During the start of the Gulf War in 1991, on one Friday night there was a scud attack on Ramat Gan, which is not all that far from Bnei Brak. A relative of Rav Schach came into him the next day quite smug that the scuds hit the less religious city of Ramat Gan but did not hit the "holy city" of Bnei Brak. The relative told Rav Schach, "We have witnessed fulfillment of the pasuk, "And I will separate the Land of Goshen... so that the plague of Arov will not be there so that you will know that I am Hashem in the midst of the land." [Shmos 8:18]
Rav Schach told this relative that his own reaction was just the opposite. "My reaction," he said, "was that of the prophet Yonah." When Yonah was on the boat and the boat hit a storm, each of the sailors took out their little idol and started praying to it. Yonah announced, "Because of me has this great storm come." [Yonah 1:12] Why did Yonah think that? The boat was full of idolaters. Why did he assume the storm wa s a message to him?
Rav Schach asked him, "Why do you think the scuds fell Friday night?" The scuds fell around 7:00 pm Friday night. At 7:00 pm in January on Friday night people should be sitting and learning -- they should be reviewing the Torah portion of the week. Instead, they are sitting around schmoozing. The fact that the scuds started falling Friday night was a Divine message that Bnei Brak is not doing what they are supposed to be doing. "Because of me has this great storm come." It is always easy to point a finger at others as the cause of our problems. "It is happening because of the irreligious. It is happening because of the secular Jews. It is because of the idolaters. It is their problem. It is their fault."
No. A Torah philosophy demands that one first judge himself before judging others. "It is OUR fault. It is MY fault."
Rabbi Yissocher Frand
Rav Schach told this relative that his own reaction was just the opposite. "My reaction," he said, "was that of the prophet Yonah." When Yonah was on the boat and the boat hit a storm, each of the sailors took out their little idol and started praying to it. Yonah announced, "Because of me has this great storm come." [Yonah 1:12] Why did Yonah think that? The boat was full of idolaters. Why did he assume the storm wa s a message to him?
Rav Schach asked him, "Why do you think the scuds fell Friday night?" The scuds fell around 7:00 pm Friday night. At 7:00 pm in January on Friday night people should be sitting and learning -- they should be reviewing the Torah portion of the week. Instead, they are sitting around schmoozing. The fact that the scuds started falling Friday night was a Divine message that Bnei Brak is not doing what they are supposed to be doing. "Because of me has this great storm come." It is always easy to point a finger at others as the cause of our problems. "It is happening because of the irreligious. It is happening because of the secular Jews. It is because of the idolaters. It is their problem. It is their fault."
No. A Torah philosophy demands that one first judge himself before judging others. "It is OUR fault. It is MY fault."
Rabbi Yissocher Frand
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