Tragedy In Meron!

[TimT]

Of course each and every Rov will mention areas he thinks it needs to be addressed, we've heard already so many and they're probably all true.

This is precisely what the Karlin Stolin Rabbi said when Covid hit hard. Everyone will blame it on whatever they’re passionate about. Every person knows what they personally could improve on & should try to improve.

[dasmo801]

Nobody knows what was the cause of this, sometimes the רבש׳׳ע is showing us tough love, and this time it was VERY tough, but we shouldn't question his דרכים and neither are we capable of understanding them. We should rather focus on how to improve ourselves so we should be worthy to see only חסדים טובים.

Reb Yisrol Dovid Schlezinger said this past shabbos that everyone wants to hear now a נבואה on what we collectively need to improve, as if each and every one of us don't know the areas we as individuals fail in avodas hashem and need improvement, לב יודע מרת נפשו.

Something that I heard b'sheim a Rov in Lakewood that resonated with me because its shova l'chol nefesh.

We have no idea what the message is and what area we should focus on. What would we give to have nevua available to us? To have someone who can provide the clarity that we so desperately seek? But we don't have that and that leaves us with a feeling that we are just stumbling around in the darkness.

At the very least, let that motivate us towards a proper kavana when we ask Hashem three times a day, Hashiva shofitainu k'varishona v'yoatzeinu k'vatichila. Let us realize finally what it is that we are really missing in this bitter galus that sometimes doesn't seem so bitter to us. And let that motivate us towards working on a real tzipiya l'yeshua.   

[Mordyk]

I had gone through a personal hardship a few years back. I asked a big tzaddik that is also a mekubal why these things happen, and why doesnt Hashem tell us straight up what we need to correct. He told me that Hashem doesn't tell us the reason why we get sufferings because he wants us to make a cheshbon hanefesh and figure it out on our own. It would be very easy to say hey you got punished because you stole etc. But that's not the point that Hashem wants. And he added that there are no two people that it's the same reason. so a time like this we all need to take a good look in the mirror, rather than making blanket statements.

[YitzyS]

I hate speculating reasons for Hashem's actions, and I dislike when others do it, but I nevertheless wonder if there is more of a correlation here. Could it be that Hashem doesn't want us to forget COVID and move on with our lives without internalizing the message? Is Hashem using the biggest gathering of the year to remind us that it was not His intention for us to kick our shoes off and get "back to normal" after Covid?

Again, this is nothing more that pure speculation, as far be it from me to try to say reasons. I can only wonder and try to internalize a message for myself.

A choshuve rov in Lakewood said in his drosho on Shabbos, "Maybe Hashem is telling us that the kabbalos we made during COVID should not be a 'shinui hachozer libriyaso,' and that me must be mechazek our kabbalos."

I'm not saying that this is exclusive of other kabbalos, or that each person should not do their own introspection. But I found it interesting that my speculation was echoed by a choshuve rov.

[dasmo801]

I had gone through a personal hardship a few years back. I asked a big tzaddik that is also a mekubal why these things happen, and why doesnt Hashem tell us straight up what we need to correct. He told me that Hashem doesn't tell us the reason why we get sufferings because he wants us to make a cheshbon hanefesh and figure it out on our own. It would be very easy to say hey you got punished because you stole etc. But that's not the point that Hashem wants. And he added that there are no two people that it's the same reason. so a time like this we all need to take a good look in the mirror, rather than making blanket statements.

I wonder if maybe personal tzaros and communal tzaros should be looked at differently.

[Dan]

A choshuve rov in Lakewood said in his drosho on Shabbos, "Maybe Hashem is telling us that the kabbalos we made during COVID should not be a 'shinui hachozer libriyaso,' and that me must be mechazek our kabbalos."

I'm not saying that this is exclusive of other kabbalos, or that each person should not do their own introspection. But I found it interesting that my speculation was echoed by a choshuve rov.

I found it interesting to see time limits on them.

As I mentioned there, I never heard of a kabbala until now. In Chabad yeshivas we took on "hachlatas" at times like at a farbrengen in honor of your birthday or during Yomei D'Pagra. I never heard of one being taken on with a time limit.

[haltkup]

Nobody knows what was the cause of this, sometimes the רבש׳׳ע is showing us tough love, and this time it was VERY tough, but we shouldn't question his דרכים and neither are we capable of understanding them. We should rather focus on how to improve ourselves so we should be worthy to see only חסדים טובים.

Reb Yisrol Dovid Schlezinger said this past shabbos that everyone wants to hear now a נבואה on what we collectively need to improve, as if each and every one of us don't know the areas we as individuals fail in avodas hashem and need improvement, לב יודע מרת נפשו.

Rav Shlezinger has been very passionate about this tragedy. On Sunday he mentioned that these were korbonos for klal Yisrael and that he is not too worried for the families because Hashem gives special strength to help them deal with their personal tragedies. However, he quoted the posuk " וַאֲחֵיכֶם֙ כָּל־בֵּ֣ית יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל יִבְכּוּ֙ אֶת־הַשְּׂרֵפָ֔ה אֲשֶׁ֖ר שָׂרַ֥ף יְ׃" that it is bgeder "achzory"  if a person doesn't search within and make a kabalah to better himself

[Yehuda57]

This was written after Gabi and Rivkie were killed in Mumbai, which I found comforting.
https://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/779714/jewish/And-Nonetheless-It-Happened.htm

And this, which puts clear words to what's behind much of the discussion

https://www.torahcafe.com/rabbi-lord-jonathan-sacks/9-why-do-bad-things-happen-to-good-people-video_722d8db6e.html

[AsherO]

There are many who will take the natural world corrections as proof that those things caused the tragedy. It is very difficult to maintain that divide between Emuna and Hishtadlus in such cases.

It's critical to because the former is arguably why it happened (והחי יתן אל לבו) and the latter would save lives.

[AsherO]

As I mentioned there, I never heard of a kabbala until now. In Chabad yeshivas we took on "hachlatas" at times like at a farbrengen in honor of your birthday or during Yomei D'Pagra. I never heard of one being taken on with a time limit.

Really? I remember hachlatos with a time limit.

[Dan]

Really? I remember hachlatos with a time limit.

I guess we went to different yeshivas

[TimT]

What a giant of a man!! He just buried 2 children.
https://twitter.com/NoamNechama/status/1389181010512916481

[Yehuda57]

Really? I remember hachlatos with a time limit.

Yeah, pretty common. To make things manageable and doable so they don't end up getting dropped entirely because you start missing a day here or there.

[LNS]

i heard something from Rav Milech Biderman that really applies in all situations.

He said when something happens everyone grapples for a reason and there is a desperation to understand. Everyone knows any such event should stir a person to do teshuva but that is the hardest route especially in comparison to blame so he says the person who learns a lot says it happens because we don't learn enough or the person with no internet blames the people with internet this way it automatically absolves him from having to work on himself.

[Yehuda57]

It's the blaming itself that is to blame.

[yuneeq]

Reb Yisrol Dovid Schlezinger said this past shabbos that everyone wants to hear now a נבואה on what we collectively need to improve, as if each and every one of us don't know the areas we as individuals fail in avodas hashem and need improvement, לב יודע מרת נפשו.

I've always thought introspection after tragedies is the most important thing, but I really like the way this is presented

[pbf]

And people post headlines like the below, which are beyond misleading

[Abebee]

[jose34]

I've been trying to wrap my brain around these events for the past few days.

I am generally not a very emotional person and tragic events do not usually affect me this way. Although this did not affect me personally, I am completely broken up about it.
I have cried more in the past few days than I have in the past several years.

Is it because it hits so close to home?  I've been to Meron multiple times. We've all been there. We all have family that have gone or go on Lag B'Omer.
Is it because there is no one to blame? There is no terrorist to pour our wrath at, no drunk driver to arrest and judge.
Is it the gruesome manner of death? The thought of mothers knowing that their young sons were literally crushed and/or suffocated to death is too much to bear.

Knowing that people I know and care about were minutes away from disaster. A friend was there with his young son.
A family member there with 2 friends. They asked him to join them at the Toldos Aaron fire, but he was tired and declined. They high fived each other and went their separate ways. Mere minutes later, both of his friends are gone.

The thought that each victim had surrounding people pressed up to them that heard or felt them take their last breath. That perhaps felt that they were the one that crushed someone to death. That heard the gasping last breaths of their brothers, perhaps people that they knew closely. How can one ever move on from that?

.....

There is nothing to do but move on. Attempt to better ourselves, comfort ourselves and move on.

Who wrote this, you?

[pbf]

Who wrote this, you?

Yes