"Pure Souls Have Ascended"

2 Sivan 5772
Day 46 of the Omer

UPDATE: Rav Yitzchak Dovid Grossman: The Accident Victims Were A Kapora for Am Yisrael

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Rosh Chodesh Sivan
Day 45 of the Omer

For the second time, we are mourning an entire family - save one member - being consumed in a conflagration.

Midway between Purim and Pesach on Gimel Nissan, Guy Shaer, 38, and his five children – Eliav, 11, Evyatar, 8, Amitai, 7, Shira, 3, and one-year-old Itamar died together in a fire in their Rehovot home. Only the mother, Avivit, was left alive.

And now, today, in the early morning hours of Rosh Chodesh Sivan, just days before we are to celebrate the giving of our Holy Torah on Shavuot, another family - Rafael Atias, 42, Yehudit, 42, Avia, 17, twins Eliyashiv and Neria Shimon, 16, Shira, 11, Tair, 8 and Noa, 4 who, ironically, were returning from a Torah Scroll Dedication - has been lost to the flames of a devastating car wreck due to faulty brakes. Only seven-year-old Rachel survived by being thrown from the car.

G-d have mercy! What are we to think? What are we to do?? What does Hashem want us to learn from this horror???

Hershkowitz: “A Chilling Tragedy beyond Conception”
Minister Daniel Hershkowitz participated Monday night in the Migdal HaEmek Torah dedication along with the Attias family members who were the victims of the accident near Tiberias early Tuesday morning.

“I was shocked this morning,” said Minister Hershkowitz. “Migdal HaEmek Jewish Home activists requested I attend the Attias family Torah dedication, scrolls written by the esteemed grandfather, the great torah educator of the city. We celebrated last night at 22:00 and this morning I found out that Rafi Attias, the MC of the event and most of his family were victims of the accident. This is a chilling tragedy beyond human conception. May their souls live on for all eternity.”

Rabbi Grossman: Pure Souls have Ascended

A short while before the accident near Tiberias, Rabbi Grossman of the city of Migdal Ha’Emek blessed sole survivor Rachel Attias that her love of the Torah give her G-d’s blessing of long life. She was being embraced by her late father Rafi, and wished to remain as close as possible to the torah scrolls dedicated by her grandfather at the inauguration of his new synagogue.

“All of Israel must mourn this Divine conflagration,” said Rabbi Grossman, all choked up.