A BISSEL TORAH: AFTER THE DEATH OF…
By: Suri Davis
Lamentations 5:17/8…17Because of this, our hearts are faint; because of these, our eyes grow dim: 18because of Mount Zion,which lies desolate, haunted by the jackals. 19You, O LORD, reign forever; Your throne endures from generation to generation.…There is a famous commentary on this verse in the book of Lamentations which we read on Tisha B’av. The rabbis surveyed the temple after its destructions. They all cried, except for Rabbi Akiva who laughed. The Rabbis asked him why he was laughing, he asked them why they were crying. Rabbi Akiva explained that just as the prophecy of destruction had come to pass, so too would the prophecy of redemption.
A year ago this week, there were 10 pre-military students on a hike in Israel when a flash flood came upon them and they were killed. We ask G-d for water for the blessed land of Israel, but only for the good.
This past Shabbos, the last day of Pesach, a day where they read in Israel the torah portion of Acharei Mot, the torah portion we in the diaspora read this coming Shabbos, it discussed the death of the two holy eldest sons of Aaron the priest. It comes after the two seders in which we sing the praise of G-d who saves us IN EVERY GENERATION from those who want to kill us because we are Jews, simply because we are Jews. We are horrified for the Rabbi who lost his finger while rushing the gunman to prevent further deaths and of course we share the grief of the Lori Kaye’s family. She came to shul on Shabbos to recite the memorial prayer for her dead parents, to ask G-d to raise their souls in heaven and to make the Jewish generational connection which brings forth her ancestral traditions to the present. Rather than merely remembering their souls, it was the day G-d determined that her soul would join their souls as a martyr who died simply because she was a Jew.
The terrorism occurred on the heals of a “cartoon” published by the New York Times which show President Trump walking a Jewish dog, or being lead on a leash by a Jewish dog. Because in every generation there will those who rise up to kill us, and for this we mourn and suffer. But the seder prayer ends, G-D SAVES US FROM THEIR HANDS.
Whether it is nature which causes death as in the 10 students, or whether it is at the hands of a terrorist, it is as a result of G-d’s plan. Our Torah portion, After the Death of the holy ones. Can we model ourselves after the Rabbis who witnessed the destruction of the holy Temple in Jerusalem. Mourn a little over the destruction, but laugh at the fulfilment of the prophecy and prayer that as we continue to look up to G-d for salvation, He will answer us with redemption, may it arrive speedily in our days.