The Horrific Tragedy

 

From a comment to Rabbi Hoffman's article below!

Rabbi Hoffman – I appreciate the thoughts you expressed, but where were you almost exactly a year ago, on the Shabbos after Shavuos, when three holy Bachurim from Yeshivat Shaalavim were oleh b’merkavas eish while defending the lives of their fellow Jews in Eretz Yisrael?

 Were the deaths of Yakir Levy, Shalom Nachum, and EliMo Zimbalist, HY”D, all of whom loved Torah no less than anyone in Lakewood, any less worthy of mourning and commemoration?

Yet, I’d venture that most of your readers never heard of these three Kedoshim who quite literally were Moser Nefesh and gave their lives Al Kidush Hashem – because they have been taught that only “their” Gedolim and “their” Yeshivos are “real”.

Rabbi Hoffman, you put yourself forth as one who tries to create achdus in Klal Yisrael. How about spending some time to learn about the three Bachurim I mentioned, and then writing something in honor of their Yahrtzeits?

By Rabbi Yair Hoffman

A devastating car accident on Friday morning has left the community in Lakewood reeling, along with all of Klal Yisroel.  The death toll of this accident has risen to three yeshiva students and two others injured, one critically.  All of them represented the crème de la creme of Klal Yisroel – learning Hashem’s Torah b’iyun, hearing the mussar shmuessim of the great Roshei Yeshiva and mashgichim, Fulfilling v’heigaisam bo yomam valailah.  They were all our children.  And we cry for their parents. Their brothers and sisters who looked upon them as the very embodiment of what HaKadosh Boruch hu wants us to become.

The tragedy unfolded when a Toyota Sienna minivan carrying five bochurim veered off Hope Chapel Road after striking a deer, crashed into a tree, and burst into flames.

According to initial reports, the accident occurred between Clearstream and New Central streets when the deer darted onto the road, causing the driver to lose control. A passerby discovered the vehicle engulfed in flames and alerted emergency services. Fire crews, ambulances, and brave Hatzolah volunteers rushed to the scene, managing to rescue some passengers, but two students, David Yitzchak Handler and Chaim Zelig Berl, were pronounced dead on-site.

A third student, HaKadosh Rafael Faham a”h, was critically injured and evacuated to Jersey Shore University Medical Center, where he underwent emergency surgery. Despite over 18 hours in intensive care, Reb Rafael Faham succumbed to his injuries just before Shabbos. The two remaining students were also hospitalized; one, Reb Meir Moshe Aharon ben Devorah Naomi, remains in critical condition, while the other is, boruch Hashem, stable. The entire community continues to daven for them.

Reb Dovid Yitzchok Handler’s funeral was held erev shabbos at 5:00 PM at the Lakewood Funeral Home (613 Ramsey Street), and Reb Chaim Zelig Berl’s took place at 4:15 PM at Beit Mordechai Midrash (1455 Heathwood Street). Both were laid to rest in the Lakewood Bais HaChaim.

The Lakewood community, devastated by the loss, held Tefilos throughout Shabbat for the injured.

Words fail.  It is so very painful.  The parents of these wonderful bochurm, their families, their friends – each and every one of them – they are all walking Kiddush Hashems.  The Hatzolah volunteers must also be very devastated.  I remember pulling over the highway in the summer of 1988 (?) when a similar tragedy occurred with young men studying in the Yeshiva of Staten Island.  The car went over the side of Route 17.  We, the first who spotted them, worked on them on the side of the highway performing CPR, taking them out of the vehicle.  I have still not fully recovered emotionally.  

No one is privy to the reasons and calculations of how the Borei Olam runs the world.  When tragedy strikes, however, it has always been our way to find solace in the words of Chazal – the sages of Israel.

These three young men, kedoshim, were the elite of Klal Yisroel.   They were Baalei chessed and bnei Aliyah.  They brought joy and cheer to everyone and inspired others, even their Rebbeim, in their learning, their hasmada, their ivdu es Hashem b’simcha and in their avodas Hashem. 

Chazal tell us (Moed Kotton 28a) that the tragic deaths of Aharon HaKohain’s sons are juxtaposed to the Para Adumah to teach us that the deaths of Tzaddikim are mechaper – they atone for us.

There are numerous ways that this happens.  One way is through the notion of general kapara discussed in the Gemorah.  Another way is that when we are noseh b’ol chaveiro, when we feel the pain of others – this removes decrees against us.  When we are concerned for families that lost children, decrees are reversed.  Chazal (Vayikrah Rabbah 34:14) tell us of a time when there was no rain.  A man had compassion toward his down-trodden ex-wife and gave her significant funds.  This caused the decree to change and rain came down right away.

There is also a third way.  The Zohar further tells us that if not for the tefillos of those that have passed on – we would be unable to stand.

We are maaminim bnei maaminim.  Indeed, the Mechilta tells us that on shvii shel Pesach, Klal Yisroel recited the Hallel – even before Kriyas Yam Suf.  How could this be?  The answer is that they had the highest degree of Emunah.

We are distraught by the enormity of this tragedy.  It is so difficult to hold back tears – yet we retain our emunah and know that Hashem runs the world – and that everything will be clear in the future.

Dovid HaMelech describes us as the Shivtei Kah (Tehillim 115:16), the tribes of G-d.  Klal Yisroel has an exceptional level emunah and bitachon a unique ability to connect to HaKadosh Boruch Hu, one that we believe always was and remains unparalleled among other nations.

The Rosh HaShana davening delineates for us the true destiny of Klal Yisroel.  The Jewish nation were the ones that introduced Hashem to the world, and in the future it is the destiny of Klal Yisroel to introduce more knowledge of Him throughout the world so that all peoples of the world will form one group in order to fulfill the Creator’s Will.

The fulfillment of this ultimate destiny is a gradual process that began long ago – at the very birth of Klal Yisroel as a nation.

Generally speaking, we can further these connections to Hashem with 1] greater and deeper Torah study – G-d’s law, with Avodah or Tefillah – Divine service, and with acts  of Gmilas Chasadim – acts of lovingkindness to others. The Mishna in Avos delineates these three paths and explains that they hold up the world – they also further our individual connection to the world’s Creator.   These three all work in different ways.

Delving deeper in Torah study demonstrates our desire to be closer to Him, and to His word.

And finally, there is the third method of being like HaKadosh Boruch Hu.  The Gemorah tells us, Mah hu rachum af atta rachum  mah hu chanun af atta chanun.. Just as He is merciful and kind so to must you be merciful and kind.  Hashem is the ultimate source of goodness and Chessed, lovingkindness, and  we should strive to be like Him and do Chessed too.

The good feeling  that we get when we do Chessed is because that Divine section within  all of us described as that “Chailek Elokah mimaal” is charged and highlighted whenever we do acts of Chessed.

These remarkable bochurim connected to Hashem in all of these ways.  Which brings us back to why their family members were chosen.  Why the parents, why the siblings?  Why their friends? Such challenges and nisyonos.

THREE GROUPS

The Maharal tells us that people that are given stress or challenges can generally be divided  into three groups:

The first type consists of those who Hashem finds incredibly special. Hashem brings about the Tzaar precisely because He wants and desires the added  closeness.  This group is why the Imahos, Sarah, Rivkah, and Rachel and others such as Chana, did not, at first, have children.  Hashem  wanted their closeness to Him through their Tefillah – prayers.   The Gemorah in Yevamos (64a), “HaKadosh Boruch Hu Misaveh leTfilasan shel Tzaddikim, Hashem yearns for the prayers of the righteous.”

A second group are those that Hashem wants to give more Schar, more  merit, by bringing them closer to Him.   This group is also included in those described in Mishlei (3:12) in the posuk, “For those to whom  He loves, He afflicts..”  In Yishayahu (57:15) the Posuk says, “Ani  eshkon es dakah, I shall dwell in those who are broken-hearted..”

These people may be average or beinoni, but for some reason Hashem singled these people out to get ever closer to Him.

A third group are those people that Hashem wishes to give an atonement on some action that they may have done.  One such case is  Avimelech. Another case l’havdil, is Miriam who spoke, on a very subtle  level, negatively about Moshe Rabbeinu.

Whichever group one is in, the Maharal (Nesivos Olam – Nesiv HaYesurin  chapter 1) explains that when Hashem brings these afflictions, just as a father comforts a child, so too does Hashem comfort us.

The Maharal explains that the Yissurin somehow prepares the person for  greater Dveikus Bashem – connection and cleaving to Him.  It removes the “Chomrius” physical nature of the person, in the words of the Maharal, and fully spiritualizes the person.  As proof he cites that an Eved, a slave, is called Chomrius and when he loses a tooth, the master must set him free.  Certainly, writes the Maharal when someone’s entirety is afflicted with Yesurim,  that person’s entire essence becomes spiritual.  The Maharal further explains (chapter 3) that the person becomes Kadosh, holy.

ATTITUDES

The Gemorah in Brachos (54a) writes that we are obligated to make a  bracha on “bad news” just like we make a bracha on “good news.”  Chazal tell us (Brachos 5b) that we should accept all Yissurim, affliction or pain, B’Ahava – with love.   Yissurin B’Ahavah is an important level to achieve.  The Maharal (chapter 3) brings a proof from Iyov that if one reaches this level, the schar that a person gets is multiplied manifold.

This may be a high madreigah to reach, and we should not be down on ourselves,  if, occasionally, we don’t reach it.  Whenever we do reach it, we get that high level of schar.

Rav Tzvi Myer, grandson of Rav Gedaliah Schorr says that there is an expression which states, “Don’t look at the cup as if it is half empty – look at it as if it is half full.”  Both perspectives have it wrong.  The truth is that the cup is always completely full.  Hashem is so filled with love and compassion toward us that He is always showering us with good and what is in our best interest.

The problem is that, at times, we may view things negatively as if the cup is only partially filled with good and that the rest is air.  This perspective is incorrect.  The cup is always full.  We just fail at seeing it.

We must teach ourselves that seemingly negative things do not happen to us – they happen for us. This idea must be entrenched within us and is the reason that the sages ordained that immediately before we recite the Shma we declare the realization of G-d’s intense love for us:  Ahavah Rabbah ahavtanu or Ahavas Olam.

This is the meaning of the expression of the sages, (Brachos 54a) – k’shaim she’mevarchin al hatov kach mevarchin all haRah.  It has to be k’shaim – equally –  because the cup is always full.  This is also the reason we recite in Hallel ki gavar aleinu chasdo – we are showered and perhaps even overwhelmed with His goodness.

The Gemorah in Brachos (60b) says that a person should always say,  “Kol Ma D’avid Rachmana l’tav avid – whatever Hashem (the Merciful  One) does, He does for the good.”

Elsewhere, (Nesiv Ahavas Hashem  p.43) the Maharal explains that this attitude even has the effect of changing what might be perceived as negative things around to fully  perceivable positive things.  Understandably, this is a very worthwhile attitude to adopt.

The Maharal wrote these words centuries ago, and it is this author’s hope that they will offer some consolation and understanding to those who are suffering pain