How can we explain, according to Torah wisdom, why the events
of Sept. 11th occurred? In her book, City on Fire, New
York journalist Sorah Shapiro [not to be confused with writer
Sarah Shapiro] reveals the conclusions of nineteen Orthodox
rabbis.
"If we see the collapse of the Twin Towers as a blow to the
bricks and mortar of society, to its technology and commerce,
to its power and might -- and it was certainly all of that --
comes the Prophet and conveys to us the ultimate message: It
was meant to humble the haughtiness of man, to shame his
arrogance..." writes Rabbi Yaakov Perlow, Novominsker Rov and
head of Agudath Israel of America.
"When a person is numbed by the chilling aftershock of
tragedy, he is in no state to focus on the ultimate meaning
of life. To do so would require him to rise above a human
being's natural limitations. Yet this is precisely what is
expected of a Jew," asserts Rabbi Shmuel Berenbaum, Rosh
Yeshivas Mir in Brooklyn.
"In the Torah (Bamidbor 28:52), it says, `And he will
attack you at all your gates until your high towers, your
most fortified ones, which you have complete faith in, will
come caving in. The enemy will besiege you at many of your
portals in all your lands..." writes Rabbi Moshe Meir Weiss,
rabbi of Agudas Yisroel of Staten Island, New York, quoting
the Torah where these events were forecast.
Though this unique book examines 9/11 from the vantage point
of the Orthodox Jew, it gives the non-Orthodox a refreshing
breath of spirit. It includes first- hand accounts of
miraculous escapes and rescues, crucial facts on the World
Trade Center, the Taliban, Bin Laden, memorials to the Jewish
dead and much more.
When, on Sept. 11th, the world was grappling with the why's
and wherefore's, the author, an Orthodox Jew, was searching
for a deeper meaning, far beyond what the media, the
architects and the armchair philosophers proferred. She found
it and presents it here for all to see.
This is a Jewish 9/11 book that hits the spot at Ground Zero,
impacting all the way up, up, far higher than 110 floors!
Available at Jewish book stores and at Targum Press.
