El Paso and Dayton

After the horrific shootings at El Paso and Dayton, words cannot describe the terror felt by those who went through those events.  Some of the news stories about these events are unimaginable.  The U.S. is currently in mourning and President Trump ordered the national flags to be lowered to half-staff.

Is it a coincidence that the United States' national mourning should coincide with the Jewish Nation's national mourning?

Well, let's see.

Death tolls are not a great indicator of anything since they can always rise.  However, at the time of this writing, there are 22 dead in El Paso and 9 dead in Dayton.  Interestingly, there are 22 days in the mourning period known as the "3 weeks" (from Shiv'a Asar BeTamuz through Tish'a Be'av).  And there are 9 days from Rosh Hodesh Av until Tish'a Be'av.  That should tell you something.

Futhermore, the city called Dayton is reminiscent of Datan, who is the first Jew called a "Rasha" in the Torah.  Later, he and his brother were the first to say Lashon Hara to the non-Jewish authorities in the Torah.  In fact, Moshe Rabbeinu was concerned that their Lashon Hara would prevent the Redemption from Egypt, while it was the Jewish People's strengthening in that regard that allowed for that redemption.  It was Lashon Hara against the Land of Israel that caused the first Tish'a Be'av and it is Lashon Hara caused by Sin'at Hinam that causes us to still commemorate it.  Dayton reminds us what we still need to work on.

El Paso, on the other hand, reminds us what we are missing - namely the Beit Hamikdash.  How so?  If you look at the coordinates of where the shooting took place, the Walmart is at 31.777107, -106.384905.  That exact latitude about 7400 miles due east takes you to 31.777107, 35.235060, which is - you guessed it - Har Habayit.

May we rectify our sins and may Hashem return the Beit Hamikdash to its glory, speedily in our days, Amen.