An atmosphere of mourning shrouded residents of Charish and the surrounding area during a levaya on Sunday afternoon for a sefer Torah and other seforim that were burned on Shabbos Kodesh Parshas Bo at the beis knesses for the local chareidi community.
Before the procession began, speeches were given at the site where the beis medrash stood by the rov of the kehilloh, HaRav Dovid Brand, who lamented the terrible losses the fire left in its wake, and called on the congregation to gather strength and engage in self-reflection.
HaRav Yaakov Edelstein, the rov of Ramat Hasharon and Bnei Brak's Naot Yosef neighborhood, spoke about the Shechinoh in exile, citing Chazal's remarks that when a Jew feels sorrow, the Shechinoh feels the sorrow along with him. He also cited the gemora on R' Chanina Ben Tradion, who, while he was being executed in flames with a sefer Torah wrapped around him, posed halachic questions to his disciples who were on hand. "The Gavad of Ponovezh HaRav Kahaneman zt"l asked how it could be that his talmidim were able to ask halachic questions at such a difficult moment, and he explained that here we see the level of `vehogiso bo yomom volailoh' — with our very being — we must strive toward.
Other speakers included HaRav Mordechai Avramovsky, the rov of Zichron Yaakov, HaRav Tzvi Yehuda Edelstein, a ram at Yeshivas Vilkomir, HaRav David Tzedaka, the rov of Pardes Channah, and HaRav Boaz Izzak.
The ashes of the holy books were buried in the regional cemetery, which is located at the site of the infamous immigrant camp, Ein Shemer.
