Channeling the Pain in the Right Direction

Rabbi Zalman Baruch Melamed

Leading religious Zionist rabbi, Rosh (Dean of) Yeshivat Beit El, sent a letter to the high school students in Beit El about the Har Nof massacre.

To the Dear Students of Bnei Tzvi Yeshiva,

During this difficult period, after the terrible massacre in the Har Nof synagogue, our pain is deep, our emotions stormy.
We must remember that we are in the midst of a struggle for our right to all of Eretz Yisrael, to Jerusalem in particular, and even more, for the Temple Mount, site of our Holy Temples.

Our enemies feel that more and more, we are becoming a permanent entity in the land of Israel and Jerusalem, and that causes them to try to put an end to the Heavenly process of our return from exile to our land and Temple. They do not know that it is impossible to stop the prophecies from coming true before our eyes.

I request, my beloved students, that you deflect all the pain, anger and trauma to the right channels: Study more Torah, do more good deeds, adding merits that will bring our Redemption closer.

Although Police and IDF actions against our enemies have been sharply criticized, and it is hard for young people to see the failure and weakness that characterizes the security forces’ response up to now, we nevertheless must overcome our anger and humiliation and allow the security forces to accomplish their tasks.

If you know of youngsters in other educational frameworks whom you fear may take the law into their own hands, please stop them. Partisan actions not only do not help, they also cause damage [to our cause].

Since the struggle takes place mainly on social networks, direct your efforts to explaining the justice of our cause there. Not with diatribes,which do not convince anyone, but with persuasive explanations of our right to the entire land and our Temple Mount. Let the entire world know that for a fact. Well written articles can be posted on Arutz Sheva.
May the Almighty avenge the spilled blood of His people, the blood of His sons murdered while praying to the Creator of the world, the G-d of Israel.

We will prevail despite the weaknesses we see. We are getting ever closer to the complete Redemption. The Land of Israel is acquired through suffering, it becomes our possession in that way.
Try to influence your friends to channel their strengths towards more Torah and more mitzvot.
Be strong and fearless,
Yours,
Rabbi Zalman Baruch Melamed

Translated from Hebrew by Rochel Sylvetsky