The Shooting in Pittsburgh - A Jewish Response
Sunday, October 28th, 2018
As you know too well, there was an outrages crime committed against the Jewish people early Shabbat morning. 11 of our brothers and sisters were killed just because they were Jewish. There was no façade of any cause – it was open and raw Jew hatred.
Our hearts and prayers go out to the victims, their family, friends, the Jewish community of Pittsburgh, every Jew worldwide, and every human being that holds goodness and justice dear. This was an attack on all of us. May you find comfort and peace and may G-d wipe away all tears and pain with the coming of Moshiach – the Messianic era that we pray for and work towards.
Here is a list of the victims https://www.cnn.com/2018/10/28/us/pittsburgh-synagogue-shooting-victims/index.html
Looking at the pictures of the victims you get a sense of the kind, sweet, good people that they were; and the utter evil of the murderer. And then the burning question hits; how and why could anyone and would anyone, kill these gentle people.
The answer is terrible. The murderer killed them because they were Jews.
At times like this it is good to pray and ask G-d to comfort the ones who need comforting and once and for all end evil, hate, and tragedy! Below is Psalm 20 – read it out loud and when you are finished, speak to G-d and say your own prayer.
But even the Torah says that prayer is not enough – we need action and many types – do what you can and add your own to this list!
Create a kinder, more accepting world. We come in contact with so many people by just going about our day. When we smile, share a kind word, lend a hand, give Tzedakah, and treat others the way we want to be treated– we create the kind of world we are praying for.
Be more proactive in stopping Anti-Semitism. This can be through candid conversations with our Non-Jewish friends and acquaintances, speaking up when even “mild” Anti-Semitism surfaces, working with the organizations and groups that we are a part of to stop any kind of Anti-Semitism that exists in it, and whenever we see it begin to surface - to shut it down quickly. The more uncomfortable and difficult the situation, the more important the conversation is.
Put the right laws in place that would make such tragedies almost impossible. People like Robert Bowers should not be allowed to own guns. It is an outrage that a man who is so visibly hateful can own a weapon. We owe it to our fellow citizens and our country to change this.
Increase security and vigilance.
Add your own – when we all do our part we can make a big shift.
But things can still be scary and at the end of the day, it is impossible to create perfect safety for everyone without help from above. To quote Psalm 127 “ If Hashem doesn’t guard the city; in vain does the watchman guard” ... but to quote Psalm 23 “Even if I will walk in the Valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil, for You are with me”.
And so; in addition to all the physical actions that we can and must do to create a better world and stop Anti-Semitism; the Jewish response also includes an increase in Mitzvot, Torah Study, and Prayer.
This that the world is full of tragedy and every kind of “darkness” should not deter us; it is in fact why we are here. Beneath the ugliness the world has incredible goodness that is beyond our wildest imagination. But it takes work to reveal it, so Hashem sent us here, we are G-ds trusted workers. Add one more Mitzvah, or a bit of Torah study, or prayer to your day - you will make a differencefor your self and for all of us.
Each good deed that we do brings more G-dliness into the world and reveals a bit more of how this world is not a Jungle; but in fact is G-ds garden - and in it all humanity can delight.
With prayers for the immediate redemption and only revealed goodness from now on,
Shlomo and Nechama Rothstein
………………………………………………………………………….
PS If you would like to talk about this or meet for any reason we are here for you –please get in touch with Rabbi Shlomo at 615-686-3905 / rabbi@chabadvanderbilt.com or Nechama at 615-686-3910 / nechama@chabadvanderbilt.com
PPS Psalm 20
1 For the conductor, a song of David.
א לַֽמְנַצֵּ֗חַ מִזְמ֥וֹר לְדָוִֽד:
2 May the Lord answer you on a day of distress; may the name of the God of Jacob fortify you.
ב יַֽעַנְךָ֣ יְ֖הֹוָה בְּי֣וֹם צָרָ֑ה יְ֜שַׂגֶּבְךָ֗ שֵׁ֚ם | אֱלֹהֵ֬י יַֽעֲקֹֽב:
3 May He send your aid from His sanctuary, and may He support you from Zion.
ג יִשְׁלַ֣ח עֶזְרְךָ֣ מִקֹּ֑דֶשׁ וּ֜מִצִּיּ֗וֹן יִסְעָדֶֽךָּ:
4 May He remember all your meal offerings and may He accept your fat burnt offerings forever.
ד יִזְכֹּ֥ר כָּל־מִנְחֹתֶ֑יךָ וְ֜עוֹלָֽתְךָ֗ יְדַשְּׁנֶ֣ה סֶּֽלָה:
5 May He give you as your heart [desires], and may He fulfill all your counsel.
ה יִֽתֶּן־לְךָ֥ כִלְבָבֶ֑ךָ וְֽכָל־עֲצָֽתְךָ֥ יְמַלֵּֽא:
6 Let us sing praises for your salvation, and let us assemble in the name of our God; may the Lord fulfill all your requests.
ו נְרַ֚נְּנָ֨ה | בִּ֘ישׁ֚וּעָתֶ֗ךָ וּבְשֵׁם־אֱלֹהֵ֥ינוּ נִדְגֹּ֑ל יְמַלֵּ֥א יְ֜הֹוָ֗ה כָּל־מִשְׁאֲלוֹתֶֽיךָ:
7 Now I know that the Lord saved His anointed; He answered him from His holy heavens; with the mighty acts of salvation from His right hand.
ז עַתָּ֚ה יָדַ֗עְתִּי כִּ֚י הוֹשִׁ֥יעַ | יְהֹוָ֗ה מְשִׁ֫יח֥וֹ יַֽ֖עֲנֵהוּ מִשְּׁמֵ֣י קָדְשׁ֑וֹ בִּ֜גְבוּר֗וֹת יֵ֣שַׁע יְמִינֽוֹ:
8 These trust in chariots and these in horses, but we-we mention the name of the Lord our God.
ח אֵ֣לֶּה בָ֖רֶכֶב וְאֵ֣לֶּה בַסּוּסִ֑ים וַֽאֲנַ֓חְנוּ | בְּשֵׁם־יְהֹוָ֖ה אֱלֹהֵ֣ינוּ נַזְכִּֽיר:
9 They kneel and fall, but we rise and gain strength.
ט הֵמָּה כָּֽרְע֣וּ וְנָפָ֑לוּ וַֽאֲנַ֥חְנוּ קַּ֜֗מְנוּ וַנִּתְעוֹדָֽד:
10 O Lord, save [us]; may the King answer us on the day we call.