough to unite this group, l’havdil, but all the more so, the truth that defines the life of a Torah Jew should enable us to act with unity even while holding onto our many differences – the good and the bad, the pure and the impress and all those in-between.”

"[…]  this forces Torah Jews to look carefully inside themselves and determine what it is that truly defines them …."

Conclusion:  In Meron, Hashem showed us a powerful lesson on that very day that (retrospectively) the Talmidim of Rabbi Akiva stopped dying (due to lack of respect to one another) the 45 Holy Neshomos were taken to Shamayim (to concretise this lesson, as Rabbi Anava skillfully described for us);

What followed was a message from Shamayim (climactic embrace) that despite our ….  Our Father HKB”H wants us to know HE loves us and is watching over us.

And then we witness a “turnabout” election of a disparate group of ideologies come together in UNITY to govern Israel and Am Yisrael, primarily in opposition to the former PM that “ruled” for 12 years. The disenfranchised “anti” ideologies had had enough. But what was the real impetus behind this “coming together”? It was the failure of those 12 years (to stop the in-fighting) and bring the people closer to HKB”H. And to set the stage for the next phase of Our Geulah. Time is racing toward us to enable the End of History to Happen.

I see Meron as the Announcement of Hashem that He is taking over in Realtime!

“For what reason was the Torah given to the Jewish people? It is because they are impudent, and Torah study will weaken and humble them …

Rebi Meir

“But take away Torah from the Jew, and they revert back to being more arrogant than even some of the most arrogant people of the nations of the world. And not just arrogant, but ***cruel ….

Rabbi Winston, Chukas

________________________

Inspirational Reading:

* A Father’s Embrace by Jared Viders, Hamodia Prime June 16

**Defining Truth by Dayan Chaim Kohn, Hamodia Prime June 16

***Are we not now witnessing an incomprehensible “health” drive to change the DNA of Am Yisrael internally/chemically? Has the “Oath” to do no harm been superceded by an unfathonable agenda?

§ Compare the Israel  State Commission on Meron to that of the Arizona election audit in the U.S., both contain revelations (if allowed to surface) to shock the world.

The Guilty Hide From Exposure “CORRECTION"

This is taking the path of the Yemenite Children’s Cover–Up; hopefully it won’t take years to get to the Emes.

(forgive my not correcting this; it was a premeditated crushing of haredi Jews 

and not the stampede narrative being used)

 JERUSALEM (VINnews) – A month after losing two young sons in the Meron *stampede, a Bresolver family has made clear their desire for justice, inscribing both gravestones with an abbreviation normally used for those who suffered violent deaths at the hands of another. 

Haaretz (https://bit.ly/2SPPfVX) reported that the epitaph etched on the gravestones of both 18 year old Yosef Dovid Elhadad and 12 year old Moshe Mordechai Elhadad acronym הי״ד, standing for the words Hashem yikom damam, may G-d avenge their blood. As previously reported on VIN News, Meron survivor Rabbi Menachem Mendel Moskowitz recounted his belief that the power of the Shma Yisroel uttered by Yosef David Elhadad in his final moments spared him from certain death. (this paragraph got omitted, but now reinserted)

The Elhadad family has been vocal in its demands for accountability in the wake of the tragedy that took the lives of 45 people celebrating Lag B’Omer in Meron. Family spokesperson Shimon Yisrael Elhadad, a brother of the two who died, declined to comment on the damning wording on his brothers’ gravestones, but he has repeatedly called for those responsible for the celebration’s safety be held accountable for its horrific outcome. The boys’ father, Rabbi Nachman Meir Elhadad, accused officials of spending their time creating a cover up of what he called “the biggest civil disaster in the history of the country” instead of conducting an investigation geared to preventing future tragedies.

Much finger pointing has gone on over the past few weeks as discussions of a formal investigation have gone nowhere. Charedi lawmakers have reportedly been opposing a state inquiry, saying that it would be biased, pushing instead for one that would be include officials from several ministries as well as the chief rabbinate. But member of the victims’ families have rejected that idea, saying that it posed a conflict of interest as some panel members would be investigating their own ministries.

The Times of Israel (https://bit.ly/3g0iRrF) reported that some of the families joined together in creating The Forum of the Bereaved Families of the Meron Martyrs, sending a letter to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and several other high ranking officials demanding an independent state investigation, saying that it is the only way a comprehensive inquiry could actually happen. Taking things one step further, the family of singer Shragee Gestetner, the first victim identified in the *stampede, said last week that it would bring in the American government if a state investigation was not created shortly

Source: https://vinnews.com/2021/06/01/brothers-gravestones-call-on-g-d-to-avenge-their-deaths-as-meron-inquiries-stall/

A REMINDER . . .

If this new “Change” govt. comes into effect, it should “imitate" what is ‘eating up' America; a socialist ‘sino red’ overthrow. . . and the pieces of the Geula puzzle proceeds to shape.

We Are ALREADY In the Redemption 

Magen David Adom (MDA) has released radio recordings of the moments after the Meron disaster began, bringing the public a bone-chilling look at the incident as it unfolded. The recordings begin with a calm control operator answering a call, only to hear the nearly hysterical shouts of a paramedic on scene.

“We have a mass casualty incident in the Meron area!” shouts the paramedic. The operator attempts to calm him.

“Wait a minute,” she asks carefully. “How many are injured?”

“We’re talking about at least seven dead!” the paramedic shouts over a rising clamor behind him. “Ten! Eleven!”

“Eleven dead?” asks the incredulous operator. “How many injured?”

“Something like forty!” he answers, shouting over a rising tide of crowd-control directions being yelled in the background. “Twelve dead now!”

“Twelve dead - how many more injured?” the operator asks, trying to keep up with events.

“I don’t know! Fourteen dead now!” the paramedic answers.

The recording then switches from the telephone line to that of the MDA’s radio network, with the incident commander calling out a mass casualty incident at the Meron area at the Toldos Aharon bonfire area. A regional broadcast center picks up the direction, repeating it for all MDA units in Israel’s north.

“Attention all units, there is a mass casualty incident in the Meron area, anyone available is needed immediately.” Another regional call center radios in shortly afterwards.

“Jordan command center here, be advised, there are at least ten casualties, all ages, in the upper grandstands near the courtyard. Anyone available is needed for immediate evacuation. Coordinate your work with the police.”

_______________________________________

Further on the matter:

Rabbi Winston shlit”a wrote something very interesting on the parsha:

It is pointed out that the word “chochmah—wisdom” spelled Ches-Chof-Mem-Heh, also spells “koach mah” when the first two letters are inverted. “Koach” means “strength,” but it can also mean “energy” or “potential, etc.” The word “mah” means “what,” which can also refer to anything that exists, making a statement out of the two words: the energy of everything. That is true wisdom, the knowledge of What it is that has given rise to all that exists, and what sustains it.

That being so, the mah alludes to something even deeper. It is the gematria (Mem=40, Heh=5) of G–D’s “expanded” Name, in which each letter of the Name, seen and invisible, is written out. The letter Yud is written Yud-Vav-Dalet, the Heh is Heh-Aleph, the Vav is Vav-Aleph-Vav, and Heh again is Heh-Aleph. If only the visible letters are used, the gematria is 26. With the added “invisible” letters, an additional (10+1+7+1=) 19 is added to the total, making it 45. Hence its Name, “Shem M”H,” the “Name of Mah—45.”

This name specifically corresponds to the six sefiros of Chesed, Gevurah, Tifferes, Netzach, Hod, and Yesod (see Perceptions: Emor). They are the levels of sefiros that have governed human history until today, each sefirah being “responsible” for a respective millennium. Each of them has embodied a particular aspect of     G–D’s light and will, which has provided the potential for its corresponding millennium. 

In fact, according to Kabbalah, it is this level of sefiros (collectively called “Zehr Anpin”) that actually corresponds to the Name of G–D, “Hakadosh Boruch Hu,” The Holy One, Blessed Is He. Therefore, “koach M”H” means that our world was made and is sustained by the energy of The Holy One, Blessed Is He. G–D, for short. 

Knowledge can deceive a person into thinking that G–D does not exist, or that He does not get involved in the world of man. 

Wisdom is knowing that He does.

SHABBOS IS THE cornerstone of a Torah lifestyle

Therefore, ONE message to the Klal is that Shabbat must be kept more scrupulously by the observant, and those who do not should begin to KEEP Shabbat (not just “do” Shabbat).

Rabbi Anava: Mighty Powerful

The divine message from the disaster in Meron . . .

Families Demand a Independent State Commission of Inquiry

The families of the victims of the Meron disaster sent a letter on Sunday to Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu demanding the establishment of a state commission of inquiry into the disaster.

The families also sent copies of the letters to UTJ chairman Moshe Gafni, Shas chairman Aryeh Deri, and Police Commissioner Kobi Shabtai.

“Unfortunately, in recent days, some are calling for an investigation that is not part of an independent state commission of inquiry,” the letter stated.

“We, the representatives of the bereaved families…wish to clearly and unequivocally say – all the families together – that we are demanding an independent state commission of inquiry. We believe that only a state commission of inquiry will carry out a thorough and decisive investigation.”

“In addition, the members of the commission should understand the Chareidi lifestyles of the victims and include representatives of the bereaved families.”

In conclusion, the letter stated: “We view the Meron tragedy as the civilian Yom Kippur of the state. Our goal is that this committee will prevent the next disaster and also exhaust the full extent of the law against all parties in the most appropriate manner.”

On Monday morning, a measure proposed by Yesh Atid leader Yair Lapid to fast-track the establishment of a state commission of inquiry was approved by a 19-13 vote. MKs from the Chareidi parties, the Religious Zionist party and the Likud party voted against the bill for several reasons, some political.

The Charedi parties have been demanding a public inquiry rather than a state one since the Supreme Court will appoint the judge heading the inquiry as well as the other members of the commission. As is well-known, the Supreme Court has many left-leaning judges, and many leftist and anti-religious decisions are issued from the court. Religious Zionist chairman Betzalel Smotrich said he voted against the bill because he doesn’t trust the judicial system and fears they could even prevent holding segregated tefillos at Meron in the future, as they ruled in the past that concerts with separate seating for men and women are illegal.

Despite voting against the bill, UTJ MKs Yitzchak Pindrus and Yaakov Tessler sent a letter to Netanyahu on Monday requesting that the state commission be established as soon as possible, without any politically motivated delays. They explained that although they voted against the bill in accordance with the decision of the right-wing bloc, it was contrary to their strong feelings that such a tragedy must be thoroughly investigated as soon as possible.

UTJ chairman Moshe Gafni also expressed his support for establishing a state commission of inquiry despite voting against it.

https://www.theyeshivaworld.com/news/headlines-breaking-stories/1976821/families-of-meron-victims-demand-national-commission-of-inquiry.html

Blame for Tragedy at Meron . . . Squarely on Shoulders of Police

The two safety engineers detained for questioning on their role in the Meron disaster placed the blame for the tragic incident squarely on the shoulders of the police, Yisrael Hayom reported. 

During their interrogation, the engineers asserted that they faithfully and professionally fulfilled their jobs but their recommendations were not implemented by the police. “The disaster happened only because the police chose to ignore the professionals despite the fact that the police themselves required the organizers to hire safety professionals.”

The engineers said that they transferred a report of the safety pitfalls at the site to the police as early as April 25. According to documents that were revealed in the Yisrael Hayom report for the first time, the safety engineers demanded as early as January that all the hadlakos at Meron be carried out at the same time in order to prevent large amounts of people from moving from place to place. [In other words, if the Toldos Aharon hadkaka had taken place at the same time as all the other hadlakos, it wouldn’t have been so terribly crowded.] Unfortunately, this recommendation was not heeded.

“We warned about crowding not because of COVID but because of Shabbat,” the engineers said. “We estimated that masses of people would arrive all at once and that’s what happened.” [Since Lag B’Omer was on Erev Shabbos, everyone needed to get to Meron early in order to return home before Shabbos.]

Furthermore, following a safety assessment of Meron last month, the safety engineer sent a letter on April 26 to the police officer at the Northern Police District responsible for licensing and security, stating that a balcony erected on the site “narrowed the entrance of the emergency exit leading to the Toldos Aharon [stairs]. In an emergency, this obstacle poses a danger and can lead to a bottleneck.”

The safety engineer further warned in the letter that “due to the expected large crowds, all emergency exits must be accessible.”

The safety engineers’ lawyers issued a statement saying: “It is very unfortunate that instead of putting their own house in order, the police are seeking scapegoats.”

“Our clients recommended in writing to various parties to carry out actions to reduce the safety risks at the site. The written recommendations were submitted months before the event. Ultimately it seems that the recommendations were rejected due to pressure from various parties of interest, who were vocal then and are silent today. The conduct of our clients was never lacking. They are experienced professionals who did their work in the best way possible but whose recommendations were not heeded.”

Following their interrogation, the engineers were released to house arrest for five days, according to a statement by the police.

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem) 

Source:  (emphasis mine)  https://www.theyeshivaworld.com/news/headlines-breaking-stories/1972859/meron-safety-engineers-police-ignored-recommendations-we-made-months-ago.html

הרב יובל הכהן אשרוב על האסון במירון

 הרב יובל הכהן אשרוב בכמה מילים על האסון שפקד את עם ישראל כולו בהר מירון. מה המשמעות של האסון לעם ישראל? ומהן המסקנות שניתן להגיע אליהן? הרב אשרוב מדבר מליבו אליכם

Meron Was The First Shot Heard Round The World . . .

. . . in the next phase of our geulah process . . . Announcing the war on Jerusalem between the rabid fake Palestinians and the Jewish lovers of Yerushalayim. This could be the historical continuation from ‘67 when the keys to the Temple Mount administration were given over to the Islamic Wakf. From that moment forward Israel needed to earn the return of that moment so we could revoke their terror and false claims, and reclaim our Har HaBeis and begin the work to establish the Third Temple. This is awaiting Mashiach ben Yosef to come forward.

To earn this, we were given the sign that Am Yisrael must come together, in true unity, as one nation under G–D, which we can do on Shavuot, when we all proclaimed our One Voice at Har Sinai.

Ideologies must transcend and meld into one Jewish People under G–D and then we can earn our Third Beis and full ownership of all the Land of Eretz Yisrael.

Rabbi Winston – Parashas Behar-Bechukosai (with dedication)

ON ONE HAND I’d rather not talk about it, especially so soon after it happened. I do not know all the facts, nor can we know all of them. Our insatiable need for meaning, especially when it comes to tragedy, compels us to look for it everywhere we can. But without prophecy, who can really know why G–D does what He does, and why one person is saved when another is not?

On the other hand, it doesn’t seem right not to say something, and act as if it is business as usual when it clearly is not. It is like what happened when Nadav and Avihu died, when the Jewish people went from the heights of spiritual celebration to the depths of tragic mourning. The video clip taken right before the catastrophe in Meron shows an area packed with Jews feeling tremendous achdus and singing heartfully for the coming of Moshiach. It makes this even more painful.

Some would argue that this was an accident waiting to happen, that the potential for it to occur has been there every year. The safety conditions were not great, especially during the time of Corona and at a time that mutations are making rounds. It’s as if the miracle simply ran out.

The Gemora says that during the years of Rebi Elazar ben Shimon’s suffering, no one died prematurely (Bava Metzia 85a). But how does the Talmud even know this, when it says that one’s day of death is a secret not shared with man (Shabbos 153a)? It also says that Moshe died earlier than he should have though he lived exactly 120 years, something that was decreed back in Noach’s time (Sha’ar Hapesukim, Noach).

In Sha’ar Hagilgulim it says that people die “young” because their soul has finished its rectification for that lifetime. Since it cannot get its next level without first dying and reincarnating, they are taken “early” for their own benefit, so they can get on with their overall tikun.

But their family does not know this. As far as parents are concerned, their child is destined to live a full lifetime, to grow up, mature, marry, and have a family of their own. We always worry about the safety of our loved ones, but do not anticipate those concerns coming true. Certainly not when those loved ones go to a Lag B’omer gathering at the kever of one of the greatest tzaddikim to have ever lived, on his very yahrzeit…on a day that also marks the time Rebi Akiva’s talmidim stopped dying. May G–D comfort all of them.

I once spoke to someone who told me that he adds to the list of his daily prayers that when his time comes, G–D should take him while in the middle of doing a mitzvah. He said that he hoped it would be while in the middle of the Shemonah Esrai, while praying with a lot intention, and ideally, during the blessing that praises G–D. One of his greatest fears is not dying, but breathing his final breath while doing something meaningless. 

Even the evil Bilaam came to appreciate this idea, with the help of prophecy, saying: 

“May my soul die the death of the upright and let my end be like his.” (Bamidbar 23:110)

Maybe the miracle simply ran out. Or maybe G–D has something else in mind yet to unfold, and it just cost us the lives of these elevated 45 souls. “Eretz Yisroel,” it has been said, “was built on the ashes of the Holocaust.” There will be discussions about safety. 

There will be finger pointing to distribute the blame. There will be criticism about the behavior of those involved directly and indirectly. But how many people will rise above all of it, and accept that the cheshbonos of G–D are beyond us?

THE SECOND HALF of this week’s reading is Parashas Bechukosai with its blessings for obedience and its 49 curses for disobedience. The Talmud teaches that G–D works middah-k’neged-middah, measure-for-measure (Sanhedrin 90a). A Torah Jew is raised with the idea that getting good usually means we have done good, and getting bad usually means that we have acted badly. 

Hester panim, when G–D hides His face from us, does not mean that the rule changes, as Rashi explains. It just means that we won’t be able to see how the “measure” we received was in response to the “measure” that we did. But as the Talmud says, G–D is not a vatran, meaning He never usually ignores the thing we do right or wrong. If He does, that person is in worse shape than the one getting punished.

So when 45 people die “tragically,” many naturally assume that someone is being punished for something. Nadav and Avihu may have been greater than Moshe and Aharon, but the Talmud cites at least three reasons why they warranted death. As the Talmud states, G–D deals with righteous people to a hairsbreadth (Bava Kamma 50a), making insignificant sins to us reprehensible sins to G–D. 

Chizkiah Hamelech almost died in this world and the next one because he held off having children (Brochos 10a). And it wasn’t as if he didn’t want to have children so he could travel lighter, like many today. He had learned through prophecy that his son would turn the nation to idol worship, and had denied himself the mitzvah and pleasure of fathering children to save the nation. 

And yet G–D’s response was not only to cut Chizkiah—the man who was almost Moshiach (Sanhedrin 94a)—down in this world, but to cut him off from the next world as well! After being told that he was wrong to try and second-guess G–D by Yeshaya Hanavi, he did marry and fathered Menashe who, as prophesied, turned the nation to idol worship. 

Aharon had it right. After his two sons died before his very eyes, and though Moshe consoled him by speaking highly of them, Aharon chose silence as his response. Yes, his sons had erred gravely, but he too had made the mistake of being involved with the golden calf, even though he had done it for all the right reasons. In fact, he may have known that all four of his sons were supposed to have died, and would have had it not been for the prayer of Moshe.

The bottom line? There were a bunch of straws on the camel’s back, and who knows which one broke it? And when you factor in concepts like “alilus” and similar ideas that emphasize the hidden and mysterious ways of G–D, is there any better response than silence? 

The blessings and the curses teach us that G–D takes note of and cares about what we do, so we should as well. But by no means do they open a clear view of G–D’s reactions to the actions of man. The only clear thing we can count on with complete faith is that everything G–D does is just and good (Brochos 61b). Not because we believe blindly, but because G–D made a point of telling us, and that He showed us that this is true (Devarim 4:35). 

What happened in Meron on Lag B’omer, like every last thing in history, was set in motion at Ma’aseh Bereishis. Forty-five people were meant to die as they did. And G–D, being above time, even knew which 45 people specifically would die that day, at the precise moment they did. Not knowing this, and not even suspecting it would happen, we can only experience shock and great sadness. We are forced to call upon levels of emunah we haven’t had to for some time now, especially the families and friends directly affected.

THE OTHER THING people forget to do is consider the “Big Picture.” Life is so involving, so incredibly distracting, that we lose sight of the overall plan for Creation. This year is 5781. The Roman Exile began around 3698, over 2,000 years ago. To us that is ancient history, but to history it was the beginning of the fourth and final exile that we are now in the process of completing. We’re as connected to that time period as we are to the one just before our own. It’s all one history.

But why stop there? The Roman Exile is just one of the four hinted to in the second verse of the Creation story, the one about null and void, etc. What happened last week in Meron, and countless other places around the world we don’t even know about, is rooted in that second verse about Creation.

But why stop there? Everything that goes wrong in history is rooted in what went “wrong” in history before our world even began. Even the Talmud talks about the “974 Generations” that “existed” prior to Creation, though it seems from the Talmud that they never really existed until after Creation (Shabbos 88b; Chagigah 13b). 

Kabbalah says differently. According to Kabbalah, not only did the 974 Generations exist, but they were the first to actualize evil, making possible the sin of Adam Harishon and expulsion from Paradise. Expulsion made possible the world we now know in which G–D’s Presence seems to fluctuate, confusion seems to reign, and all kinds of things go wrong in every generation since. 

That’s why, as the verse says at the beginning of Behar, G–D took us out of Egypt to bring us to Eretz Canaan, to be our G–D. From Day One history has been about Tikun Olam—World Rectification. And once Adam failed to do that, a story unto itself, then history just seemed to whip about like a hose pipe that has gotten out of hand. The question since then has not been, “Why did that bad thing happen?” but, “How come more bad things haven’t happened?”

WHEN A WATER pipe bursts, it usually catches us by surprise. Since the walls of the pipe do such a good job at keeping the water inside contained, we forget about the pressure they “feel” moment-to-moment from the water inside. The walls say, “No, no, no, we must not let you go!” but the water says, “Yes, yes, yes, we will burst through you with much stress!”

History is the water in the pipe, crazily anxious to fix the world and bring Moshiach. It only knows exile and redemption, hates the former and yearns for the latter. If only we could say the same thing about ourselves.

But we can’t. For reasons we cannot control, and for some that we can, we lose our focus. One of the most uplifting things about being exposed to Kabbalah, is how it helps a person to remain focused on the BIG Picture, on the need to end exile and actualize redemption, even while enjoying the niceties of the world. It reminds you about the pressure inside the “pipe,” and makes you wary of potential “leaks.”

I particularly found it moving to hear those at Meron singing in unison about awaiting Moshiach’s arrival. It was one of those moments, one of those rare moments these days, when people were focused on the right thing. I didn’t wonder how this could happen to them because of it, but it occurred to me that it specifically happened because of it. It was as if it made them fitting more than everyone else that day to become the missing sacrifice to greatly further the cause of redemption.

I’m not saying that this is what happened. Vayidom Aharon—and Aharon was quiet. I’m just wondering out loud, not because I need to find meaning in tragedy, because we have emunah for that, and “All that G–D does, He does for the good.” I am just saying that big events such as this one do not belong to our narrow-minded subjective realities of everyday life. They belong to a much larger picture of history that most people do not even recognize…but really ought to.

May G–D comfort all the families and friends of those who have suffered, which should be all of us on some level, and may the loss signal the imminent arrival of Moshiach Tzidkaynu and Geulah Shlaimah.

DEDICATION:

Note: I have, with the help of G–D, just completed my translation of Vayikra, Bamidbar, and Devarim of Sha'ar Hapesukim, and have decided to dedicate it in memory of those who died in Meron, especially since I finished on the same day. It was suggested to me that others might want to have a part in this, which they can do by using this link: 

https://www.paypal.com/donate?hosted_button_id=JNTUTEMPJ9QBU. Money dedicated will be passed on to funds set for families directly affected by the tragedy.

Rabbi Kessin: Meron and Shabbos Yahrzeit of the Ramchal z”l

Amazingly, Rabbi Kessin in his unique understanding of the Divine gives us a mirror reflection of what happened at Meron. This is why I appreciate the Rabbi’s perspective so much.

Weekly Hashkafa Shiur #47 | Hashkafa on the Tragedy in Meron

A concept that stands out in Covid (askara), in the counting of the Omer and the death of Rabbi Akiva’s students (askara), and in Meron the kedoshim were crushed and couldn’t breathe (askara). 

We, each and everyone of us, are keeping Mashiach from coming. It is so clear now.

Pull it down – we’re dying here.’

Yitzhak Deri was in Meron at the time of the disaster and only narrowly escaped – his friend and former room-mate from yeshivah, however, Haim Ozer Seller, lost his life in the fatal crush when thousands of people attempted to exit one of the main plazas via a narrow walkway that was blocked, according to multiple eye-witness accounts, by police who were deaf to the pleas of those trapped within and refused to open the barrier.

On Sunday, Deri was interviewed on Radio 103 FM and related his chilling tale.

Just a few moments before the crowding increased to such a point that people toppled on top of each other, Deri managed to escape the area. His life was saved, but 45 people perished.

“First of all, I want to thank G-d that I am here today, alive, whereas my friend and room-mate, Haim Ozer Seller, the father of a two-week-old daughter, is no longer here,” he began.

“I was there, standing in the tremendous crush of people, with people being propelled along like in a river. At one point I was next to that [corrugated iron] wall, that wall of death, battling against the stream of people being pushed down the slope, and somehow I managed to make my way up and out. I cried out to the police officer there and I told him: ‘You have to remove that wall – people are going to die here if you don’t. Dozens of people are going to be killed here, and I’ll bear witness against you in court.’ That was just ten minutes before the disaster,” he noted.

Deri continued: “I almost passed out from the crush. I can’t begin to understand who gave that crazy order to close off the exit. People were trying to get out and they [the police] wouldn’t let them. Next to me there was a father with his three-year-old son, begging me, ‘Please, get my son out of here or he’s going to die.’ And that was before the disaster.

“Gradually the crush was getting worse and worse until there were literally thousands of people trying to get out of the plaza. Until my dying day I will see that police officer before my eyes. Anyone who thinks the police didn’t *cause this disaster is so completely mistaken. The barrier the police refused to take down was what caused this terrible tragedy. Why didn’t they let people leave? People knew they were going to die! One of those who escaped told me, ‘My son and I recited Shema Yisrael.’ Everyone was begging the police officers to remove the barrier – ‘Pull it down – we’re dying here.’

“When the Evil One [G-d’s messenger for evil, the Satan -ed.] succeeds to such an extent, it tells us that G-d, our Father must be very angry with us,” Deri told his interviewers. “I have no words. The pain is unbearable.”

https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/305422

[*we should say contribute, as this might not be premeditated]

THE GREAT SIGNIFICANCE OF THE DISASTER IN MERON IN BIBLE CODE

 Rabbi Glazerson sheds some Torah Light on the Meron Disaster

I see a connection of this to Rabbi Kessin’s Ohr Mashiach

https://habayitah.blogspot.com/2021/04/the-ohr-mashiach-comes-down-on-lag.html

The Tragedy in Meron: A Torah & Psychological Perspective

 

Chai Lifeline joins all of Klal Yisroel in mourning those lost in yesterday's terrible Lag B'Omer tragedy in Meron. We express our sincerest condolences to their families and our thoughts and tefilos are with all the injured and impacted. During these challenging times, we encourage anyone in need of assistance to contact our 24-hour Project Chai crisis hotline at 855-3-CRISIS or email crisis@chailifeline.org.

We also offer these words of chizuk (spiritual support) from Rabbi Moshe Tuvia Lieff, Morah D'Asra of Agudath Israel Bais Binyomin, and practical mental health tips from Rabbi Dr. Dovid Fox, Project Chai Director of Interventions & Community Education. 

Chai Lifeline gives children, families, and communities the tools they need to meet the challenges of living with pediatric illness or loss. 

Chai Lifeline's year-round programs and services address the emotional, social, and financial needs of young patients, their parents and siblings.

http://chailifeline.org​ | http://campsimcha.org​

Witness in Meron Tragedy

 Witness:

[...]”This was the worst incident I’ve ever experienced,” a Hatzalah member said. “We simply ran from resuscitation to resuscitation. We left one body and ran to the next one. I can’t remember such a terrible incident. The Hatzalah members were falling apart as they tended to the wounded.”

“Masses of people were pushed into one corner and fell one on top of another,” Dvir, 25, a witness to the scene, told Army Radio. “There were stairs there and the people on the top fell and were injured the worst, the people on the second level after them…I was on the second level and I thought I was going to die.”

Another witness from Beit Shemesh said in a radio interview: “The whole time there were people passing through and everything was going smoothly. Suddenly there was terrible crowding. I looked up and saw five police officers who were simply standing there and stopping people from passing.”

“People begged, cried, screamed that they’re going to die, that they can’t breathe, but they didn’t open the passageway. Children were fainting in their parents’ arms. When the police finally allowed people through, everyone collapsed one on top of the other.”

ALSO: “A policeman saw the crowd but instead of opening an escape path for people, he threatened them with pepper spray,” Deputy Mayor of Jerusalem Yossi Daitch who was at the scene told the Behadrei Hadarim website. 

We cannot let this collect dust in the memory of the Israelis!

Massacre in Meron: https://rumble.com/vgb2db-massacre-in-meron.html

Here’s a clue to the police modus opperendai: they removed the public cameras the day before! (On the rumble video)

COPING WITH DISASTER . . . 8 Helpful Ideas ALERT UPDATES

MISASKIM ALERT 

Please call 718-854-4548 ONLY if you are missing an immediate family member and need assistance.

There is a hotline set up by Zaka. Pls fill out this form:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfDymRMlF7HeFilw0k1kk3mE1phFR1d4qAvSVWGmS_D5Ekaxw/viewform

                                                   * * * * *

Below is a short list of eight fundamental ideas about coping with disaster that you may find helpful if you feel affected by this event- in addition to praying for the welfare of the injured and seeing if there is any other practical help you are able to provide.

Avi Tenenbaum is an expert in Disaster Behavioral Health and Psychological First Aid. His experience includes providing aid for families coping in the wake of large-scale disasters and war including the Second Lebanon War, Hurricane Harvey, The Pittsburg Tree-of-Life massacre, the Haifa 2016 Fires, Operation Cast-Lead, Sorotzkin Arson Fires, and more. He can be reached at avitenenbaum9@gmail.com

One, it is normal to feel traumatized or affected emotionally and psychologically by this type of event. People react in all sorts of ways to traumatic incidents. You may have trouble sleeping, feel sad, have intrusive thoughts, a lack of appetite, or other symptoms of trauma in lieu of the Meron Disaster.

Experts reassure that it is quite normal and even expected to have symptoms like these immediately after such an event. It has been described as a "normal reaction to abnormal circumstances". This is how our bodies and minds react to such unthinkable tragedies. Do not panic or be overly concerned if this happens to you.

You are not alone in having such feelings.

Two, you are permitted to feel sad or shocked about this event even if you did not personally lose somebody in this incident. Some trauma incidents occur on such a large scale that we, as the Jewish people, feel emotionally connected to what happened regardless of having any direct personal involvement.

You did not need to have travelled to Meron this year to feel sad or affected by this event. You do not need to feel stupid or guilty that you feel anything at all concerning this event. You do not need to feel guilty that you feel indifferent or empty if this is what you feel. You are permitted to feel exactly as you do right now, and this is acceptable.

You are not alone in having such feelings.

Three, some people may feel guilty that they were not harmed in this disaster while others were injured or killed. Thoughts like "why did I survive while they didn't?" can come up in our minds and feel challenging.

These types of thoughts commonly occur after escaping such incidents without harm and this phenomenon is well known.

If this happens to you, you are not alone in having such thoughts.

Four, after events like these it is common to ask oneself or other people questions such as "why did this happen?" or "why on Lag Ba'Omer, on such a joyous day and holy site?”

It is okay to have such questions. You may or may not find answers to them now or ever. In fact, you may not even be seeking an answer but a way to express shock and surprise by talking about this event in the form of a question. This is common and okay. If you feel like you are carrying around questions like these and feeling shocked, you are not alone.

Five, if you are feeling some challenging emotions or reacting in some way to the tragic event, you can think of some practical ways to cope. I invite you to pause and think of a safe reasonable way of coping that might help you. Can you think of something which would make you feel calmer, better, or at ease?

Here are some time-tested coping methods that you might find helpful. Feel free to try them as needed-

-Call a trusted friend and share with them whatever you feel you want to. Get a hug. Be listened to. Reach out to people who you feel could hear your feelings or story.

-Go for a walk around the block or neighborhood by yourself or with a friend.

-Listen to calming music.

-Reduce your exposure to media coverage of the disaster.

-Talk to a professional.

-Avoid using alcohol and drugs as a method of coping with challenging thoughts or feelings. There are many reasons for this.

There are many ways to cope with trauma. Discover the ways that help you feel more at ease. See what you can come up with. If you would like, consult with a trusted friend or professional on how to do this.

Six, Take it easy. These types of events have a major impact on our bodies and minds. They can be overwhelming, tiring, depressing, or confusing. Make sure to eat, drink, rest, and take it easy as needed. Sometimes we need to slow down and take care of ourselves, and that is okay.

Seven, Difficult thoughts and feelings from such disasters usually begin to subside after a few days from when the incident occurred. For others, these symptoms may persist for a few weeks and then go away. For a smaller group of people, these symptoms may persist for a month and even longer. You are invited to consult with a professional at any time for assistance.

If you find yourself having a challenging time after 3 days from the incident has passed, experts recommend that you connect with a trusted professional to get some assistance.

If you find yourself having thoughts of suicide you should seek assistance immediately.

Over the next few days, I hope that we will see a slew of services available for those seeking counseling and emotional support in light of these tragic events.

Here are two resources available right now-

"Eran" operates an emotional support hotline which can be reached by dialing 1201. Dial the number without a star before or after it.

For people seeking help specifically from clinicians sensitive to religious people, the Bayit Cham organization is running a special hotline which can be reached by dialing *9518.

Eight, If you know somebody who appears traumatized by the disaster, consider approaching that person and asking if they would like to talk. If they express interest, try to give them an opportunity to share with you whatever they want to. Listen to them nonjudgmentally and with empathy. Do not ask them to tell you their story if they do not offer to.

Ask directly if there is anything they would like from you at this time. If their request is reasonable, see if you can help them with it. Encourage them to connect with a professional if you or they suspect that this is necessary. If you chat together and they express interest in learning ways to cope with traumatic stress, see if you can both together come up with some coping techniques that the person things will be helpful to them. Make sure that the person gets the support that they need.