Teaneck, NJ – The 20th of Tishrei, the day of Gilad Shalit’s release from captivity, is a day of mixed emotions. Our hearts throb with joy for the Shalit family, and we wish them much nachas forever and ever. Yet, our hearts also bleed for the families who lost loved ones at the hands of the ruthless killers who are being released, whose wounds are reopened.
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We also live in dread of the actions of these vicious murderers, who have no value whatever for human life. We will increase our alertness and reinforce our security to the maximum. We will also pray fervently for Hashem’s mercy and protection.
When the horrible Chmelniecky massacres occurred in 1648, Rabbi Yomtov Lipman Heller, author of Tosafos Yomtov, said that this was a punishment for the sin of conversing in the synagogue during prayers and the Torah reading. Although there were some Jews who did not observe the Sabbath or kashrus, Rabbi Heller did not implicate these grave sins as the reason for the massacre, but rather the insult and affront to Hashem of conversing during prayers.
Unfortunately, this grave sin is still too often violated. We need every bit of Divine protection we can get. Is it too great a sacrifice to refrain from conversing in the synagogue, knowing that by committing this sin we are removing Divine protection and jeopardizing the lives of Jews everywhere, but especially in the Holy Land?
Please! Keep this in mind when you attend services. The protective shield for yourself, your loved ones and your fellow Jews is in your hands.
Dr. Twerski, is a noted ordained rabbi, and the author of more than 60 books.
To #1 . By “revolt”, do you mean bomb cafes and pizza parlors? Oh, yeah, thats “resistance”, so its ok. BTW, the Ukranians historically didn’t need much of a reason to kill Jews, no matter what their political situation happened to be.
#1 If you start looking for explanations, it seems to me you missed the point. The very important message R Twersky is saying is “we should take steps to better ourselves”. Everything is byide shamayim
While talking in shul is an issue, how does Twersky get from Gilad Shalit to talking in shul???? Maybe we should all be more stringent with kashrut? Or taharat hamishpacha? Or chalav yisrael? Or we should check our mezuzahs? Or maybe one of us has a defect in his bris milah?
These rabbonim may be great talmidei chachamim (and Twerski definitely so) but when they claim to know WHY the Ebeshter did or did not do somthing and what specific avayrah triggers a specific outcome (e.g. talking during davening poses existensial threats to the security of EY) you have to believe that they maybe started making kiddush early and frequently.
Why don’t we ask Yehuda Levin why this is happening. I can’t imagine what he would say.
Silly people, Rabbi Twerski didn’t say why bad things happened. He only sad that we shouldn’t talk in shul. Rabbi Twerski is known as a big tzadik which helped thousands of people so how can u be so disrespectful?
The Lubavitcher Rebbe made it abundantly clear that negotiating with Arabs to give them Land or other concessions, it precisely what causes the Arabs to Kill Jews.
It’s Plain and Simple:
There is DIRECT cause and effect relationship –
and the Lubavitcher Rebbe has been proven right on this point, (ufortunately,) over and over again.
What Rabbi Twersky is doing here, is like saying: – If you let children play with matches, which inevitably causes a fire, then would he say that the reason for the fire is not the guilt of the adults who let them play with matches but because of Talking in Shull during Davening??????????
Every negotiation with terrorist and giving away of land or other potential concessions is not just “playing with fire” but 100% G U A R A N T E E D to cost Jewish lives, Chas Vesholom.
It’s time that we face up to this reality, rather than have an Ostrich stick his head in the sand searching for “spiritual reasons” why children playing with matches causes a fire.
When someone has a heart attack Chas Vesholom THE ANSWER is to call Hatzalah rather than to run to shull, ‘INSTEAD’ and ask everyone to stop talking during davening.