A Resilient Commitment to Goodness

It is with great personal pain and sadness that I share with you the news of the tragic and untimely passing of my dear friend and colleague Rabbi Gabi (age 29) & Rivky (age 28) Holtzberg, the shluchim (Chabad emissaries) to Mumbai, India. They were murdered in their Chabad House; a home to the local and international Jewish community for the past 5 years. Their 2 year old son Moshe was, thank G‑d, rescued and taken out of harm’s way. May G‑d avenge their blood and may their family know only joy.

Dear friends, the struggle does not end here. The Chabad Center in Mumbai was targeted precisely because it represents a beacon of goodness, of Judaism, and of morality. This is the very essence of what the forces of evil seek to eradicate. And thus, the method to persevere; the method by which we overcome this dark evil – as we have for over 3000 years – is by connecting ourselves to our roots, the source the warmth and light, the Torah and its mitzvahs.

So today I urge you to do a mitzvah as part of the global ‘fight’ of goodness over evil. Men, you can put on tefillin (or stop by the Chabad House if you don’t have a pair). Women, you can light the Shabbat candles this evening (at 4:32pm). And each of us can add in our study of Torah and steadfast prayers to G‑d in heaven.

I want to conclude this column by sharing a touching incident that occurred yesterday afternoon: At 1:30pm a young gentleman, whom I had never met before, knocked on the door to the Chabad House and without introducing himself said, “I’m a news junkie. I’ve been reading the reports from India. I want to help. I want to put on tefillin.” His poignant words moved me deeply. I didn’t know him. He didn’t know me. The last time he laid tefillin was at his Bar Mitzvah. But at this moment of torment he felt the inner union and bond that unites all of us across the globe and he wanted to express it through the special mitzvah of tefillin.

It is the Torah that unifies us and makes us all a part of one global Jewish family. May all our prayers and mitzvahs ‘storm the heavens’ and in this merit may G‑d send us the ultimate healer and comforter – the coming of the righteous moshiach speedily – RIGHT NOW!

We are holding special candle lighting & shabbat services this evening at 4:30pm in memory of Rabbi & Mrs. Holtzberg and all the good people of Mumbai.

Shabbat Shalom,

Rabbi Raleigh Resnick