It’s with a heavy heart and many tears that I’ve watched the gut-wrenching videos and pictures of the tragic crush in Meron that has taken the lives of dozens of victims.
I have no words and still can’t process what happened, but this audio from Rabbi Braun was helpful is putting some perspective to a tragedy on a day that should be festive and how we should continue celebrating the rest of Lag B’omer. And this letter from the Lubavitcher Rebbe talks about dealing with tragedy that comes while doing a mitzvah.
For families who have lost loved ones, El Al is offering 2 free tickets to Israel for first degree relatives such as parents, spouses, siblings, or children. The airline has set up a dedicated phone line to book those tickets at +972-3-940-4040. That line will be open until 4pm in Israel today and will open again after Shabbos.
Yasher koach to the airline and their new ownership for a kind gesture on a rough day for everyone and may we only know simchas and happy times going forward.
You can read first-hand reports and discuss the tragedy and how to move forward on this DDF thread.
המקום ינחם אתכם בתוך שאר אבלי ציון וירושלים
https://www.timesofisrael.com/idf-female-soldiers-were-attacked-by-haredim-when-assisting-at-meron-disaster/ and yet some are so filled with sinat chinam that they will hurl insults and attack those trying to help them
You are just like the Israeli media. On the radio they kept on saying how terrible it is but, every 5 minutes they said that there are still Chareidim who don’t want to leave the place.
They can’t go on for 5 minutes even in the midst of such a tragedy without saying something against the Chareidim.
Some people literally bring their hatred to the grave with them. It’s a very select few.
At first I had the same reaction as you,
after some thought, I realized that the reaction may also be Sinat Chinam
Better to stay silent…
I got a message that people should go to the levaya of Gestetner as it’s a meis mitzvah as he has no relatives here. When I got there I started crying – over a thousand people showed up. WE are his family. How many people posted that they’re crying – for people that they don’t know. WE ARE ONE. Mi k’Amchah Yisroel. These tears for strangers will bring Mashiach BBA.
Yasher Koach to a YID who saw a need and rushed to fill it
May the RSO repay him 100 fold and may the next flight these people take be for a simcha
AK – its a very high level/madregah of emunah that Rav Shmuel was able to obtain. Don’t forget, there are madregas. We need to work on ourselves to reach that level!
Hashem is the only one that can give us the strength to overcome all this!
Losing a child is something we can no fathom the pain!
Kol Hakavod to El-Al.
just got off the phone with my brother who was their and whos son was doing CPR on a few of the victims he ran to betar to be their for one of the families and just got home minutes before shabbos hes numb and couldnt talk but told me over a vort from hagon harav shmuel birnbaum ztl as is well know he lost 2 of his sons and told over the following vort
rashi says that yitzchok aveenu was blinded either by the smoke of avoda zara caused by the wives of esov or an alternate pshat brought by rashi was the tears from the malochim they cried by the akeda asks rav shmuel why were the malochim crying upstairs in shomyim they knew that in actuality the end would be that avrom avenu wouldnt slaughter his son yitzchok so why the need to cry ???
answers rav shmuel ztl that the only way the mahlochim were able to cry was by looking at it from the perspective of humans on this world hence they cried but if a person looks and accepts the tests hes given on this world thru a “himmeldike kuk” he has no questions and is able to accept the tests w/o any questions on hashem
AMAZING !
l
Beautiful and inspiring, thank you
AK, you really do have a positive intention with your divrei chizuk, but I don’t feel it’s as sensitive or reasonable for the mourners who are now sitting shiva for the loss of a parent, spouse, sibling, child. I’m not a therapist and I’m not a Rav, but I’ve heard from Rabbonim who are also LCSWs or physiotherapists, and your message isn’t necessarily incorrect, but it’s not validating or appropriate to tell a mourner that they should accept the tests Hashem has given them, and have zero questions for Hashem. I can speak for myself, I’m not Avraham Avinu or Yitzchok Avinu; myself and many others *do* question Hashem, and ultimately when the bitterness of the event passes, (often with the help of a Rav and therapist) are we able to begin to learn to try to find comfort.
100 . This is not the time nor the place for it . It’s an indescribable tragedy . I am crying the whole day and not functioning. I can feel the pain in the air
I don’t think AK was speaking to the mourners (who I’m sure are not on this blog today looking for chizuk). He was speaking to the rest of us who are sad and stunned by what transpired.
Can we dream of everyone (chilonim/chareidim/peleg/meah shearim) in EY making peace with each other and Mashiach?
We can Dream
Audio not working for me
Fixed
Misaskim has a hotline to call and they will help anyone who needs take care of obtaining tickets etc. besuros tovos and mashiach speedily
Reading the names and seeing their pictures. I haven’t stopped crying all morning.
Where can I see that?
Heartbreaking .