To the group
Rabbi Miller quoted the beginning of Parshas Noach, “Eileh Toldos Noach, Noach etc.” He asked the obvious question, “Shouldn’t the Posuk have said, Eileh Toldos Noach; Shem, Cham and Yafes in some order?” So, we learn from this that a person’s closest relative is himself. For all we talk about loving our fellow Jews, the only true love that a person has is for himself. This is an immutable fact. Therefore, for posters to say that it’s unconscionable for people to go on vacations during the current Matzav is nonsensical. During the Holocaust, as the Polish Jews were being decimated the Hungarians lived as normal. That’s human nature. There’s a famous story about an Israeli who went to Thailand with some friends after he completed his stint with the IDF. While there, a boa constrictor wrapped itself around him and was choking him to death. One of his compatriots told him to say Shema because it’s good to die with those words. He did so and the snake released its grip on him. As would be expected, the soldier became a BT but the person who told over the story, i.e he was also there, stayed secular. When asked, he responded, ‘The Nes didn’t happen to me.” People are very complicated and it’s difficult to tell them how they should act and feel. We can pass judgment on others but if Hashem judges us, He’ll certainly find things that He doesn’t like about each and every one of us.