Baba Elazar Murdered

Unbelievable.

Rav Elbaz: "A great decree has befallen Kelal Yisrael"..."I am sure that HKB"H is hinting things to us - to all of Kelal Yisrael - to accept true Teshuva."

Rav Amar: "Death of the Tzadikim is worse than the destruction of the Beit Hamikdash.  We pray to HKB"H that he will atone for his nation to sweeten (?) the judgements that are on Am Yisrael.   הושיעה את עמך וברך את נחלתך .  We should hear and be informed of only good news."  Trying to keep the rabbis from panicking, he said, "No need to get caught up in one incident.  We need to trust in Hashem.  We're talking about an incident that was not yet investigated.  There is nothing logical here, but rather a harsh decree."

Rav Ovadia heard about the murder and broke out crying.

The murderer (!) recently gave Shiurim in Elad.  One of the attendees reported: "Just yesterday, he gave an informative shiur in the synagogue about the destruction of the Beit Hamikdash and Sinat Hinam and caused many people from the audience to cry."  Someone else said, "He recently requested from us to pray that Mashiah Ben Yosef should not die.  He expressed the idea that the Mashiah is here and it's forbidden to allow him to die."

Again, a murder that makes absolutely no sense at first glance.  I am at a loss for words as to what's going on in the Jewish world.  Is Jewish life suddenly cheap in the eyes of Torah-observers?  I don't get it.  Gedalia Ben Ahikam was murdered by a Jew too.  So was Avner Ben Ner.  And Amasa.  I thought we learned that lesson.  I fear not.  We're living in very strange times.

Eicha 2:21

שָׁכְבוּ לָאָרֶץ חוּצוֹת נַעַר וְזָקֵן...הָרַגְתָּ בְּיוֹם אַפֶּךָ, טָבַחְתָּ לֹא חָמָלְתָּ.

The youth and the old man lie on the ground in the streets...Thou hast slain them in the day of Thine anger; Thou hast slaughtered unsparingly.

 

 

Update from Arutz Sheva:

Chief Sephardic Rabbi Shlomo Amar described, on Friday, the murder of Rabbi Elazar Abuhatzeira in these terms: "A malicious hand of evil and crime hit a holy man, one of the greatest rabbis of Israel, the son of the holy people of the Most High, who led tens of thousands in Israel in the Torah and pure piety, and now the darling of all eyes is no more."

Speaking to Arutz Sheva's Hebrew service at Rabbi Abuhatzeira's funeral, Rabbi Amar said the murder should arouse the people to think about their relations with G-d and fellow human beings, noting the rise in violence among Jews. He said the nation's children should be taught manners, good character traits, to reduce hate and rage, to eliminate anger and strictness and to increase love and friendship and be easy-going, forgiving and good.