(ח) כְּשֵׁם שֶׁאֵין מוֹכְרִין לְעוֹבֵד כּוֹכָבִים דְּבָרִים שֶׁמַּחֲזִיקִין בָּהֶן יְדֵיהֶן לַעֲבוֹדַת כּוֹכָבִים כָּךְ אֵין מוֹכְרִין לָהֶם דָּבָר שֶׁיֵּשׁ בּוֹ נֵזֶק לָרַבִּים כְּגוֹן דֻּבִּים וַאֲרָיוֹת וּכְלֵי זַיִן וּכְבָלִים וְשַׁלְשְׁלָאוֹת. וְאֵין מַשְׁחִיזִין לָהֶם אֶת הַזַּיִן. וְכָל שֶׁאָסוּר לְמָכְרוֹ לְעוֹבֵד כּוֹכָבִים אָסוּר לְמָכְרוֹ לְיִשְׂרָאֵל הֶחָשׁוּד לִמְכֹּר לְעוֹבֵד כּוֹכָבִים. וְכֵן אָסוּר לִמְכֹּר כְּלֵי נֵזֶק לְיִשְׂרָאֵל לִסְטִים:
(8) Even as it is forbidden to sell to idolaters things which uphold their hands to idolatry so it is forbidden to sell them things wherein there is a menace to the public, for instance, bears, lions, weapons, iron fetters, and chains; it is likewise forbidden to sharpen their weapons for them. And, everything which is forbidden to sell to an idolater is also forbidden to sell to an Israelite who is under suspicion that he might resell it to an idolater. It is likewise forbidden to sell instruments of harm to robbers who profess to be Israelites.8Ibid. 15a–16b.
Children are a Divine trust and guarantors of the future. It is our job to protect them and listen to them as they cry out.
Speaking about orphans but true of all children. Whoever irritates them, provokes them to anger, pains them, persecutes them, or causes them loss of money, is guilty of serious transgression. In our case, not allowing them to feel secure in their schools can be added to the list.
היינו טעמיה דר"א כדתניא ר' נתן אומר מניין שלא יגדל אדם כלב רע בתוך ביתו ואל יעמיד סולם רעוע בתוך ביתו שנאמר (דברים כב, ח) ולא תשים דמים בביתך:
As it is taught in a baraita that Rabbi Natan says: From where is it derived that one may not raise a vicious dog in his house, and that one may not set up an unstable ladder in his house? As it is stated: “You shall not bring blood into your house” (Deuteronomy 22:8), which means that one may not allow a hazardous situation to remain in his house. Similarly, a person should not keep a forewarned ox in his possession, as it is dangerous. This is why Rabbi Eliezer rules that no level of safeguarding is sufficient for it; the ox should be slaughtered so that it will not cause damage.
פעם אחת בא איש אחד לפני רבי חנוך הֶנִיך מאָלֶכְּסַנְדֶר, ובכה לפניו מאוד בשל צרה שבאה עליו.
השיב לו ר' חנוך הניך: "כשהייתי ילד קטן ולמדתי אצל ה'מלַמד', היה נער אחד שבכה בשעת לימודו. אמר לו המלמד: 'אָז מֶען קִיקְט אָרַיְן וַיְיְנט מֶען נִישְׁט', כשאדם מביט לתוכו פנימה אין הוא זקוק לבכי.
Look inside and stop crying
Once a man came before Rabbi Hanoch Henich of Elkessendar, and wept in front of him very much because of the trouble that came upon him.
Rabbi Hanoch Henich replied: "When I was a little boy and studied with the 'melamed', there was a boy who cried during his study." The teacher said to him: 'Then, from Kikat Aryan and Yant Maan Nisht, when a person looks inside he does not need to cry.'
(15) You shall not make any unrighteous judgments; do not elevate poor nor favor the privileged; with righteousness shall you judge your neighbor. (16) Do not go around as a talebearer among your people; Do not stand idly by the blood of your neighbor: I am the LORD. (17) You shall not hate your brother in your heart; you must rebuke your fellow rather than hold it in and sin on their account. (18) Do not take vengeance or bear any grudge against any of your people; love your neighbor as yourself: I am the LORD.
אל תקרי בניך אלא בוניך
The Sages interpreted this verse homiletically: Do not read your children [banayikh], but your builders [bonayikh].
The response by students, both at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School and schools all over the country, has been powerful. In the face of devastation, these children are going to continue to march and protest and work to build a better future.
(טו) וּכְמוֹ֙ הַשַּׁ֣חַר עָלָ֔ה וַיָּאִ֥יצוּ הַמַּלְאָכִ֖ים בְּל֣וֹט לֵאמֹ֑ר קוּם֩ קַ֨ח אֶֽת־אִשְׁתְּךָ֜ וְאֶת־שְׁתֵּ֤י בְנֹתֶ֙יךָ֙ הַנִּמְצָאֹ֔ת פֶּן־תִּסָּפֶ֖ה בַּעֲוֺ֥ן הָעִֽיר׃ (טז) וַֽיִּתְמַהְמָ֓הּ ׀ וַיַּחֲזִ֨קוּ הָאֲנָשִׁ֜ים בְּיָד֣וֹ וּבְיַד־אִשְׁתּ֗וֹ וּבְיַד֙ שְׁתֵּ֣י בְנֹתָ֔יו בְּחֶמְלַ֥ת יְהוָ֖ה עָלָ֑יו וַיֹּצִאֻ֥הוּ וַיַּנִּחֻ֖הוּ מִח֥וּץ לָעִֽיר׃
(15) As dawn broke, the angels urged Lot on, saying, “Up, take your wife and your two remaining daughters, lest you be swept away because of the iniquity of the city.” (16) Still he delayed. So the men seized his hand, and the hands of his wife and his two daughters—in the LORD’s mercy on him—and brought him out and left him outside the city.
כי לא במרד ולא במעל היה עכובו אלא מצד עצלה ונפש נבהלה:
His delay was because of idleness and panicked confusion.
Lot was paralyzed by fear, he was confused and unsure of what to do -- unable to respond to the crisis unfolding around him. Even though he was told that the destruction was coming, and the status quo was fraught with danger, he was unable to act and take action.
(11) However, in the realm of destiny man recognizes reality as it is, and does not desire to use harmonizing formulas in order to hide and disregard evil. The “Child of Destiny” is very realistic and does not flinch in anticipation of a face-to-face confrontation with evil. His approach is halakhic and moral, and thus devoid of any metaphysical/speculative nuance. When the “Child of Destiny” suffers, he says in his heart, “There is evil, I do not deny it, and I will not conceal it with fruitless casuistry. I am, however, interested in it from a halakhic point of view; and as a person who wants to know what action to take. I ask a single question: What should the sufferer do to live with his suffering?” In this dimension, the emphasis is removed from causal and teleological considerations (which differ only as to direction) and is directed to the realm of action. The problem is now formulated in the language of a simple halakhah and revolves around a quotidian (i.e. daily) task. The question of questions is: What does suffering obligate man to do? This problem was important to Judaism, which placed it at the center of its Weltanschauung. Halakhah is just as interested in this question, as in issues of issur and heter and hiyyuv and p’tur. We do not wonder about the ineffable ways of the Holy One, but instead ponder the paths man must take when evil leaps up at him. We ask not about the reason for evil and its purpose, but rather about its rectification and uplifting. How should a man react in a time of distress? What should a person do so as not to rot in his affliction?
The terrorist, he is watching - Wisława Szymborska
The bomb will go off in the bar at twenty past one.
Now it is only sixteen past.
Some will manage to come in.
Some to go out.
The terrorist has already crossed the street.
That distance protects him from all evil
and what a perfect view like in the cinema:
The woman in a yellow jakcet, she is coming in.
The man in dark glasses, he is going out.
Boys in jeans, they are talking.
Seventeen past one and four seconds
The shorter guy is lucky, he jumps on his scooter,
and the taller one comes in.
Seventeen past one and forty seconds.
A girl, she is walking with a green ribbon in her hair.
But she disappears suddenly behind a passing bus.
Eighteen past one.
The girl is gone.
Was she really so stupid to come in, or not,
we shall see, when they will be carrying them out.
Nineteen past one.
Somehow nobody enters.
But one fat bald man goes out.
But as if he were looking for something in his pockets and
at twenty past one minus ten seconds
he returns for those worthless gloves of his.
It is twenty past one.
The time, oh how it drags.
It is now.
It's still not now.
Yes, now.
The bomb, it goes off.
(א) "וַיֹּאמֶר יקוק אֶל אַבְרָם לֶךְ לְךָ מֵאַרְצְךָ וְגוֹ'" ר' יצחק פתח (תהלים מה, יא ): "שִׁמְעִי בַת וּרְאִי וְהַטִּי אָזְנֵךְ וְשִׁכְחִי עַמֵּךְ וּבֵית אָבִיךָ" אמר רבי יצחק משל לאחד שהיה עובר ממקום למקום וראה בירה אחת דולקת אמר תאמר שהבירה זו בלא מנהיג הציץ עליו בעל הבירה אמר לו אני הוא בעל הבירה כך לפי שהיה אבינו אברהם אומר תאמר שהעולם הזה בלא מנהיג הציץ עליו הקב"ה ואמר לו אני הוא בעל העולם (יב): "וְיִתְאָו הַמֶּלֶךְ יָפְיֵךְ כִּי הוּא אֲדוֹנַיִךְ" "וְיִתְאָו הַמֶּלֶךְ יָפְיֵךְ" ליפותיך בעולם "וְהִשְׁתַּחֲוִי לוֹ" הוי "וַיֹּאמֶר יקוק אֶל אַבְרָם לך לך וגו'":
(1) YHVH said to Abram, "Go you forth from your land…" … Rabbi Yitzchak said: this may be compared to a man who was traveling from place to place when he saw a burning castle. He said, "Is it possible that this castle lacks a person to look after it? The owner of the building looked out and said, “I am the owner of the castle.” Similarly, because Abraham our father said, “Is it possible that this castle has no master, no one to look after it?," the Holy Blessed One looked out and said to him, “I am the Master of the Universe.” … Hence, God said to Avraham, Lech Lecha.