At the news of the horrific slaughter in Mumbai one spontaneously cries out the question, “Where was G–d; how could He have allowed this?!”
I recall it said of the Holocaust that the above question is not correct. G–d was present in the death camps, for many people were saved in completely miraculous, inexplicable ways. Thus, their survival was clearly the Hand of G–d. This does not answer the question concerning how G–d enabled the Nazi monsters to commit their despicable acts, but it shows that although we cannot explain it, we know that G–d was right there.
The same thing occurred in the Chabad House of Mumbai. The horrific tragedy is unfathomable, yet G–d showed us that he was there. The rescue of the Holtzberg’s child, Moishe’le, was mind-bogglingly miraculous. It is not clear why Moishe’le was not killed.
Some have suggested that he had been asleep and had just woken up when the nanny heard him, but others pointed out that the bruise marks on his back suggest that he had been found and abused by the terrorists. Even if he had been asleep and never seen by the terrorists, they could easily have found and killed him, and if the terrorists had seen him, there is no logical reason that they would have spared him.
The nanny could have been already dead, or she could have escaped from the building and thus not been in a position to save Moishe’le; instead, she was still in the building nearby.
The terrorists could have been in the room where Moishe’le was crying. Miraculously, at that moment none of them were there.
The nanny could have chosen not to risk her life when she heard the child’s cry, and no one would have had any complaints; instead, she rescued him.
The nanny’s heroic rescue was thus a clear sign of G–d’s presence right in the midst of the carnage.
So in addition to everything else that Moishe’le Holtzberg represents, he represents the testimony that even as G–d hides Himself, He is right here.
May we no longer suffer any “hiding of G–d’s Face” in the future, with the coming of Moshiach now.
One more detail to add ...
ReplyDeleteSandra Samuel, Moshe's Nanny has 2 sons of her own. Her elder son always came to pick her up at the end of everyday's work. But he didnt turn up on the fateful Wednesday evening.So the nanny stayed at the Chabad House waiting for her son, and working in the kitchen till he arrived.
This is no coincidence, it's HIS help to Moshe.
I am a non jew, and live in mumbai, but my heart broke on seeing little Moshe cry.
He will shine one day like his parents, and carry on the good work for the Chabad movement.
All because .... GOD is his sculptor for life.