Anyone cutting back due to the tragedy?

[cmey]

I used to read about people who could not  bring themselves to buy candy during the Holocaust. It seems so strange that life goes on almost as if nothing is happening here in the US. Restaurants, high end simchas, vacations plans, talk of winter activities, first class award space opening up etc.

Some of my relatives in Israel tell me they have been going to non stop shiva houses, day in and day out since Simchas Torah. Almost every family has a relative in the army; even the chareidi communities have kids that aren’t cut out for learning. In the US they get a job, in Israel they are on the front lines. Many have kids who are OTD. They are in the army. Of course many have relatives who are ideologically aligned with doing army service. Husbands, sons, brothersare represented by empty places by the shabbos table.

Those in the know say over 10,000 casualties is realistic if there is a full ground invasion and tunnel warfare to eradicate hamas. Amid all the beautiful videos of soldiers singing and clapping mother, daughters, sisters, and many soldiers themselves are terrified of what is to come in the next few weeks.

Sure we say heartfelt Tehillim a few times a day. But how can we go on as if it’s business as usual while our nation suffers so? Something doesn’t add up.

[mevinyavin]

RYBs paskins that it is an eis tzarah when certain people ask him (including me but not necessarily every DDF reader). (To be even-handed, Rav Morgenstern paskined it is NOT.) So yes, there are both subtle and not so subtle differences to my life.

[flyingace]

One of my students told me that her little brothers are sleeping on the floor!
I have heard that restaurants are quieter than usual, as well.

[imayid2]

I used to read about people who could not  bring themselves to buy candy during the Holocaust. It seems so strange that life goes on almost as if nothing is happening here in the US. Restaurants, high end simchas, vacations plans, talk of winter activities, first class award space opening up etc.

Were those people יחידים or larger society? Did life go on as normal in the US for most people before they got involved in WWII? I assume plenty of people are cutting back on an individual level even if it’s not immediately noticeable on a wide level.

[Yehudaa]

Over shabbos I heard a story in the name of R' Fishel Shachter (I think). He said he once woke up at 4 am to pick up a family member from the airport, and after he left his house, the person called him and said that he got a ride from the airport, and didn't need to be picked up. R' Fishel was left with some extra time, so he stopped at the bakery to pick up some bread for the day.

While he was in the bakery, R' Fishel saw an acquaintance walk in, pick up a cinnamon danish, and go to the counter to pay for it. Surprised at why this guy needs a cinamon danish at 4 am, he asked about it, and the man told him that he was just arriving home after a late-night Seudas Hoda'ah in another city, for someone who was in a terrible situation for many years, and just had a yeshuah. Pressed on how he knew the person, this man admitted that he didn't know him well, but felt immense simcha at his yeshua.

Pressed further on why he needed a cinamon danish at 4 am before he went home after a long drive, the man said that he's always loved cinamon danishes, but when he heard that a fellow yid was in terrible tzaar, he decided that until this person is saved, he's not going to eat a single cinnamon danish. Now, years later, on his way home from the person's Seudas Hoda'ah at 4 am, he simply had to stop at the bakery to pick up his first cinnamon danish after so many years.

This story was told over by my Rav, who spoke about the concept of Imo Anochi B'tzarah. He said that even putting aside the fact that feeling their pain helps us in our davening, being together with our bretheren in their time of tzaar is itself worthwhile.

[liosac]

Over shabbos I heard a story in the name of R' Fishel Shachter (I think). He said he once woke up at 4 am to pick up a family member from the airport, and after he left his house, the person called him and said that he got a ride from the airport, and didn't need to be picked up. R' Fishel was left with some extra time, so he stopped at the bakery to pick up some bread for the day.

While he was in the bakery, R' Fishel saw an acquaintance walk in, pick up a cinnamon danish, and go to the counter to pay for it. Surprised at why this guy needs a cinamon danish at 4 am, he asked about it, and the man told him that he was just arriving home after a late-night Seudas Hoda'ah in another city, for someone who was in a terrible situation for many years, and just had a yeshuah. Pressed on how he knew the person, this man admitted that he didn't know him well, but felt immense simcha at his yeshua.

Pressed further on why he needed a cinamon danish at 4 am before he went home after a long drive, the man said that he's always loved cinamon danishes, but when he heard that a fellow yid was in terrible tzaar, he decided that until this person is saved, he's not going to eat a single cinnamon danish. Now, years later, on his way home from the person's Seudas Hoda'ah at 4 am, he simply had to stop at the bakery to pick up his first cinnamon danish after so many years.

This story was told over by my Rav, who spoke about the concept of Imo Anochi B'tzaar. He said that even putting aside the fact that feeling their pain helps us in our davening, being together with our bretheren in their time of tzaar is itself worthwhile.

WOW

[Sam 77]

Over shabbos I heard a story in the name of R' Fishel Shachter (I think). He said he once woke up at 4 am to pick up a family member from the airport, and after he left his house, the person called him and said that he got a ride from the airport, and didn't need to be picked up. R' Fishel was left with some extra time, so he stopped at the bakery to pick up some bread for the day.

While he was in the bakery, R' Fishel saw an acquaintance walk in, pick up a cinnamon danish, and go to the counter to pay for it. Surprised at why this guy needs a cinamon danish at 4 am, he asked about it, and the man told him that he was just arriving home after a late-night Seudas Hoda'ah in another city, for someone who was in a terrible situation for many years, and just had a yeshuah. Pressed on how he knew the person, this man admitted that he didn't know him well, but felt immense simcha at his yeshua.

Pressed further on why he needed a cinamon danish at 4 am before he went home after a long drive, the man said that he's always loved cinamon danishes, but when he heard that a fellow yid was in terrible tzaar, he decided that until this person is saved, he's not going to eat a single cinnamon danish. Now, years later, on his way home from the person's Seudas Hoda'ah at 4 am, he simply had to stop at the bakery to pick up his first cinnamon danish after so many years.

This story was told over by my Rav, who spoke about the concept of Imo Anochi B'tzarah. He said that even putting aside the fact that feeling their pain helps us in our davening, being together with our bretheren in their time of tzaar is itself worthwhile.

Heard it on Torah anytime from Rav fishel shachter he said it happened after rubaskin got freed

[Randomex]

From https://www.goldderby.com/article/2023/ray-richmond-when-safe-return-movies/ - posted Oct. 21:

But just when we thought it was completely safe to go back into the movie house, people this month found a new reason to avoid attending a film: the Israel-Hamas War that erupted on October 7.

With each new revelation that comes out, many following the escalating conflict are finding it difficult to concentrate on work and are too depleted mentally and emotionally to want to take part in any recreation. This is especially true of Jews who may have family and close friends in Israel who have been hearing regular bulletins about kidnappings, rapes, the burning alive of Holocaust survivors, the murder of babies and a seemingly endless list of atrocities perpetrated by Hamas militants. Then came the news this past week of a hospital bombing in Gaza, with conflicting reports of the number of casualties and who was responsible.

Ground Zero in terms of the emotional toll this is all taking in America resides in my house with my wife, Jill, who has friends in Israel and is taking it all very personally and to heart. She doesn’t sleep more than a few hours before awakening with the need for updates on her phone, only to have the resultant anguish and suffering prevent her from going back to sleep. The unsettling images, stories and sounds being beamed from the region are proving profoundly traumatizing.

Groups of people I know over social media are too distraught to think about entertaining themselves. The mere idea of it loads them up with guilt. How much impact will this have on moviegoing during the fall and holiday season? It’s too early to tell. But to be sure, the prevailing feeling in this crowd is that too many people are suffering for them to feel comfortable going out and enjoying themselves, with movies at or near the top of that list of things that need be put on hold until the chaos and devastation in the Middle East somehow stabilizes or evaporates.

================

(The conclusion which he comes to is presumably not informed by such traditional Jew values as nosei b'ol.)

[JMHO]

Bump.

For those who took something on, stop partaking in something, etc, after Sukkos how are you faring?

It's been 6 weeks and while of course Acheinu Bnei Yisroel is always on my mind, when my 'kabala' comes into play and I stick to it, it causes an extra kvetch which I guess is part of the point of this...

[jye]

https://rebgershonribner.com/vacationing-in-times-of-crisis