By Rabbi Shimon Posner
Lubavitch is sometimes called an organization, a term that makes insiders
smirk. Other times Lubavitch is called a movement, more accurately, we feel, but woefully inadequate. Or referred to as a community, a word so bandied about — the business community, the education community, the immigrant community — that the word is so feeble a description, meaningless.
So the closest term we come up with is “family,” which in some cases reflects a biological truth. But in the wider sense too, it reflects a reality, we fight cats and dogs like only family can, but are never separated, not in spite of the spats but through them, the fights show the deep passion Lubavitch has one for the other. Family.
This past week Lubavitch has been racked by searing pain, one after the other. The responses, verbal, texted, and I’m sure twittered, were immediate and ? let’s be honest ? annoyingly predictable.
“OMG I can?t believe it!!!”
“What?s going on??? I’m speechless”
“Ad Mosai!!”
“BDE. We need Moshiach
NOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
“Let?s get the hachlatos going.”
All these were the common – and apparently self-refuting – comments.
These days pass in a daze. Non-ending, numbing, stupefying. Two years ago almost to the day we learned that Bombay is now called Mumbai, and that Chabad there is housed in Nariman House and “what’s- their-name” or “who’s-the-yungerman-there?” quickly gave way to Gabi-n-Rivkie: seared into our memories and the memories of our children.
We were stunned, speechless, horrified and terrified. Terror is a nasty thing. It stops you from reacting, freezing you, petrifying you.
You see, even the words themselves, when you think of them, “freezing” and “petrifying” mean hardening, losing elasticity and responsiveness.
In Nariman House the enemy was terrorists, shameful, horrible people but identifiable, measurable. This week the terror is without a tangible terrorist, there is no neck to choke.
But the terror is there, the terror is choking. Stored in our collective memory is the story of the Baal Shem Tov; the childless couple who after pleading entreaties were blessed with a child, who short months later died.
“If you were going to give him to us, why couldn?t we keep him? If you?re going to take him away why tease us by giving him to us for so short a time?”
The Baal Shem Tov told the parents of the lofty soul who in his life on earth had done so much for the Jewish people, but had never lived as a newborn in a holy atmosphere; that was why he had to come down, to their home. That is why he was taken away.
No one has told me that the story comforts them. And we dread to even consider contemplating what the parents, spouses, immediate families are going through. Angels tread lightly there. Very lightly. Don’t go there.
Somehow with Gabi we picked ourselves off the floor, Southampton Chabad for example made an appeal that very Shabbos for Chabad of Mumbai. We all vowed to live what they died for. A journalist Jonathon Mark noted that good men will fall but they will be replaced; that?s what soldiers do. Mourn and continue. And the continuing is a mourning of sorts.
This week there are no tangible terrorist, only palpable terror. The eyes of the media are not upon us in the same way ? for better and for worse. And now we have to go give a shiur, wrap Tefillin, get Chanukah rolling, all of that and more, regardless of what?s happened and who has fallen.
No; not regardless but because of. Not in spite of but in honor of. Oh G-d, when will this end?
So we remain speechless, but we can’t remain wordless because then it could seem we are unaffected. And we have to air our hurt. So, predictable as it is, we articulate our speechlessness, we cry “Ad mosai” and we contemplate and then undertake hachlotos.
It’s the only way we have to get past terror, it’s the best we have. Good men fall and wonderful families have their hearts cut out. We acknowledge that, we cry, either visibly or otherwise. We take our tears with us as we go into the field.
Hazorim bedimah, hazorim bedimah. Berina – we remember. And, may it happen soon – yiktzoru.
Each Shliach should work on an area of Achdus. That is very important. The Aibershter is asking something of us.. How many wake up calls do we need.Also The heads of Lubavitch should set an axample of true Chassidishe achdus.
i and many others were saying the same until my friend responded that achdus on the scale we wish for ain’t happening. In place of trying to accomplish the impossible each one shoud improve on their own achdus within their own family and friends Each one of us should improve in SHOLOM and Achdus so b’maila there will be achdus on the forefront.
A good article. Thanks for sharing your thoughts. (Though, COL, it could use some serious editing help.)
It would seem – that your emunah is only dependant on your ability to readily understand the ways of Hashem. Absent of that – you generalize whatever would appear to you as bad, evil etc. As truly being completely bad and evil with no other plausible interpretation. Do you profess to understand Hashem and why certain things happen to certain people? Do bad things ALWAYS happen to BAD people, and GOOD things ALWAYS happen to GOOD people?! Were the 6 million yiden who perished – BAD people? There are and were injustices perpetrated against some fine and wonderful people –… Read more »
http://a-farbrengen.blogspot.com/2009/10/tragedies-lo-alenu-goad-to-teshuva.html
http://a-farbrengen.blogspot.com/search/label/Mumbai%20massacre%20Hy%22d
again everyday bad news
ad mosai
this article makes me just want to jump out of my skin more! i want to do stuff, go place get the boulder moving to actually do s/t that will bring moshiach now! all these amazingly written are so ggod, but i feel tied down unable to do nething!!!!1
i think its time to write a letter to somewhere that will actually make us all move our bottoms off our chairs and out on mivtzoim, having ahavas yisroel and just banging the doors open to greet moshiach now!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
You’ve expressed what we are all feeling –
Let’s unite and make the geulah a reality ALREADY –
The Rebbe said “Ker a velt heint”
We can transform Golah to Geulah with the Aleph of Achdus…
Can we humbly suggest a silmultaneous massive Achdus rally around the world in this powerful Chodesh HaGeulah uniting ALL YIDDEN!
Please comment…looking for ideas…
i felt the same way it was such an auspicious moment,
very well written…was definitely strengthening! thank you!
Right on target
Rabbi Posner is talking about all of the sadness we have had recently, many deaths and sick people, but he probably also wrote this article because of the fact that Mendy Deren is his nephew and this is his way to express his sadness.
It may be time for all of us to examine & really learn the REBBE’s Sicha of Chayai Sorah Nun Baisso that we can really complete our Shlichus as thr M’Shalaiach wants us to.
to Mine and All Others! Words spoken from this raw place naturally reach the depths, strumming the chord. I prefer it plays joy and laughter but sometimes the vibration is one of tears- thank you for articulating your feelings as they speak for hearts alike all over the globe!
i understand what he is referring to in tragedies, but what is the point of the article?
for writing my thoughts down in such an acurate way. you’ve given name to all those feelings..
for words that I could not articulate. May Hashem forgive me.
Yasher Koach, Shimon. You are evidently following in your father’s footsteps.
this is so beautifully written. thank you!
excellent and oh so true!
I completely agree, whats he reffereing to?
and well written.
shkoyach!
What the heck is he talking about???
—
The tragedies of the time around the Shluchim Conference and the young people who remain critical at present. AD MOSAI!
Well written, Shkoach!
Maybe the B’chein of such a well written peice should be focusing on increasing Ahavas Yisroel amongst ourselves.
thank you to who ever wrote this.. we all know these things, and very deeply inside, yet how much more empowering it is to take those emotions and write them or say them into such powerful words.. not grub language.. not necesary at all.. just strong..voice ones feelings, and then we just have to try to put all the broken and torn pieces of ourselves back together.. n try to stand up.. and slowly learn to walk again.. n talk again, and relearn how to live again..
Hashem ad mosai..
May “birinah Yiktzoru” come NOW!!!
why didn’t the crowd, the big big crowd at the kinnus scream ad mosai after |Rabbi News’ talk. \it sounded like such an auspicious moment when he finished his talk, the air seemed so holy and so many people screaming together\??? Hashem Yeracheim!!!
this is very appropriately written
You want to know what he’s talking about look at the side bar and you’ll see Kreiman – Deren R”L!!!
have u been reading all this horrible news that has happened to “our Lubavitch family” from 1 tzarah 2 the next…..
From now on we should only be seeing posts of Mazal Tovs and Lchaims……
the most touching article i have read, and ive read quite a few.
exactly correct on every single point!
had me crying and nodding in agreement at the same time
OY!
With all due respect to the author, Could someone help me out here…What the heck is he talking about???