or why we are still here in Golus a (part 2)
When our Rabbis admonish us as regards our lack of achdus they are not referring to the touchy feely variety that was on display in Boro Park at the time of the Leiby Kletzky, a"h tragedy. They are talking about an achdus that can only be achieved by first withstanding a firestorm of vitriol emanating from the Yetzer Hora. The existence of such an achdus draws a bull’s-eye around the Satan and then proceeds to hit it. This is the "Satan's achdus."
Given the sensitive nature of the misfortune that overtook Boro Park it is imperative that there should be no misunderstandings. To that end it should be unequivocally stated that there was nothing in the reaction of both the community and those that came in from elsewhere that was anything less than Kiddush Shaim Shomayim, period. There was most certainly no lack of achdus.
The reason that the achdus that obtained in Boro Park was not of the variety that keeps the Satan up at night has nothing at all to do with what the people did or did not do. It was simply impossible for the “Satan’s achdus” to exist in such an environment.
The “Satan’s achdus” is about getting out of our comfort zone. If you would like your longing for Moshiach to be morphed into tachlis speedily in your days there needs to be achdus, and to achieve achdus you have to be uncomfortable at least once in your life. And if you can’t handle the discomfort that is the handmaiden of the “Satan’s achdus” then how are you going to dance through the raindrops of the tribulations of Geula?
The seeds of what could grow into the “Satan’s achdus” are not scattered to the four winds. They are selectively sown. In any situation in which you wouldn’t reflexively demonstrate a feeling of achdus the Yetzer Hora is all over you relentlessly justifying your hesitation. Any attempt at real achdus has to have the staying power to weather the long march through our worst instincts.
And that’s why the “achdus” in Boro Park was achdus lite. There was no push back; no whispering in the ears of the thousands who were doing what needed to be done that maybe they shouldn’t be doing it.
And why should there be?
Before us was the image of an innocent child, an exemplary family, and a horrific crime which was no less a blow against all of us. We were all on the same page and in the same comfort zone. In that environment, as far as the “Satan’s achdus” was concerned, Rav Dessler’s bechira point, which we spoke of in Part 1, was nowhere to be seen.
In that sense, the levaya for the Fogel family, a”h was no different. For the overwhelming majority of the 30,000 Jews who attended there was also no push back from the Yetzer. And why should there be? Once again we are talking about innocent souls, an exemplary family and a hideous crime that was no less a blow against all of us. As to those 30,000 it was also achdus lite.
The “Satan’s achdus,” on the other hand, is all about the mindset of those who were conspicuous in their absence. Unfortunately, this seems to be an equal opportunity failing that plagues every sector of Torah Jewry. The Fogel tragedy is singled out only because the emotional pain that we all felt is still tangible to many. Had the family been representative of a different “camp,” the majority of the 30,000 who showed up this time more likely than not would have been missing in action.
Any situation in which the Yetzer Hora is trying to dissuade us from making common cause with a fellow Jew is usually grist for the Satan's achdus mill. And if we can’t pass that test by getting past our differences in life then we have no choice but to do so in death.
But alas, as it turns out, we do have a choice and we consistently choose poorly. When confronted with a tragedy that lies outside our comfort zone, which is the real test of the "Satan's achdus," we invariably fail.
As we said in EmunahSpeak: Nu?:
“In the way we deal with others Hashem deals with us. When we ask Hashem to send us Moshiach when we don’t deserve it are we not asking for the ultimate chesed that He could do for us? And isn’t the ultimate chesed on our part a chesed shel emes?
And yet, when a family of Torah Jews is slaughtered in their beds or eight Yeshiva bochurim are gunned down in their Yeshiva we seem to be incapable of stepping outside of our label saturated existence long enough to attend the funeral."
The path to Moshiach, which is in no small measure the path of achdus, will only be trod by transforming the grief, emoted in the comfort zone of our chevra, from a proprietary emotion to one that encompasses the entire Klal without dulling that emotional edge.
The greatest gedolim of all generations were capable of this because of their great Ahavas Yisroel. Their greatness, of course, was in the fact that they were on this level with Jews who were alive. All we have to do is to learn how to properly mourn those that are dead.
When a jarring loss comes upon Klal Yisroel the Shechina suffers. That suffering is in no way circumscribed by our indifference. The ultimate test of achdus in such a situation is to make the Shechina’s pain our pain.
But we don’t.
Instead, we sit passively in our comfort zone while the Yetzer Hora validates our worst prejudices.
There is one question that runs like a common thread throughout all of the levayas in which there was an inherent potential to successfully withstand the test of the “Satan’s achdus,” and that is…
Where were we?
If we only knew how the “pictures” of the Fogel levaya are being endlessly scrutinized in Shomayim for some hint of achdus we would give away all of our possessions to have ourselves digitally inserted.
It all comes down to this:
If you had been in the vicinity of Har Menuchas on the day that the murdered Fogel family members were being laid to rest, or in the close proximity of any other levaya, concerning which the Yetzer was squeezing you something fierce, and you BLINKED and then muttered something, almost inaudibly, under your breath like “yene chevra,” and then went about your business, then MAZEL TOV! You are privileged to know why Moshiach has yet to put in an appearance.
The rest of us can only guess.
