Op-Ed: The Mumbai Massacre – A Torah Reflection

The tragedies that unfolded this past week have left us all with sadness, sorrow and mourning; with more questions than answers.

Yet none is greater than the question asked of Hashem by our forefather Avraham in the book of B’reishis. When Hashem informed Avraham of His intent to destroy Sodom for their wicked ways, Avraham asked:

“Will you destroy the wicked together with the righteous?…It is beneath You to do this: to slay the righteous with the wicked, so the righteous should be equal to the wicked; it is beneath You, that the Judge of all the earth shall act unjustly?”

When the brave rescuers entered the Chabad House of Mumbai after the standoff, they discovered a grisly scene: bodies scattered throughout the building: those of Rabbi Gavriel Noach Holtzberg, his wife Rivka, and their guests, all of whom died al kiddush Hashem, may G-d avenge their blood. Also among the dead lie the bodies of the terrorist thugs who committed the heinous acts of murder and destruction.

On that day, in the very same building, both the epitome of righteousness and the epitome of evil were slain; והיה כצדיק, כרשע.

Any instance in which a Jew is murdered, rachmana litzlan, is considered al Kiddush Hashem – a sanctification of G-d’s name. Yet this event epitomizes mesiras nefesh al Kiddush Hashem. The president of Iran makes the ludicrous claim that he does not hate Jews per se, but that he hates “Zionists”. The Palestinians make the equally-absurd claim that they do not hate Jews, but that they hate the “occupiers who are living on their land”. But the terrorists that brutally murdered the kedoshim that day in Mumbai did not do so claiming that they were “Zionists” or “occupiers”. They singled them out simply because they were Jewish.

There are two instances, both in Chumash Vayikra, chapter 21, in which the Torah mentions Mumbai by name, “מום בוֹ”.

The Torah, in Vayikra 21:21, states: “להקריב את-אשי ה’ מום בו – to bring forth the karbanos of Hashem; Mumbai”. Here the Torah refers to the ultimate sacrifice made by the kedoshim in Mumbai.

Additionally, the word להקריב has the same gematria, or numerical value, as the words רבקה and גואל. Thus, the Torah is hinting that the sacrifice made by Rebbetzin Rivka in Mumbai will hasten the coming of the גואל, the redeemer.

Two verses later, in Vayikra 21:23, the Torah mentions Mumbai, “מום בו”, one more time. In that verse Torah says “לא יגש–כי-מום בו”. The words “לא יגשׁ” have the same gematria as גבריאל נח and גואל, further indicating that the mesirus nefesh al Kiddush Hashem of Rabbi Gavriel Noach will hasten the coming of the redeemer of the Jewish people.

I was lucky enough to have spent a summer with Gabi over ten years ago, and I can personally attest to the fact that he epitomized purity and selflessness. I fondly recall falling asleep and awaking to the low hum of his learning and davvening. In fact, I can hardly recall him actually sleeping, since he was always up and learning before me, and was still awake and learning when I went to sleep.

Gabi and Rivka’s entire goal in life was nothing other than to help a fellow human being in need, bring a fellow Jew closer to yiddishkeit, or to simply put a smile on the face of someone who was feeling down. And they did so with the utmost sacrifice, selflessness and humility; never taking credit for their accomplishments or patting themselves on the back.

As questions continue to remain unanswered and the families and friends of the victims continue to mourn the tragic loss of these special souls, no words can bring solace or comfort; no expressions of sorrow or sympathy will bring them back; nothing can fill the gaping hole their absence will leave.

Avraham’s conversation with Hashem in which he pleaded with G-d to not indiscriminately kill the righteous together with the wicked, concludes with ואברהם שב למקמו – after G-d finished speaking with him, Avraham made no further argument, accepted G-d’s judgment, and silently returned to his place.

As the tears continue to roll down our faces, we come to accept Hashem’s decisions and forge ahead, quietly coming to terms with the tragedy, loss, anger, fear, and pain.

What else can one do but look for the glimmers of light and hope amid the darkness and bitterness? The lasting impact they had on the individuals they encountered while on shlichus and throughout their lives; the mikvah they established; the minyanim they conducted; the Jewish weddings they presided over; their son Moshe who miraculously survived thanks to the heroic nanny.

These lasting memorials leave us with the tools needed to combat despair with hope, doubt with faith, pain with joy, tears with laughter, fear with courage, and anger with resolve.

This past Shabbos, as the events were still unfolding, my 2-year-old son suddenly and unexpectedly pointed to a large picture of the Rebbe hanging on our kitchen wall. “Rebbe”, he said, “I wanna kiss the Rebbe.” I promptly lifted him up to kiss the picture of the Rebbe.

When I went online after Shabbos to see the latest updates on the unfolding events, the first thing I came across was the story of how the ZAKA volunteers came across a shocking scene. When they entered the Chabad House there was blood and destruction strewn across every single surface of the building. There was, however, one picture of the Rebbe hanging on the wall that remained unscathed.

My eyes welled up as I realized that the untouched picture of the Rebbe was the very same picture that my son had been suddenly drawn to that very day.

May we merit to be reunited very soon with all of the kedoshim who were brutally murdered al Kiddush Hashem, with the coming of Moshiach, when the dwellers of the earth will arise and rejoice.

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