To all my dear readers,
It’s taken me so long to write about this because I found it so hard to address. The other week, after all that hype with the supposed ‘snow’ in Jerusalem – and I wrote you a bit about it then –it was programmed to go out from the server and when it did, by then much worse news had happened. What should I say? It certainly wasn’t my intention to belittle or ignore such a major tragedy…
On Friday night of the week before last, we had a Tehillim gathering in my home for my whole building, something we have been trying to do as often as possible lately. During the last war we did it every day, then once a week. Then came the three boys, other tragedies in between, and the Har Nof massacre. There have been so many difficult days one after the other that there no longer needs to be a “reason” to have a Tehillim gathering. But just as we got started, one of the neighbors sent up her daughters, who came in with the names of the Yidden in that store in France for us to daven for and the whole atmosphere changed. At that point none of yet knew what would happen…it was with very heavy hearts that we heard the news after Shabbos.
When the levaya happened, it was like living it all over again – four new kedoshim, four new families bereaved overnight – four new hearts left bleeding, along with all the rest of the Jewish people everywhere. It really felt like reliving it for those of us over here…
I have nothing to add that others far more knowledgeable than I haven’t already said; but we do know this. There is nothing, not one thing, which happens in this world that happens without a master Plan. It seems very harsh to us here in this physical world, we all know this. The only thing that will get us all through it is our Emunah.
I heard an absolutely beautiful thought from Rabbi Dovid Ashear on the Chazak hotline just last night, and what topic was he talking about? Emunah and the Jews in Mitzrayim when things were the blackest they could be. He brought down how it was their Emunah in the face of the impossible that got them out and that is the very same trait that is going to help us get out of this exile this time as well. He brings down, from the Parsha itself and what the Jews suffered in Mitzrayim how it is PRECISELY when we are in our darkest times, when it appears that Hashem has abandoned us – it is exactly during these times that when we keep having emunah in Him anyhow, we can reach our greatest heights, from the darkest depths. This, as Rabbi Ashear puts it, IS our very ticket to success! When it looks like Hashem has ‘contradicted Himself” but we trust Him anyhow this brings us so close to Him and He shows us that by trusting Him, we will be able to reach our greatest heights – and He will redeem us with His greatest miracles…
I highly recommend listening to his “Daily Chizuk” because that is exactly what it does – gives so so much chizuk and it only takes about 3 minutes of time. I listened together with a friend and we were both crying after hearing it, it was so beautiful. It gives perspective for all our personal nisyonos, for our national tragedies and hardships every day lately and how it will bring us to the Geula – Amen selah.
And one final word of chizuk. With everything going on around us, I’d like to urge every one of you to take the time, this week or at the soonest time possible, to make a large enough batch of challah so that you can YES do it with the bracha! If you’ve been wavering about doing this, NOW is a very good time to go for it and make that big batch — because we need all the tefillohs and heartfelt prayers we can get. YOUR special tefillohs at the “ais ratzone” time– the holy moment of when you have separated the mitzvah of Challah with a Bracha, counts SO much! Let’s add our tefillohs during the time of this holy mitzvah for the whole Jewish Nation – remember: the first tefillah we all say directly after taking the challah and making the bracha is “sheyibaneh bais hamikdash b’mhaira v’yameinu” – that Hashem should bring us all back and rebuild His Temple quickly, in our days.
There’s nothing more that needs to be added to that.
May we share in good news together,
Tamar
