In 5685, when difficult events following in rapid succession, the Chofetz Chaim wrote his famous letter which reads:
"We have now heard distressing news about a terrible flood which occurred in our country and a major earthquake which took place in Russia, killing and injuring thousands of men, women, children and animals. Many found their burial under the ruins of their homes. Tremors of that earthquake were even felt in our country.
"Who will not quake and tremble in contemplating what Hashem has done to us? Is He not good and compassionate towards all of His creations and does not even seek the death of the wicked, as is written, "As I exist, says Hashe?' but the wise one shall understand that Hashem is prodding us to repent.
"It is clear to me that if only we had prophets, they would surely stand on vigil to exhort Jewry to return to our Father in Heaven. But since, due to our many sins, we do not have prophets in our times, He is shaking up the whole world through other messengers, as is written, 'He makes His messengers winds, His emissaries scorching fir?'"
The Chofetz Chaim writes that no country in the whole world has escaped His Measure of Justice, nor is there any day whose curse is not worse than its preceding one. At the end of his letter, he adds: "I cannot understand why the world is not terrified after our seeing the realization of the words of 'Nesane Tokef'. Each one of us must be frightened of the Measure of Strict Justice extant in the world."
He also wrote that whoever is capable of rousing the public is like a captain whose role is to save the Jewish People from the grip of this Divine Justice ruling the world. He tells us to guard ourselves and our families from allowing books of heresy which stupefy the mind from entering one's house, 'And you shall not bring abomination into your hous?"
In the generation prior the Second World War and following it, the American rav, HaRav Gedaliah Silverstone, once commented on the words of Chazal, "The Anshei Maamad used to say to the Anshei Mishmar: Set your eyes upon your brethren in the Diaspora lest their homes be their graves.'"
He notes that the phrase `Anshei Maamad' places the responsibility upon them that when materialism proliferates, and when the Jewish home does not function in the spirit of Torah, when what takes place within the home causes a Jew to backslide from the way of Torah, then, G-d forfend, such homes become burial places.
