Dear Editor:
Here is an astounding story of hashgachah pratis involving Yidden in connection with the recent tragedy in Nepal. We might wonder: What connection could there possibly be with Yidden? I’ve barely ever heard of the country of Nepal!
This story was related by R’ Moshe Mernick (Torah Anytime class ID 475966).
A Jewish tour was supposed to go to Sri Lanka and then Nepal, but some people backed out at the last minute. They were left with only nine people, and since the organizer insisted on having a minyan, the entire trip was canceled.
Astonishingly, the day they were supposed to arrive in Nepal was Aug. 26 – the very day of the recent devastating glacier collapse. As we know, as of Sept. 7, over 1,300 people have been confirmed dead, and about 5,000 are missing. So perhaps the lives of those whose tour was canceled were saved, or they were at least spared the tremendous difficulties of being there at that time, when many major roads and bridges were destroyed.
Although at the time of the cancellation they may have questioned the decision, they quickly saw how the Hand of Heaven was guiding them, and in the merit of mitzvos, they were saved. The clear lesson is that even when things seem not to be going our way, it is really for our best.
We pray for the recovery of as many survivors as possible, and for people to at least be able to conduct proper burials for their relatives. We also pray for an end to tragedies and for world peace.
By the way, from some research, it seems that the glacier collapse either caused the surge directly, or that it filled a large lake or valley between the mountains until some form of natural dam was overloaded and breached. This resulted in a huge surge that traveled for tens of miles downstream, destroying buildings and burying cars and people beneath a large amount of mud.
It is also nice to know that there were some other good things – some rays of light – in Nepal. A school of 900 students located right on the banks of the river was saved when its principal received two or three warning phone calls telling him that they had just ten minutes to escape. One of the warnings came from a parent who had returned to pick up a child shortly after dropping the child off. The principal rang the bell and told everyone to run to higher ground, away from the river. Everyone in the school, except for two staff members, was saved.
S.R.
Dear Editor:
As we prepare for 5787, it is important to concentrate our efforts on performing mitzvos, acts of chesed, and engaging deeply in our tefilah.
During the Yamim Noraim, we invest more time in tefilah. Our prayers should be focused and recited with full concentration as we communicate with Hashem. In a world facing corruption, war, and terrorism, we cry out to Hashem on Rosh HaShanah to take note of our suffering and bring about our redemption.
This Rosh HaShanah arrives on the eve of September 11, marking 25 years since the tragic events of 2001. May the silence of the shofar on the first day of Rosh HaShanah – Zichron Teruah – and the shofar blasts sounded on the second day bring us closer to Hashem. May they bring unity and shalom to our people, so we remain unified as Am Echad against the challenges facing us.
Wishing everyone a Shanah Tovah.
Stuart Verstandig
Dear Editor:
Warren Hecht still doesn’t get it. He still believes that the DSA is on the fringe of the Democratic Party. The DSA is not the fringe of the Democratic Party; the DSA is the Democratic Party!
Case in point: Abdul El-Sayed says that he sympathizes with terrorists who attacked a Jewish synagogue. He also campaigns with Hasan Piker, who says that he hates America and that America deserved 9/11. Piker also stated that Jews who support Israel are inviting violence against Jewish people. Schumer reacted by pledging his support and saying that El-Sayed brings energy to the Democratic Party.
Eighty-five percent of Democrats in the U.S. Senate – 40 out of 47 – voted that Israel must be sanctioned for defending itself against Hezbollah. The overwhelming majority of Democrats in the House voted to support BDS. The majority of Democrats in both chambers support the blood libel that Israel is guilty of genocide.
Maureen Galindo stated that if she is elected to Congress, she would introduce legislation to put Jews in concentration camps and castrate all Jewish males. She garnered 36 percent of the vote in the Democratic primary. Hitler himself would be proud.
The Democrats also support packing the Supreme Court with a group of radicals in order to effectively end the Constitution. Democrats also reject the SAVE Act, which would make it difficult for dead people and illegal immigrants to vote. The election of radical antisemitic politicians in recent Democratic primaries seals the deal.
Adam Schiff, whom Warren Hecht praises, has stated that he admires Mamdani because he has a lot of charisma. Elizabeth Warren has praised the Nazi Platner as “my kind of guy.” This is the radical Democratic Party that Warren Hecht supports.
Now that Rosh HaShanah is coming, we must all daven that the Democrats lose the midterms. Everyone should do what they can and donate to the campaigns of Republicans in close House and Senate races. In particular, we should donate to Republicans running for Senate in Maine, Texas, Ohio, Michigan, North Carolina, and Georgia.
May Hashem grant us and all of Klal Yisrael a happy, healthy, and safe new year.
Martin Berkowitz
Dear Editor:
Our society has unfortunately fallen to such great depths of immorality. We lack ethics and spirituality. This, of course, is because the left in this country controls our culture and our media. One must wonder how it is possible for murder to become a cause célèbre.
Tyler Robinson shot Charlie Kirk in cold blood. Luigi Mangione shot UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in cold blood. Lindsay Clancy strangled her three children to death. Abortion is the murder of an unborn child, from the moment of conception through crowning during labor. Anti-ICE laws are passed so illegal immigrants cannot easily be removed from the country. Left-wing activists celebrate them, and Democrats defend them all.
On Rosh HaShanah, we coronate G-d as King over the universe. That is the malchuyos section of the Musaf prayer. He created the world. He gave us a Torah with laws that are moral and ethical. We give ourselves over to His sovereignty.
We read Parshas Nitzavim every year before Rosh HaShanah. “Hanistaros LaHashem Elokeinu” – the hidden sins are for Hashem. The second section of Musaf is zichronos. Hashem never forgets. He evaluates all our deeds from the previous year. G-d does not forget us, and we should not forsake Him.
The third section, shofaros, is our wake-up call – not just for teshuvah. Bnei Yisroel sounded the shofar when they went out to battle. We are in a moral and spiritual battle right now. We must differentiate between right and wrong, good and evil.
May Hashem hear our tefilos, and may the sound of this year’s shofar be the beginning of the geulah and the rebuilding of the Third Beis HaMikdash.
Shalom Markowitz