Please, let us not wait for tragedy to come together. With thanks to Lori Palatnik. Read and be inspired:
Yakir Asaraf, a non-observant Israeli, who like many others was shocked by the immensity of the Meron tragedy, decided that he had to do something to share in the families’ pain, and he and a friend went to pay a shiva call to the Englard family of Jerusalem, who lost their two sons, Moshe Natan Neta, z’l, 14, and Yehoshua, z’l, 9.
He wrote a Facebook post about his experience, which quickly went viral and moved thousands of Israelis and people all over the world.
“It could be that I just experienced one of the most significant moments of my life,” Asaraf wrote. “I just left the shiva of the Englard family, who lost their two sons at Meron. And my heart is simply bursting with mixed emotions, my eyes are filled with sad tears, but my heart is full of simcha (joy).”
“When my friend Maor and I, dressed in jeans and T-shirts, entered their home, we really stood out in the Chareidi (very religious) crowd. Some people looked up and two wonderful Chareidim quickly got up and let us sit, mamash (exactly) opposite Menachem Mendel, the father who lost his two sons just days ago.”
“The father noticed us and quickly stopped speaking in Yiddish with the other menachamim (people visiting to offer condolences and comfort) and turned to me and Maor in Hebrew.”
“‘I’m happy you came,’ he said, and his eyes are wet with tears but his face is radiant. “When are we already zochech (have the merit) to meet together – you and I?’ he said.
Maor and I looked at him with sparkling eyes as if he’s a malach (angel) talking to us.
“‘You should know that what’s happening here is the truth,” he said. ‘You and I are both pained by the great loss. We’re giving chizzuk (strength) to each other. It doesn’t matter if you’re chilonim (secular) or Chareidim (very religous) – we’re Jews.”
“Everyone else in the room – in eerie silence – is quietly listening to Menachem Mendel talk to us.
“‘I want you to invite me to your simchos (celebratons)!’” I say.
“‘And I’ll invite you to my simchos (celebrations)!’” he responds.
“A few minutes of silence and he looks down and mumbles; ‘Mi K’Amcha Yisrael.’ (Who is like Your nation, the Jewish people.”)
After the tefillah (prayer service), we approach him and before we had a chance to say words of comfort, he says, ‘Thank you for coming. You were mechazeik me.’” (you gave me strength)
“Maor and I leave the house, looking at each other, but unable to speak. We can’t process what just happened, and while I’m writing these words, I still can’t process it.
“This meeting represents the truth of our Am (People), the endless Ahavas HaChinum (baseless love) we have for each other, our shared pain, the tremendous emunah (faith) that continues to unite us.”
“I’ll end with a tefillah (prayer) l’Yoshevi Ba’Meromim (to those in Heaven) – for Ahavas Chinam (baseless love) between us, and for besuros tovos (good news), and for all the families of the victims to be zochech (to merit) to true nachas, and that I’m zocheh (have the merit) to be invited to the smachos (celebrations) of the wonderful Menachem Mendel.”
