Wednesday, May 4, 2016

Are Jewish communities and shuls being flooded to fulfill the words of Navi Yeshayahu?

The story is told that when the Chofetz Chaim learned about a major earthquake in Japan, he began crying. Someone asked him, “Why is the Rebbe so troubled?” He answered, “Chazal tell us: ‘Calamities only come to the world because of Yisrael.’ We were meant to hear that message.”The Chofetz Chaim was making a significant point. For reasons that only Hashem knows, a vast number of people were supposed to die that day. There are, however, many ways their deaths could have come about. There are many messengers in Hashem’s employ and many ways for Him to fulfill his decree. The reason those people died in such a violent manner was so that we would hear about it and learn from it..... Nothing in this world just happens. There are no random events. Nothing is by chance. Hashem speaks to us; there are, however, many vehicles and media He uses to communicate with us. (Listen to Your Messages - http://www.theshmuz.com/nasoh-5774/ )

In recent years I have noted a phenomenon which has affected several shuls and Jewish communities. When I try to point it out I am told "You don't know what Hashem's cheshbon is! You can't say this is happening because of one widow in a tiny community thousands of miles away!" That may be true. But my interpretation has basis from TaNaCh. Those who dismiss it have no alternative to prove their point.
At least eight times in a single decade shuls and Jewish communities have been flooded or affected by flooding!

New Orleans (Katrina) - 2005, The rabbi who fled there was the Assistant Rabbi in Las Vegas who anguished the widow by not performing her husband's funeral!
The Young Israel of Mosholu Parkway was severely damaged TWICE by water in this period (once in winter by a burst pipe, then in a summer by torrential rains. I don't know the exact dates)
Young Israel of Chomedy (2010, flooded due to vandalism),
Hurricane Irene in which at least two frum Jews lost their lives-2011,
Long Island/Brooklyn especially the Young Israel of Oceanside (Sandy) - 2012,
Boulder CO (2013),
Detroit - 2014,
Houston -2015
Is Hashem trying to get us to listen to Navi Yeshayahu?

Rabbi Raymond Beyda explains that in our era without neviim Hashem is still sending us messages. (see his article "Get The Message" in the Hamodia, April 23 2015) How can anyone ignore the flood in Houston last year at a shul with a name similar to "Orthodox Union" occurred a very short time after the OU ignored the halachos of Shulchan Aruch, Yoreh Deah siman 334 at their Jewish Community Home and Job Relocation Fair 2015 where the Young Israel Aish of Las Vegas, the tormentors of the widow, presented themselves?
In 2005 the rabbi Young Israel placed in New Orleans after serving as the assistant rabbi in Las Vegas (and on orders of his boss did not perform the funeral for Charles Shalov) fled the wrath of Hurricane Katrina not long after National Council fraudulently undermined the seruv on his previous boss. At least one of the other floods have a similar connection to Young Israel where the rabbi expressed indifference to the plight of the widow, Mrs. Shalov.

From: Jonathan Muskat
Date: Sun, Mar 14, 2010 4:02 pm
Yes I am – I’m now at the Young Israel of Oceanside. As per your offer, please do not send me any more emails. Thank you. Kol tuv, jm


Two and a half years later he was asking for help after his shul and community were devastated by Sandy.

While we have no Neviim today to say for sure the reason Hashem has "washed and cleansed" those shuls and communities, can anyone say for absolute certain that the beginning and end of the paired verses, Chapter 1:16-17, in Navi Yeshayahu have no relevance whatsoever to these floods?
Wash, cleanse yourselves, remove the evil of your deeds from before My eyes, cease to do evil. רַחֲצוּ הִזַּכּוּ הָסִירוּ רֹעַ מַעַלְלֵיכֶם מִנֶּגֶד עֵינָי חִדְלוּ הָרֵעַ:
Learn to do good, seek justice, strengthen the robbed, perform justice for the orphan, plead the case of the widow.
לִמְדוּ הֵיטֵב דִּרְשׁוּ מִשְׁפָּט אַשְּׁרוּ חָמוֹץ שִׁפְטוּ יָתוֹם רִיבוּ אַלְמָנָה:

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