There was a horrific attack in Israel last week. Tali Hatuel, pregnant eight months (with what would have been her first son), and her four daughters were massacred in their car by Arab terrorists. After shooting them, the terrorists went back to shoot them point blank to "make sure they were dead."
How amazingly ironic that it was that week, of all weeks, for this attack to take place. Last week, we read parashat Emor, in which there is the prohibition of "oso v'es bno", the prohibition of slaughtering a cow and its calf on the same day. As the Targum tells us, we are to emulate G-d in that He is "rachman" (a Being of mercy), so too are we to act with mercy. Our not slaughtering a mother and her young on the same day is a sign that we are merciful.
And yet... We see murderers with no regard for human life, taking an entire family from their father/husband in an instant. "Oso v'es bno"... don't slaughter a cowand its calf on the same day. We Jews wouldn't even do that to animals. And yet... These murderers thought nothing of doing it to human beings.
I thought a lot about this attack this week. Along with so many other attacks, this one made such an impact on me. I felt that this time I needed to react a little differently than before. So, with the aid of a friend in Israel, I located the phone number of David Hatuel, the father/husband whose entire world had just been snuffed out. And I called him...
It was one of the most difficult calls I have ever made. It lasted about two minutes and I expressed my personal sorrow at his loss. I wanted him to know that we, as a community, in Chicago and chutz la'aretz in general, are mourning along with him. I do not personally know David Hatuel, but we are, of course, part of one large family, known as Am Yisrael.
If you look at the names of the previous and coming few parshiot, you will see a message as well: "Acharei Mot Kedoshim (after the death of kedoshim, such as the Hatuel family), Emor Behar (say it from all the mountain tops in the world)" - am Yisrael chai! Israel lives and no Arab terror will ever, ever cause that to change!
May the memory of Tali Hatuel and her beautiful daughters be for a blessing. May Hashem avenge their blood and may we merit that never again should any family suffer such a tragic loss.
How amazingly ironic that it was that week, of all weeks, for this attack to take place. Last week, we read parashat Emor, in which there is the prohibition of "oso v'es bno", the prohibition of slaughtering a cow and its calf on the same day. As the Targum tells us, we are to emulate G-d in that He is "rachman" (a Being of mercy), so too are we to act with mercy. Our not slaughtering a mother and her young on the same day is a sign that we are merciful.
And yet... We see murderers with no regard for human life, taking an entire family from their father/husband in an instant. "Oso v'es bno"... don't slaughter a cowand its calf on the same day. We Jews wouldn't even do that to animals. And yet... These murderers thought nothing of doing it to human beings.
I thought a lot about this attack this week. Along with so many other attacks, this one made such an impact on me. I felt that this time I needed to react a little differently than before. So, with the aid of a friend in Israel, I located the phone number of David Hatuel, the father/husband whose entire world had just been snuffed out. And I called him...
It was one of the most difficult calls I have ever made. It lasted about two minutes and I expressed my personal sorrow at his loss. I wanted him to know that we, as a community, in Chicago and chutz la'aretz in general, are mourning along with him. I do not personally know David Hatuel, but we are, of course, part of one large family, known as Am Yisrael.
If you look at the names of the previous and coming few parshiot, you will see a message as well: "Acharei Mot Kedoshim (after the death of kedoshim, such as the Hatuel family), Emor Behar (say it from all the mountain tops in the world)" - am Yisrael chai! Israel lives and no Arab terror will ever, ever cause that to change!
May the memory of Tali Hatuel and her beautiful daughters be for a blessing. May Hashem avenge their blood and may we merit that never again should any family suffer such a tragic loss.