Several representatives of the families of hostages being held in Gaza visited the home of HaGaon HaRav Meir Tzvi Bergman on Tuesday.

Those who visited were HaRav Betzalel Schneider, a relative of the Bibas family, a relative of Idan Shviti, and relatives of Bar Avraham Kuperstein – all in captivity in Gaza.

HaRav Bergman spoke with them and said that all of Klal Yisrael feels their pain, saying that Am Yisrael is called Adam (in singular) because all of Am Yisrael is “one person, one body.”

The Rav continued by saying that Yishmael is called פרא אדם – but really it should be written אדם פרא [as in Hebrew, the adjective follows the noun]. The Maharil Diskin, z’tl, explains that Yishmael’s main name is “פרא” and “אדם” is only an adjective – therefore he’s called “פרא אדם”.

Regarding the question of what to be mechazeik in, HaRav Bergman said: “I tell everyone to be mechazeik in reciting Birchas Hamazon from the siddur with kavanah, consistently – this is a very great thing.”

The Rav then noted in the name of his father-in-law HaGaon HaRav Shach, z’tl, that at a time of war, the midah of cruelty increases in the world, and in this war, the cruelty is unfathomable – cruelty within cruelty – and that we should increase chessed to awaken the midas harachamim.

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)