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"By your continued building will you be comforted”

Sunday, 9 March, 2008 - 11:04 am

UPDATED 5:47 PM

Over Shabbat, I have spent some time thinking about the recent devastating terrorist attack in Israel.

My immediate reaction to the news, (as reflected in my previous post on the subject), was depressing; pain from the awful news and frustration at the reaction of the Israeli government. This is a natural reaction when hearing such news. However, what benefit results from my feelings?

In 1956, in the village of K’far Chabad, an eerily similar attack took place. Five students were killed in a sudden attack. Distraught by the bloodshed, the residents of the town, mostly recent immigrants from Russia, were in a state of despair.

Four days later, they received a telegram from the Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson. “Behemshech habinyan tinacheimu”, the Rebbe wrote. "By your continued building will you be comforted”. The feelings of dismay and despair will not have any positive outcome; transform those emotions into buildings.

In our time, I believe the message is the same; “Behemshech habinyan tinacheimu”, "By your continued building will you be comforted”. We must transform our feelings to positive action. So, in response to the fresh wave of violence, I propose that we all add an extra mitzvah to our daily routine. We must exchange this increase of darkness for an increase in light.

May all our collective additional mitzvot reach “The Tipping Point” of the world and cause Moshiach to come, and return all of us to a peaceful Israel, speedily in our time!

(Click here for a translation of a Yediot Achronot article following the 1956 attack, and click here for some mitzvah suggestions).

UPDATE:

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