What message are we supposed to get following the sudden passing of so many great people in such a concentrated chunk of time? Who else will be snatched from us before we even have time to pray for the decree to be rescinded?

Believe me I’m afraid. Actually I’m terrified of the unknown of what has befallen us in recent days. Just last week here in Eretz Yisrael two of the greatest luminaries in the world of Torah were extinguished in shocking succession: the great gaon Rav Dov Shwartzman ztz”l a Torah giant with a rare and extraordinary breadth of scholarship and the living legend known as Rav Nosson Tzvi Finkel ztz”l. And just weeks before we suffered the tragic loss of the great Rebbetzin Batsheva Kanievsky a”h. They were snatched from us with frightening suddenness in such a way that we did not even have an opportunity to daven for them in order to stave off the bitter decree.

And that is frightening. For we know that tzaddikim are taken to Heaven before tragedies occur. In fact Rav Chaim Kanievsky who suffered greatly from the Attribute of Justice with the loss of his esteemed rebbetzin declared this week that Hashem is now making accountings very quickly in preparation for the coming of Mashiach. We must ask ourselves then what else we can expect to experience chalilah as we continue to journey toward our ultimate Redemption. Or perhaps it would be better to ask what else we can to avert tragedy before it takes place.

The elder of our generation Rav Aharon Yehuda Leib Steinman shlita who carries the weight of the Torah world on his shoulders maintains that the primary task of our generation is the improvement of interpersonal relationships. He admonishes his visitors tirelessly with this message at every opportunity after every tragedy and every time people come to his door to resolve difficulties that have clouded their lives.

Several years ago I also had the privilege of hearing these words of mussar from him personally; he spoke to me at length about the importance of this obligation as a means of saving oneself from the misfortunes in the world. I recalled then additional firsthand testimony for I was present when the Chazon Ish declared that the awful decrees that had befallen the Jewish people during the days of wrath in Europe as a result of a horrific decline in bein adam l’chaveiro – interpersonal relationships among our people.

So indeed we have reason to fear. Because some of the internal disputes in the chareidi world have already turned violent. Apparently the parties to the conflicts believe that they can resolve matters with the force of their own efforts as if there is no Torah law that could settle the matter. It is heartbreaking to think of the vast amounts of hatred vengefulness and other Torah prohibitions that are being called upon to protect each side’s particular interests. Add to that the severe lack of tolerance for other human beings -- as in the recent case of a disabled woman who climbed onto a bus leaving the Kosel and sat down in the front of the bus her strength utterly depleted only to be subjected to a heavy dose of verbal blows humiliation and personal degradation. We who sit on the side hear the sounds of conflict we see what is taking place and we simply shudder in fear. Because… who knows in light of this shameful incident what other forms of judgment that were prepared to be used against us may now come upon us chalilah?

During that same conversation several years ago Rav Steinman instructed me to address this subject from time to time in my writings for the magazine. I will follow his instructions today particularly since last week’s tragedies hover like a black cloud in the background. The reason for our failures in this area suddenly struck me illuminated by one particular theme in our current parshios — the hachnossas orchim of Avraham Avinu.

We learn that Hashem Himself came to visit Avraham in fulfillment of the precept of bikur cholim as Rashi writes when Avraham chose to forgo receiving the Divine Presence in order to run to receive three Arab guests. Rabbi Shlomo Wolbe zt”l poses the following question in his work on Sefer Bereishis:

“This does not seem possible to understand. Avraham Avinu was experiencing the revelation of the Divine Presence. How could he in the middle of receiving the Divine Presence excuse himself from the Master of the World and go to be involved in receiving guests? Avraham Avinu paskened here that receiving guests is more important than receiving the Shechinah. Why in fact is receiving guests of more importance than receiving the Shechinah?

“The Maharal in Beer HaGolah implies that receiving guests is a matter of honoring the tzelem Elokim. Receiving the Shechinah however is not a matter of honor. Rather the Shechinah appears and that is all. Since receiving guests consists of giving honor to the image of Hashem it overrides receiving the Shechinah” (Shiurei Chumah p. 139).

Are we absorbing this message? This is the key to our entire problem. If we instill in ourselves the awareness in the most palpable way that other people carry the image of Hashem within them our entire attitude toward them would change. Even if we have an argument with someone even if the conflict of interests between us is very deep the mere fact that we are not dealing with a mere creature of flesh and blood but rather with a creation that carries the very image of the Creator of the world should temper our attitude toward him despite our anger despite the differences in approach and hashkafah despite our complaints against him whether they are over actual wrongs or imagined ones that divide us. This was the very first psak halachah of Avraham Avinu and it was established as the rule for generations to come.  

The approach is actually easier to apply than you might think. It can be attached to all levels of our consciousness and our emotional states and finally to the reality of life itself.

“’This is the book of the generations of man—in the image of G-d He made him’ (Bereishis 5). Ben Azzai says: This is a great rule in the Torah. Lest you say to yourself when things aren’t going your way ‘Since I have been degraded let my fellow be degraded with me. Since I have been cursed let my fellow be cursed with me.’ In the image of G-d He made him!” (Bereishis Rabbah 24:5). If you disparage your fellow Jew it is as if you have disparaged Hashem Himself.

And another quote:

“One should train himself to honor all people by recognizing within them the greatness of the Creator Who fashioned man with wisdom. One should contemplate the fact that they are extremely honorable for the Maker of all things created them—and if he disparages them Heaven forbid he will be detracting from the honor of their Maker!” (Tomer Devorah Rav Moshe Cordovero)

“A person who derides his fellow is in the category of ‘he who disparages the Word of Hashem’ for man was created in the image of G-d” (Tosfos Yom Tov Avos 3:11).

Have I fulfilled the request thrust upon me? I hope so. And I have even placed an emphasis on the solution to this matter. If we truly internalize the fact that the human being across from us is an image of G-d the rest will resolve itself. The more we achieve awareness of this fact the more the great truth will overtake our hearts.

Will we succeed in internalizing it? Will we truly be able to overcome the fear?

Food for Thought:

Woe to he who does not know his own weaknesses for he does not know what to fix.

But even worse is he who does not know his own strengths for he lacks the tools to fix that which needs repair.

(Rabbi Yerucham Levovitz ztz”l Mashgiach of Mir)

It’s heartbreaking to think of the vast amounts of hatred vengefulness and other Torah prohibitions that are being called upon to protect each side’s particular interests