Making the Churban Real For Our Time

6 Av 5779

Even though it really doesn't even come close to the tragedy of the destroyed Beit Hamikdash, these incidents are still terribly painful to read and to contemplate.

Tractor Rams Aron Kodesh and Heichal HaBesht Shul in Beit Shemesh and Destroys Them Completely

ISRAEL - The scenes and testimony of the desecration of a holy site at the end of last week have evoked stunned horror: A tractor sent by the Israel Lands Authority, backed by dozens of riot police, rammed the aron kodesh and razed the Heichal HaBesht shul in the middle of the night on Thursday. The Breslov shul is located on Yechezkel Hanavi Street in Ramat Beit Shemesh Gimmel; it was completely demolished. The incident took place on Erev Rosh Chodesh Av, at the height of the Three Weeks, just prior to the Nine Days, when we mourn the Churban of the Bais Hamikdash.

The demolition took place despite the pleas of the mispallelim and vigorous efforts to arrange for the shul to remain at the site. The agreement of the mispallelim to willingly vacate the premises did not help in preventing the destruction and desecration of the shul. The forces worked in the darkness of night, and defiled the site in a horrible way.

The Heichal Habesht shul in Ramat Beit Shemesh Gimmel is a vibrant place of Torah and tefillah for many people. The mispallelim learned of the intentions of the ILA to destroy the shul, and kept watch day and night in order to prevent – literally with their bodies – the demolition from happening.

However, in the dark of night, dozens of riot police were sent to the site to clear away all the mispallelim so they could carry out their work.

According to testimonies by the mispallelim, a bit after 3:30 in the morning, some 15 vehicles arrived full of riot police. They granted the mispallelim a short time to take everything out of the shul, and then, the dreadful moment arrived when the tractor began ramming the shul while the aron kodesh was still inside.

Before the demolition began, the mispallelim pleaded to be able to take the aron kodesh apart respectfully, but they were firmly refused, and the shameful destruction proceeded.

After just half an hour, the shul was reduced to a pile of rubble.

The mispallelim began to sob over having witnessed, in the Jewish state, the destruction of a bais mikdash me’at during the days that we mourn the Churban. They bemoaned the fact that things had reached such a state. The residents claim that the harsh steps taken recently against shuls in the city of Beit Shemesh are due to winds blowing from the municipality, which did nothing to prevent it. (Story continues HERE.)

Arad City Hall Plans To Remove Contents Of Gerrer Shul In Miklat

After Gerre Chassidim were evicted from a miklat (bomb shelter) shul in Arad, losing their appeal to the High Court of Justice last week, Arad City Hall padlocked the miklat to keep them out.

The city insists they broke into the miklat without authorization, and that led to the eviction order. The chassidim insist they have permission from the IDF Homefront Command.

Arad City Hall on Monday announced the miklat would be cleared of its contents during the afternoon hours Monday. This refers to the items brought in for the shul and beis medrash. Rabbonim affiliated with Gerre called on their tzibur to hold an atzeres tefilla as an outcry to the city’s actions. The rabbonim stressed to refrain from any verbal and/or physical violence.

Despite the call of the rabbonim to avoid violence, a large police presence was ordered to the scene to maintain order.

Vandals R”L Set Aron Kodesh In Petach Tikvah Great Synagogue On Fire

Close to candle lighting on Friday night, the fire department was summoned to the Petach Tikvah Great Synagogue after they received calls reporting smoke coming from the shul.

B”H, a man named Yechezkel Farkash passed by and smelled smoke. He began checking to determine the cause, and he entered the shul and saw the paroches of the Aron Kodesh was on fire.

Farkash quickly summoned the fire department, which arrived in a timely fashion, and extinguished the blaze. The paroches was burned but B’chasdei Hashem, the Sifrei Torah were undamaged.

Petach Tikvah Mayor Rami Greenberg arrived on the scene a short time later. His deputy, Oriel Busso said, “On Rosh Chodesh Av, during the days of mourning for the Beis Hamikdash being burned, may it be rebuilt speedily in our day, we are witness to an incident that is simply frightening. It appears that some elements within the Jewish people are embarrassed of being Jews and they wish to destroy that which is holy to us."

It is 2019, and not only is antisemitism rampaging around the world, synagogues are being vandalized and destroyed in Eretz Yisrael.  Not only that, but if a Jew in Eretz Yisrael speaks openly about a desire for all Am Yisrael to live in accordance with the Torah here, he practically takes his life into his own hands: United Right: Stop the ‘Media Lynch’ of Smotrich.

Ad matai?!?!?!