Aaron Sofer

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  • #613553
    oyyoyyoy
    Participant

    In elul 1963/5723, a tragedy occurred when three choshuve bochrim from a yeshiva in Yerushalayim were killed along with their driver when the truck carrying them slipped off the road, rolling down the side of a mountain. One of the bochrim, Mordechai Falk, came to a friend Zev in a dream.

    ” ‘I have two questions for you. First, how did you come to enter Gan Eden without first undergoing judgement in the heavenly court? And second, why did you and the others have to experience such a strange and difficult death at such a young age?’

    Mordechai answered,’A year ago on Rosh Hashana of 5723(1963), a very harsh and bitter decree was issued on the entire Jewish yishuv in Eretz Yisrael. A terrible tragedy was to befall the community, because of their sins. But Hashem in His Mercy had pity on His nation, and instead chose a public sacrifice to atone for the masses – four pure souls, including three yeshiva studens from the holy city of Jerusalem.’

    ‘We, the four who died, were sacrificed on behalf of you all…those who were seriously hurt in the accident also recieved their injuries according to a precise accounting. Every scrape…was taken into acount. For each there was a specific reason. All was calculated by Heaven in accordance with his judgement’

    ‘Now you understand why we didn’t undergo judgement. A Korban Olah rises directly to Gan Eden and does not have to stand in judgement before the heavenly court’ ”

    (Tales for the Soul 4by Yair Weinstock)

    I think with whats going on nowadays in Eretz Yisrael, one can only imagine how terrible and out of control the situation could have gotten r”l. Who knows if I myself, here in America, actually literally owes Aaron Sofer, the Korbon learning Korbonos, for my life?

    #1030523
    Letakein Girl
    Participant

    Wow, that’s beautiful. Thank you for sharing!

    #1030524
    littleeema
    Participant

    These are not cheshbon is for us to make…it’s a slippery slope to another religion where one person died for everyone’s sins.

    We should each engage in our own cheshbon ha nefesh – and not in someone else’s.

    #1030525

    I think you misunderstood what he said.

    #1030526
    oyyoyyoy
    Participant

    thank you 29.

    I have no clue if she understood me or not but i’m definitely not going to argue with her.

    #1030527
    tsedrayt
    Participant

    Thanks for sharing. Its definitely a plausible answer to all us confused folks.

    Personally I don’t believe the last part of the story. Who ever heard of an animal going to heaven and being judged?

    #1030528
    writersoul
    Participant

    I don’t know whether she understood or not, but I’m pretty sure I did and I still agree with her, basically.

    Not to take it quite so far as her particular analogy, but her point still stands. It’s impossible to say what could/could not have been if not for x and y and z. That’s why scientific experiments have controls, and there are no controls in life. This is a dangerous place to stand and wonder.

    Until I personally reach meah ve’esrim and find out first hand about the cheshbonos, I don’t think that I myself will speculate.

    #1030529
    John
    Member

    Hamokoim yenachem eschem besoich shaar avalai tzion veyrushalayim

    #1030530
    lz
    Participant

    littleeema: there is nothing shocking or heretical about this. there are probably hundreds of stories about people dying to atone for the klal, and kedoshim and martyrs and judgement and olam haba and all of that.

    There are plenty of things all over tanach and torah sheb’al peh that can make you think or wonder, and we don’t avoid them or put them in cheirem. we recognize possibilities, leave a good deal of things for teiku, and don’t worry about slippery slopes as long as our yesodos and hashkafos are up to par and our heads are on straight…which may be a rare occurrence these days

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