How to Escape Critical Judgment!

B``H

On June 12, 2014, three Israeli teenagers were kidnapped at the bus/hitchhiking

stop at the Israeli settlement of Alon Shvut northeast of Kfar Etzion in the West

Bank, as they were hitchhiking to their homes. The three teens were Naftali

Fraenkel, Gilad Shaer, and Eyal Yifrah.

My wife and I were vacationing in Amsterdam at the time of their abduction. The

local Jewish community was devastated and in shock. Everyone was sincerely

concerned for the boy's and their family's well-being.

A special community prayer was quickly organized at the local shul, to do their

part in helping bring the poor boys home.

The shul was jam-packed with Jews

from all backgrounds praying together and begging the heavens for a miracle.

There were the locals and quite a few visitors vacationing from all over the world.

Tears were flowing as the sobbing prayers grew louder and louder. It was a very

emotionally moving communal event even amongst people that had never met

before in their lives, yet at that moment it felt like we were one big family.

When we returned home to Israel after our trip, we noticed that the only thing

predominantly on people's minds wherever we went, was that everyone was

yearning to hear good news. For many weeks worldwide prayers were held

throughout the Jewish world begging for mercy from up higher up.

On June 30, 2014 search teams found the bodies of the three missing teenagers in a

field northwest of Chevron. They had apparently been shot to death shortly after

their abduction.

My wife and I decided to pay a visit to the families that were sitting shivah ( a

period of seven days’ formal mourning for the dead, beginning immediately after

the funeral.) Even though we did not personally know them we felt that it was the

least we can do to help console the families. People waiting in line for the Fraenkel

house were wrapped all around the house and all the way down the block. It was

noted that thousands of Jews from all over Israel felt the same way as we did.

This week's Parsha, Ki Savo. Moshe tells the Jewish people that they are about to

enter the land of Israel. They will fight wars and conquer their enemies. The land

will be divided up amongst the tribes of Israel. You will work your fields and plant

your orchards and when you have your first fruits you should bring them up as an

offering of gratitude to Hashem.

Our sages explain something quite amazing, that the lands were conquered in

stages and when a tribe's land was conquered their families were allowed to settle

in their land and start working their fields. However, even though the first families

might of had their first fruits rather quickly they could not offer the offering of the

first fruits until all the tribes had conquered their respective lands.

The reason is that this offering has to be given with a feeling of complete

happiness. It cannot be that a Jew will have complete happiness when he knows

that other Jews have yet to receive their land and first fruits.

Chasidus tells a story of a Rabbi that told his students that he met the prophet,

Elijah in a dream.

He went on to tell them that in his dream he asked Elijah to please bring the

Mashiach already. The Messiah in Judaism is a savior and liberator figure in

Jewish eschatology, who is believed to be the future redeemer of the Jewish people.

Elijah responded I can bring him now however if I do a few Jewish souls will

never be fully repaired. So the Rabbi told Elijah in that case then wait until the

process is completed.

One of the suffering students popped out of his seat and asked the Rabbi but why

since there is so much pain and suffering, so what if a few souls don't make it?

TheRabbi looked him squarely in the eyes and said because my son if you think that

way then you are clearly one of them.

The Chasam Sofer signifies that the main prayers on Rosh Hashanah should be

focused on praying for the good of the entire nation. One should not focus on

yourself at all, for as a united group we are blessed with all of the goodness and are

spared any harsh judgment. (Chasam Sofer was one of the leading Orthodox rabbis

of European Jewry in the first half of the nineteenth century.)When we focus our

prayers on our own personal needs, we leave the protective merciful cloud

hovering over Klal Yisrael (signifying a sense of community amongst the world

Jewry) and to make ourselves vulnerable to harsh judgment would be a Heavenly

offense.

Have a wonderful Shabbos.

Yitzchok Friedman