Posted on 11/30/23
Har Nof, Yerushalayim - Nov. 30, 2023 - Native Baltimorean Rabbi Yehoshua Liff shares emotions of today's tragic news from his Har Nof neighborhood a result of this morning's Hamas bus stop terror attack:
Some thoughts from the difficult funeral we attended today in Har Nof, because of another act of Arab hatred on our Jewish nation - a cruel, inhumane murder of innocent people who were just trying to live lives of holiness and service to Hashem and helping mankind. בין אדם למקום ובין אדם לחבירו.
Taken from their families and us was a well-respected Dayan, a wonderful school principal, and for us Har Nof residents, another kadosh - a young 24-year-old newly married expectant mother who taught Bais Yaakov girls how to lead Jewish lives by her own example - Mrs. Leviya Dickmanהי"ד, זצ"ל, daughter of Rav Shtienhois, שליט"א. She was a study in modesty, goodness, Chesed, Torah values, a young woman of valor. Her teaching profession helped formed good 'בנות ישראל' who will be the future mothers of Klal Israel. A year ago she met her husband, Meir, son of Rav Yehudah Dickman, shlita, a well known Talmid Chacham in our neighborhood, a young budding talmid chacham, and set up a home based on true Jewish values. On her night table were Chovos Halevavos, Sharei Teshuva, Tehillim - her go-to sefarim, which she knew backwards and forwards.
Just standing at a bus stop on a Thursday morning, each of these kedoshim holding a sefer, a siddur, learning, and davening to Hashem, saying Tehillim elevations of the highest order killed like the ten great martyrs of yesteryear while reciting Kriyas Shema to Hashem Yisbarach and then being struck down by the wolves surrounding our people and our nation without warning. Again, blood being spilled in our holy land. 'וְכִפֶּר ׀ אַדְמָתוֹ עַמּוֹ וְנִקְתִּי דָּמָם לֹא נִקֵּתִי' Hashem yerachem.
The thousands who gathered listened to the hespedim from the Chief Rabbi of Israel, Rabbi David Lau, שליט"א, a Har Nof resident, Rav Sorotzkin, the head of the school system that she taught in, and her distinguished father. This was a lesson, a master class of the vast difference between ראובן and עשו. As Leah calls it, 'רְאוּ בֵן־רְאוּבֵן מָה בֵּין בֵּין חֲמִי.' She exclaims, 'Look at the difference between my Jewish son and my uncle, עשו הרשעה.'
The vast difference at the funeral, the soft crying, the outpouring of a community coming to be melaveh this 'אשת חיל,' מי ימצא? The emunah and bitachon exhibited at the levaya, the complete accepting of 'השם נתן השם לקח יהי שם השם מבורך.' Hashem gives the matanah for a period of time; then, He takes the matanah back; our job is to thank Him. 'יהי שם השם מבורך,' His name is to be blessed under all circumstances. 'כשם שמברכים על הטוב כך מברכים על הרעה.' No calls for revenge, anger, pure emunah that Hashem,
Rabbi Lau spoke how she was taken away from this world while davening from her siddur. We are certain that her tefillos will continue in Shamayim for all her family, her students, and the entire nation. Her father spoke how when he had to identify her body, she was as modest and holy as she always was, a true bas Yisroel. He explained how he exclaimed the Tehillim of 'מִזְמוֹר לתודה, a psalm of thanks, thanking Hashem for the zechus of having this matanah for 24 years - her complete goodness, her daughterhood, her getting married a year ago to a Ben Torah, her happiness in her work as a teacher of young Jewish children imparting to them her essence of what it is to be a bas Yisroel. Her being a Lev, a heart - what does Hashem want from all of us? רחמנא ליבא בעי. Hashem wants our hearts. She was the דוגמא, the model of the Jewish heart, and that's her eternal message for all of us to clasp to our hearts. She also did what she was supposed to do - not because of her yichus, not because of her great lineage, but what she decided in her heart was the right thing to do. She was an individual who said, 'What does Hashem want from me?' And she listened with her Jewish heart - that is Leviyah’s message.
Her father continued and spoke about how these mountains of Har Nof have heard the tefillah of קל מלא רחמים in the last month and a half from so many who are kedoshim. And perhaps, we didn't fully feel the losses of our brothers and sisters (he said, for sure we all tried and felt pain, but now it's more personal), and the sounds of קל מלא רחמים are echoing from mountain to mountain in Yerushalayim, from Har Herzl to Har Nof.
The father asked to say a few more words, and he said that for sure the yisurim are great, but he wanted to also express his Hakaras Hatov to everyone who came and had been there for the family. And, most importantly, he wanted to share that just like Hashem took her to the Kisei HaKavod בחטף, suddenly, without warning, in the same way Hashem will bring Moshiach without warning - suddenly, He will appear. And that she should be the last Korban Tzibbur before Moshiach, and that we all should have full Bitachon in the coming of Moshiach Tzidkeinu.
May he come speedily and surprise us בחטף.
May these thoughts be לעלוי נשמתה הטהורה.