Bus Bombers
A number of years ago, at the start of the intifadah in Eretz
Yisroel, there was a serious bus bombing on Taanis Esther.
After this incident it was decided that we will no longer be
like sitting ducks. The time had come to take affirmative
action.
What was the decision? That Purim, soldiers were placed at
every bus stop to prevent bombers from future acts of
terrorism. A short time later, this idea was abandoned when
it became clear that this plan was neither efficient nor
effective.
In the midst of its implementation, I met one of the
gedolei rosh yeshivos in Eretz Yisroel, and asked him
for daas Torah on what had transpired. With fire in
his eyes, he lambasted those who linked salvation to
additional soldiers. "This will only aggravate the
situation!" he shouted. Unfortunately, we have all seen the
truth in his prophetic words.
In these auspicious times where everyone's eyes are on
Eretz Yisroel, the question cannot be avoided: What
can we do to protect ourselves from an enemy whose raison
d'etre is to annihilate us? Are there any special
measures that we can take at this time?
Turning to Prayer
"There is a Torah commandment to cry out to Hashem and sound
trumpets, when the Jewish people experiences tzoros.
As the Torah writes, `When you experience travail and call
out to me with trumpets. This means that whenever you suffer
from plague, pestilence or any other yissurim, you
should call out to me and sound trumpet blasts" (Rambam,
Taanis 1,1)
The Rambam understands that in addition to the mitzvah to
turn to Hashem in prayer every day, there is a special
mitzvah when the Jewish people are experiencing travail. From
his words we learn that when faced with a national crisis
that the correct course of action is tefilloh. If we
follow his advice, the Rambam promises, ". . .this will cause
the tzoroh to be removed" (Ibid. 1,2).
The Ramban is even more resolute about this course of action
and writes that even though, to his opinion, there is no
Torah commandment to pray every day, in times of national
crisis there is a Torah obligation of tefilloh. During
that time ". . . Our eyes and hearts should be turned towards
Hashem alone, like the eyes of slaves to their masters"
(Ramban, Sefer HaMitzvos 5).
When should a person daven for the removal of his
personal or national tzoros? A person is permitted to
add requests into the nusach of Shemoneh Esrei
during the brochoh of Shema Koleinu (Shulchan
Oruch 119,1). However halochoh lema'aseh it is
better to recite them after he has completed the entire
Shemoneh Esrei (Mishna Berurah 122,8).
In addition to personal prayers, tefillas rabbim,
Tehillim said by many people, can have a major impact.
How should this be done?
When davening in Yeshivas Kol Torah, HaRav Shlomo
Zalman Auerbach made sure to announce the name of the person
that the tefillos were being said for beforehand. He
explained that the Tehillim were only considered
tefillas rabbim if the mispallelim knew whom
they were praying for (Halichos Shlomo 8,22).
During our shonoh rishonoh, my wife and I had an
unbelievable number of tzoros. I spoke to many
rabbonim about the situation, looking for direction for how
to deal with such chaos. After speaking a number of times
with HaRav Shlomo Brevda, he told me to come back tomorrow
and we will have the answer to all of our problems.
The next day I came back, curious what the wondrous solution
would be. He assured me that the only possible solution when
one is undergoing such an extraordinary number of
tzoros is tefilloh. He urged me to plead with
Hashem for help at the end of the Shemoneh Esrei of
Shacharis and Mincha, before taking three steps
backward, and to conclude my petition with the following
prayer:
"Even though I am not worthy to ask for such requests,
nonetheless please do not leave me empty-handed before You,
for I am pleading with You with a broken heart, and on Your
tremendous kindness and Your incredible mercy I put all of my
trust, may my heart rejoice in Your salvation."
In a short time our situation took a radical change for the
better.
A Matter of Integrity
"G-d is close to all who call upon Him, to all who call upon
Him with truth." (Tehillim 145,18). Although G-d hears
the cries of all who turn to Him, He is only close to those
who live lives of truth. Therefore people who maintain a life
of honesty and integrity can hope to have their prayers
answered (Kad HaKemach — Emunoh).
In this vein, during the Dor Hamabul, upon hearing
that their lives were threatened by an impending flood, many
individuals beseeched G-d to spare their lives. However
because of their dishonesty, their prayers were not
accepted.
In contrast, Iyov who guarded himself from the smallest
monetary infringement, merited having his prayers answered
(Shemos Rabboh 22:4. Maharil Diskin on
Bereishis 6:13).
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How careful must one be with other people's belongings?
Although nearly every other mitzvah in the Torah can be set
aside for the sake of saving a life, the offense of theft is
so serious that even to save a life you are only permitted to
take someone else's property on condition that you pay for it
later. One is not allowed to steal even to save a life! Only
if one intends to provide complete reimbursement afterwards,
is stealing permitted in a life-threatening situation
(Shulchan Oruch, Choshen Mishpat 359,4).
I recently visited a rov in Eretz Yisroel who is
accepted as a godol by all camps, Sephardim,
Chassidim, Ashkenazim, Chareidim, Mizrachi, and others. I
discussed a complicated halachic shaila with him and
afterwards, before leaving, I asked him about the
government's Disengagement plan. He said, "And are you
allowed to steal someone's house and property? Even to take a
prutoh is a Torah prohibition!"
Trumpets and Shofars
"Whenever you have tzoros you should sound trumpets"
(Bamidbar 10,9). As stated earlier, there is a mitzvah
deOraisa to blow trumpets whenever the Jewish people
experience tribulations. Hearing their piercing blasts helps
focus one's concentration on the situation before him, in
order to focus his mind on the prayer needed to get out of
his travails (Sefer Hachinuch, Mitzva 384).
The poskim ask why don't we fulfill this mitzvah today
(Magen Avrohom 576,1). Some explain that this mitzvah
only applies in Eretz Yisroel when it is under Jewish
jurisdiction. Even then, they add that a majority of the
Jewish people must be suffering from the tribulation in order
to obligate this mitzvah (Mishna Berurah 576,1).
HaRav Moshe Feinstein notes that the Rambam enumerates the
mitzvah of sounding trumpets at a time of tribulation
together with that of blowing them in the Beis Hamikdosh
while offering korbonos (Mitzvos Aseih 59). The
grouping of these two mitzvos together implies that they
share the same halochos, and that the trumpets blown at a
time of tzoroh must be the same as those sounded in
the Mikdosh. Since we do not have such trumpets today,
neither mitzva applies (Igros Moshe 1,169).
Some Sephardic communities still follow the Rambam's words.
Since we do not have chatzotzros today, they have
replaced trumpet blasts with those of the shofar. Therefore
special prayer gatherings such a selichos are
accompanied with shofar blasts (Heard from Rav Ba'adani).
Once there was a situation of tremendous tza'ar for
the Jewish people in Eretz Yisroel. HaRav Tzvi Pesach Frank
and the Beis Din of Yerushalayim ruled that trumpets should
be sounded at the Kosel Hama'arovi in order to arouse Divine
mercy and get out of this distressful situation (as cited in
HaMa'ayan, Tammuz 5730).
Complete Disengagement
"What happens if a person's experiences distress and does not
turn to Hashem in prayer nor blows shofar? Instead he says
that his `tribulations are natural occurrences, and the way
of the world.' These are words of cruelty for they cause the
problems to increase.
"This is what the Torah means when it says, `You have gone
with me bekeri (considered what transpired
coincidental), therefore I will bring upon you anger of
keri.' When I bring upon you tribulations so that you
should return to me, if you say that these are chance I will
amplify the fury of these attacks" (Rambam Taanis
1,3).
How will an increasing the intensity of the tribulations help
us recognize that Hashem is behind what happened?
Certain incidents could be attributed to sociological and
political norms. However at times a person or nation
experiences such difficult circumstances that these events
can no longer be explained as part of nature. Increasing
their intensity is Hashem's way of saying: "Please, listen to
the message that I am telling you. If you do not I will have
to turn up the volume."
Tefilloh is a way of tuning in to what Hashem is
relating to us through yissurim. Recognition that He
is the Source of everything that Happens in our lives is the
key to ending travail. As soon as we have understood this,
there is no longer a need for the tribulations.
Our Sages tell us that in the end of days the final
Redemption will come when we recognize that we have nothing
to depend on other than Hashem (Sotah 49a). Anyone who
takes a glance at what is happening in the world today
recognizes that we are coming closer and closer to the
fruition of their words. Up against an enemy that cannot be
conquered, we can only turn our sight upwards and plead for
Divine salvation.
As long as we consider ourselves connected to any philosophy
or ideology other than Torah, we have not yet fathomed the
depths of our Sages' words. Cutting off our ties from all
"isms" other than Torah shows that we believe that the final
day of salvation is totally in Hashem's hands (see Ramchal,
Daas Tevunos). This is the real disengagement that
lies before us.
As the Divine tapestry of events unrolls, let us get a
headstart in recognizing what the final picture will look
like, and turn to Hashem as the Single Source of
Redemption.
