Rav Betzalel Rudinsky On How We Move On

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Lechovod our Dear Kehila, Talmidim, and all the hurting hearts of Klal Yisroel, Shalom uBeracha. May Hashem watch and protect all of you together with the whole nation of Klal Yisroel forever.

The tragic besurah we all received this past Motzai Shabbos was one that none of us were or should be equipped to absorb, process, understand or explain, as מאמינים בני מאמינים all we can say is: צדיק ה’ בכל דרכיו

The purpose of my few words here are directed to a different issue, “How Do We Move On From Here!!” How do we direct our overwhelming feelings of sadness, love and responsibility that all of us are undoubtedly feeling at this time. We know that when Yakkov Avinu saw Yosef the first time after over 20 years of absence and mourning, the first thing he did was to recite Krias Shema before he had to for any emotions, one of the interpretations as to why Yakkov felt that he must read Shema at that specific time was in order to capture that particular historical moment of his life, a moment when he was overcome with love and to channel it to Hashem. It is my strong feeling that we are in a similar point in our lives where our feelings have piqued to historical levels, it is therefore incumbent upon us to channel them in the right direction.

We must understand that not only is every single Jew of every stripe both our beloved brother and the beloved child of Hashem. These special, holy Yidden from Pittsburgh have been hatefully and mercilessly killed while they were communicating with Hashem, and killed for one reason and one reason only, because They Were JEWS, Hashems children. This type of killing renders each and every one of them as “Kedoshim” dying al kiddush Hashem, the highest level one can reach.

I ask all of you to internalize this idea for the rest of your lives and raise the respect you have for every single Jew, irrelevant of whether you and they agree on all or most issues. How often do we fall prey to looking down at another Jew, even in our own community just because they may have a different shittah or haskafah on any given issue. If we use this tragic event to inspire us to a heightened level of ahavas and kavod habriyos, these kedoshim will have a tremendous Aliyah and will live on with all of us.

I also ask each and everyone of us to learn one Halacha a day from one of the Sifrei Chofetz Chaim שמירת הלשון or אהבת חסד as an illuy neshama to all the kedoshim and as a zechus to the cholim of this horrible massacre, may they all have a refua sheleima bimheira.

May Hashem Yisborach avenge the blood of all the victims of hate and bestow beracha and Shalom to all of Klal Yisroel with the speedy geulah in our days אכי״ר

Beahava ubebchiya,
Betzalel Rudinsky


15 COMMENTS

  1. Excuse me. This are not called yidden, they are called evil, who do evil to Hashem. Although they have Neshma, they are wicked, that’s right wicked . So for the rabbi to say they davened to Hashem, is Sheker. He is zero

  2. There is lot of misinformation in this letter.

    What does he mean they were “communicating with Hashem”? By driving to this place on Shabbos for a baby naming ceremony? The bris was in th hospital, probably not done according to halacha. This was just a naming ceremony for babies who are likely not Jewish anyways. They were adopted, to be brought up in the same derech hatoeiva as their parents. This happened in a reformed place. Reb Moshe held you’re not even allowed to walk into that building.

    He writes to “respect you have for every single Jew, irrelevant of whether you and they agree on all or most issues”. Not when those views are kefirah.

    If someone was killed by Beis Din back in the day for being mechallel Shabbos, would this Rov also advocate learning l’iluy nishmoso?

    • Oish: I thought for a moment about your comment and finally remembered where I know you from. The pasuk in Bamidbar 22:28. Glad to see you are alive and well after all these years!

  3. The Rambam writes that any Jew who is killed “Al Kiddush is a Kodosh” – it makes no difference who or what. They are kedoshim – leave all personal opinions out.

  4. Quite surprising to see very hasty unresearched comments
    As far as חינם ופיתח perhaps the commentator know these people personally and rendered all of them מזידין !! when in all liklyhood they are begeder tinokos shenishbu who come from totally secular backgrounds Many gedolei haposkim held that most of the second generation secular Jews are considered like tinokos, however the commentators being frum yiddin should know better
    As far as chiyuv missa the Chazon ish paskens in yoreh deah and even haezer that bizman hazeh no din of moriden velo mallin
    I would recommend instead of hasty (ignorant) negativity
    Perhaps hasty teshuva would be recommended
    May Hashem asist all of his kinderlach to do teshuva

  5. Why are comments from this gaon in learning so different than those of Rabbi Lau chief Ashkenazi Rabbi in Israel? It leaves me very confused in what viewpoint daas Torah is saying to take. My own inclination, before blindly following a Rov, is more aligned with Rov Rudinskys line of thinking. It’s true we would fight any assertion of A conservative shul being up to required standard but when commiserating with fellow Yidden victims, that’s not the time and place to hold that fight.

  6. Quite painful and surprising to see such hasty unresearched negative comments on other yidden it would seem that the commentator of יינם יין נסך knows all these Jews and their level of knowledge and has stroked all of them with a broad brush as מזידין rachmana letzlon!! It’s interesting that the great gedolei Yisroel for many years starting with the שות בנין ציון in his teshuvas סימן כג׳ didn’t even know to consider the mechalelei shabbos in his generation as רשעים as he concludes quite possibly even in his generation they were begeder תינוק שנשבה similar to the רמבם in hilchos ממרים פרק ג הלכה ג regarding בני הטועים see also chazon ish יורד סימן א also תשובות והנהגות ח חלק ה סימן קנא see also in the אמת ליעקב from הגואן ר יעקב קמינצקי in orach Chaim siman תקיב הערה 474 he writes regarding cooking on Yom Tov for מחללי שבת בזמן הזה מותר לבשל בשבילם שנחשבים לתינוק שנשבה see also שות בית יצחק חלק ב סימן כג see also שות מהרשם חלק א סימן קכא see also שות לב אברהם סימן יח also שדי חמד מערכת מ כלל פו also שות מלמד להועיל סימן כט also שות אבני חפץ חלק ג סימן לה
    In our generation the ignorance of 2nd 3d generation secular Jews is surly closer to actual תינוק שנשבה
    As far as writing that other yiddin are cayav missa Rachmana letzlon!!!!
    The “fruma” commentator should have looked up the heileger חזון איש זצ״ל and this is his words in yoreh deah סימן ב סק טז
    אין דין מורידין אלא בזמן שהשגחתו גלויה ואז היה כיעור הרשעים גדרו של עולם בזמן ההעלם שנכרתה האמונה מן דלת העם אין במעשה ההורדה גדר הפרצה אלא תוספות הפרצה וכו וכיון שכל עצמינו לתקן אין הדין נוהג בשעה שאין בו תיקון ועלינו להחזירם בעבותות אהבה ולהעמידם בקרן אורה
    עד כאן לשונו הזהב
    I find it hard to comprehend how fruma yiddin That learnt in Yeshiva and SHOULD KNOW BETTER are judging negetivly the yiddin that takeh don’t know better why aren’t we afraid of Hashem’s taina to ישעי הנביא for saying ובתוך עם טמא שפתיים אנוכי יושב see the gamara in יבמות דף מט
    I think instead of hasty negative comments on other yiddin
    Hasty teshuva would do us all a lot better!! (A little learning wouldn’t hurt either) May Hashem give us all the ratzon to do teshuva Sheleima

  7. Firstly, I’m in shock, how a Jew with a heart can reach such a letter and respond with such disgraceful comments.
    I must say for a simple Jew who has time to comment shtusim on matzav, to argue with one of the greatest talmidei chachamim of our generation is absurd.
    Additionally, the Chazon ish clearly says that these Jews are precious children of Hashem who nebach were misinformed. Rav Chaim shmulevitz said Jews who are killed are kedoshim regardless of their level of shmiras hamitzvos.
    But you guys prob know better…

  8. Thank you Rabbi Rudinsky for your inspiring words and true Das Torah, on this terrible tragedy that has tremendous effect on the entire Klal Yisrael your guidance is greatly appreciated.
    As for some misguided commentators. I want you to know as a Jew I love you, but I must tell you I am feeling a bit disappointed. I don’t think I need to reply to the specifics however I will mention, loving every Jew no matter their level of your perceived observance, is a Torah obligation. As for them being in a conservative synagogue at the time of their Neshomas being taken by a hater of all Jews in no way diminishes them being kedoshim and dying alts Kiddush Hashem. It is a tragedy, however God granted them this zchus for reasons none of us will ever know. Rabbi Moshe Feinstein’s reason for not entering a conservative synagogue is a Halacha based on the movement’s lack of adherence to Shulchan Aruch.
    Rabbi Rudinsky from what I know about him is an Adam Gadol Maod that knows kol Hatorah Kulo if there is anyone in our generation that can connect to R Feinstein in knowledge and psak halcha it is R Rudinsky. Who most definitely agrees that entering a conservative synagogue is Assur, But clearly does not negate them being members of Klal Yisrael and obligation to learn Torah in there zchus.

  9. “How often do we fall prey to looking down at another Jew, even in our own community just because they may have a different shittah or haskafah on any given issue.”
    ironic. Rosh Yeshivah do you throw kids out or not accept them period? it’s highly funny a Rosh Yeshivah of all people to criticize a lack of unity!

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