A week and a half has passed since the terror period in France where four Jews were killed in the Hyper Kosher supermarket in the center of Paris. The attack shook up the Jewish community in France, and the Jewish world as a whole. The four victims were brought to rest in Eretz Yisroel.
The mourning families got up from shiva on Monday. The Barham family, the widow and the orphans, paid a visit to HaRav Shteinman to receive his condolences and words of chizuk. They were joined by French rabbis and acquaintances, all of whom asked for a special brochoh that the orphans grow to Torah.
The Rosh Yeshiva duly blessed the widow and orphans and lifted up their spirits. In reply to the question of one of the rabbis asking in what area one should pay special attention to, he replied: "In Shabbos observance," and to Philip's orphaned son, he added, "Your father was murdered because he was a Jew. To commemorate his soul, you must be as much a Jew as you can and to strengthen yourself in Torah and mitzvos."
The deceased's brother, who is an active marbitz Torah in Yeshivat Hazon Baruch in Raincy, which was founded by the late Rav Yaakov Toledano, and also serves as rav of the community, inquired about aliya from France to Eretz Yisrael in these times. HaRav Shteinman answered, "Since there the majority of Jews are traditionally observant and here in Eretz Yisrael they will lack a proper atmosphere for spiritual absorption, there is a danger in such aliya and thus I cannot tell them to come to Eretz Yisroel."
He added in his words of empathy saying that our people have lived through many difficult times and that these are a test. "May Hashem help you to withstand this test and strengthen you in emunah in Torah and mitzvos."
