A video by popular French YouTuber Dimerci that went viral features a touching incident in which a frum man is the only one to react to a stranger’s distress.
Dimerci, who has over 3 million subscribers, carried out a “social experiment” in which he feigned an attempt to harm himself in public. In the video, he’s seen standing in a crowded area in France pouring a “flammable liquid” over his head and then reaching into his pocket for a lighter.
No one did anything to try to stop him except a frum man wearing a yarmulke and tzitzis, who rushed to knock his lighter to the floor and pull him away to a less crowded area to calm him down and comfort him.
The man’s act was widely praised by the millions of people who viewed the video, with hundreds of people commenting, many praising Jews, such as “Jews have a wonderful heart,” “That Jewish angel arrived on time,” “Jewish people always care” and “The Jewish people have one big heart.”
Others decried the apathy of the other people standing there who watched and did nothing.
(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)
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13 Responses
Sorry for being a skeptic. This is staged.
Totally staged.
This is our secular society.
People will watch as others do terrible things. It’s not just about self harm but even harm to others. There is a famous story about Kitty Genovese in New York who was brutally R8 and murdered while 38 witnesses did nothing.
Golus.
#MKY
Hope sombody out there sends nice check for Good mental Dr. needed here
We’re SO SO SO SO Proud of you!!!!! No words!! SUCH A MAJOR KIDDUSH HASHEM!!!!! You’ve obviously done a GREAT mitzvah beforehand to be Zoich to this!!!!!
At the risk of being neurotic, sometimes these videos can later provoke ire, if it is a set up, and the “hero” has been informed of the plan up front and his role is pre-ordained. Let’s hope it was spontaneous and unscripted!
In the interests of accuracy, it has been pointed out to me that this Orthodox gentleman has worked with the YouTuber before (You can see the online (French language) videos of them together). The original point apparently was a social experiment to video the apathy or otherwise of the onlookers, not that a Frum guy actually came to save the day.
Major kiddish hashem !
if this was staged, then they are both horrible human beings.
Before everyone starts debating the definition of קידוש השם, why not quote the Rambam’s definition (הלכות יסודי התורה פ”ה הי”א):
וכן אם דקדק החכם על עצמו והיה דבורו בנחת עם הבריות ודעתו מעורבת עמהם ומקבלם בסבר פנים יפות ונעלב מהם ואינו עולבם מכבד להן ואפילו למקילין לו ונושא ונותן באמונה ולא ירבה באריחות עמי הארץ וישיבתן ולא יראה תמיד אלא עוסק בתורה עטוף בציצית מוכתר בתפילין ועושה בכל מעשיו לפנים משורת הדין והוא שלא יתרחק הרבה ולא ישתומם עד שימצאו הכל מקלסין אותו ואוהבים אותו ומתאוים למעשיו הרי זה קידש את השם
While it’s true that it was a “social experiment” by the tick tocker, the Chabadnik that jumped in was NOT in on it.
I’m not saying people should remain indifferent to others, but the world is used to
many pranks and videos being made for various reasons. Also, it can be very dangerous.