The Jewish people have experienced tremendous tragedy over the past week. While many are aware of the major attack in the Chabad synagogue in Poway, many are not aware that during the week there were yet another two attacks – both totally unprovoked – and upon emissaries of the Lubavitcher Rebbe.
I have compiled a few videos below for the interested reader to spend some time watching more about the Poway attack and the real heroes and heroine of this story.
For those who are not aware, the Chabad emissary in Nairobi Kenya – Rabbi Notik and his wife, were violently attacked over just a week ago. Antisemitism and violence seem to have no boundaries. During this past week, yet another Chabad emissary – Rabbi Uriel Vigler – of the Chabad Israel Center on the Upper East Side – encountered an antisemitic episode which thankfully did not result in any physical violence.
The most widespread of the attacks was the attack on Rabbi Yisroel Goldstein of Chabad Poway. The story is painful to relate especially when one considers how the perpetrator of the violent act pleaded not guilty to his savage act.
Rabbi Yisroel Goldstein shares with us the events that happened and how his congregant Lori Gilbert Kaye took the bullet for what would have been his own life. There is no reason to write my own thoughts about the heroism of the people involved because the videos below from the people themselves share all that needs to be heard.
Having just come out from Pesach, let us not forget the words of the Seder where we read that “וְהִיא שֶׁעָמְדָה לַאֲבוֹתֵינוּ וְלָנוּ. שֶׁלֹּא אֶחָד בִּלְבָד עָמַד עָלֵינוּ לְכַלּוֹתֵנוּ, אֶלָּא שֶׁבְּכָל דּוֹר וָדוֹר עוֹמְדִים עָלֵינוּ לְכַלוֹתֵנוּ, וְהַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא מַצִּילֵנוּ מִיָּדָם.” “And it is this that has stood by our forefathers and by us. That not only did one (person i.e. Lavan the Aramean) stand upon us to destroy us, but that in every single generation, they stand against us to destroy us, and the Holy One Blessed is He saves us from their hand.”
What is the “this” that the Haggadah is speaking about that has stood by our forefathers? Before we begin to recite this paragraph – we lift up our cups of wine. Then we recite the paragraph. It is this that has stood by our forefathers. It is the cup of wine! It is the Kiddush we make on every Shabbat and every festival! It is the “Le’Chaim” we make at a Jewish wedding. It is the laws of the Torah that keep us going – so that we can stand. Because with it – without all of this, the “Lavans” of the world might well be able to get away with their plot!
I am often amused at how so many will forgo the reading of the entire Haggadah because they are tired of it, or that they feel it is not relevant to them, or that they read it once when they were young (and so they don’t need to do it again.) Now it is time to eat! It is Yom Tov and a time for celebration! Why do we need this service (the observance of Torah, the having to read the Haggadah once a year, eat a piece of celery (or potato!) and a piece of Matzah with four cups of wine to top it up!? ) In essence this is the question of course of the Rashah – the evil son). Let us just get on and enjoy the family together or better yet – let us go out for the evening and just enjoy the physical life outside!
But they fail to read the words of the Haggadah with care and concern. Lavan the Aramean – the father-in-law of Jacob and the grandfather(!) of the twelve tribes from whom the entire Jewish people would descend – himself wanted to destroy and kill the entire Jewish people! He wanted to kill his own grandchildren!
The Haggadah teaches us this and adds, “but don’t think it was only he (who had such a warped sense of what life is about), rather, in every generation, they plot and scheme ways to try to destroy the Jewish people.” The Haggadah warns us and tells us to be careful with whom we mix.
Just a brief look at the news every day let’s us know that people are very different. We must be careful to know that the people we interact with on a daily basis are people we can trust, and who believe and support us.
This does not mean we must not work on peace between all nations – which we certainly must. It does however mean that we must distance ourselves so that the nations of the world are separate from our ways of life and that our ways of life are separate from theirs. Just as the nations of the world separate from each other in their own ways, so too do we need to be careful to continue our lives in accordance with the Torah – a set of rules giving to the Jewish people over 3000 years ago.
We are different. We each have our places – just as the musicians playing a symphony. Just like the orchestra which requires so many different instruments – but which when played correctly and together produce a beautiful melody! It would be ridiculous to assume only a drum would work to produce beautiful music, and anyone suggesting giving up their other instruments to all be drums would do nothing more than turn what could have been a symphony into a monotonous and even unpleasant noise!
As a world-family, we can certainly and must certainly get along and do everything we can for peaceful relations, but for our own families – we must be warned, that getting too close is not something the Torah proposes. Here, we must draw the lines and remember, that in every generation, they are looking for ways to hurt us – even when they look innocent. Take a look around. Watch the news, and see how it is all the same. People are the same as they have been always. Until of course – there is a real turn-around…
The gunman who perpetrated the act at the Chabad synagogue was apparently a clever man who played piano and attended church services regularly. When the parents heard that their son had perpetrated this act, they were shocked. It seems he had come under the influence of the dark side of the web listening to the opinions of those who “try to destroy us” instead of listening to the “world-peace” organisations. His views about life became warped as he turned into the “Lavans” of the world, those who show themselves as Lavan – white and pure on the outside – but whose insides are blacker than black. The pastor of the church was taken aback as well apologising to the Jewish community for the attack – that had come from a member of their community.
There are the heroes of life and then there are the cowards who have nothing better to do than awaken each morning to consider a new plot against the Jewish people – and against the entire world. Each of us must consider every day which path we will take in life. Will be be a light to the world, or will we awaken to consider how to darken the beauty that radiates life with all that it contains? There is a wholeness to all the world – but this will only reveal itself when each of us does what we should. The Torah is the Jews’ light that shows the way.
As for Pesach – we must read the Haggadah each year – every one of us! We must read it from the beginning to the end. Inside that story lies the mystery of our exile even until today, and inside that story lies the mystery to freedom as well. Those who speak more about it – are praiseworthy!
We should do well to listen to the words of one of the heroes of the attack – Rabbi Goldstein – to work on increasing light, to work on increasing our participation in shul services and being a part of the community and continuing to increase in goodness and overpower the darkness with more light.
Please spend some time watching these videos which teach us so much about what it means to be a hero and who the real heros of the world really are.
