Bountiful Compensation

It is common knowledge that before the World War, there were virtually no yeshivos in what are today the main centers of Jewish population. In Eretz Yisroel for example, there were only one or two yeshivos, and it was the same in the United States, England and France. There were only yeshivos in Lithuania, Poland, and Hungary.

During the war, all were killed, tzaddikim, world ranking gedolim and ordinary Jews. Among them was the gaon and kodosh, HaRav Elchonon Wassermann Hy'd. And indeed, this yeshiva [Note: Yeshivas Ohr Elchonon in Yerushalayim] has a special merit, that of having been established at his graveside, as it were, and by being named after him.

But that is not all. All the righteous ones who perished did not die for nothing. They have received compensation for their murders, and we are not referring to monetary reparations! Their compensation is the fact that their Torah is studied. Reb Elchonon's Torah, for example, is learned in all the yeshivos. This is a tremendous merit. Instead of their bodies, which have been lost, their souls continue to exist, in that medium which is a means of the continuation of their power. The influence that their Torah study wrought, that their mitzvos had -- these forces continue to the present day, and from them, Torah has grown.

Thoughts for the beginning of Elul

"Only union with Hashem constitutes true perfection, as Dovid Hamelech said, `But as for me, the nearness of Hashem is my good', and, `I asked one thing from Hashem: that I will seek to dwell in Hashem's house all the days of my life . . . '." With these words, the Mesillas Yeshorim (chapter one) is conveying to us that the main component in the fulfillment of man's duty in the world is the striving for perfection, namely union with Hashem. He continues, "For this alone is the true good, and anything besides this which people deem good is nothing but emptiness and deceptive worthlessness."

During these days of introspection and judgment we should all be concerned with this topic of "true perfection." If union with Hashem and nearness to Him are elevated goals in our avodoh, we must have them in our minds and endeavor to attain them. We are duty-bound to do this throughout the year, how much more so during the current period.

Is there a Lower Form of Life than a Suicide Bomber?

There is absolutely nothing like it in the entire world. A creature nurtured on hate and with the support of large portions of his community, is told to search out a large crowd, men, women and children included. A walking bomb, fitted with explosives and amplifying hardware like screws and nails to make the results more gruesome, this creature must walk into the crowd, where he will see before his own eyes the innocent babes whom he will murder in a few moments with a tremendous explosion. This creature will then detonate this horrible bomb, which will certainly kill him and, he and those who sent him hope, as many Jews as possible.