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Suddenly, the tranquil, unearthly scene was shattered! Bullet shots rang throughout the room, as unseen enemy soldiers fired at the men, through the open windows! In seconds, the men were on the floor, hearts pounding wildly, as the bullets continued to whiz over their heads. After an endless minute, the shooting stopped. The men cautiously raised their heads. One of the men saw the soldiers running away, and began to chase after him. Two other men raced to neighboring buildings, in an attempt to find a phone with which to call the police.
The men waited tensely, reciting Tehillim, and waiting for the drama to be over. Within a few minutes, the police arrived. A policeman took careful notes, as the men described the terrifying scene of just a few minutes ago. They were about to leave the synagogue, when they saw the Baba Sali walking toward them.
"Where did everyone go?" the venerated rabbi asked.
The policemen stood there, taking in the Baba Sali’s words, while surveying the walls riddled with fresh bullet holes. "What do you mean?" they stammered.
The Baba Sali answered simply "I finished my prayers, and turned around, and saw that everyone was gone."
"Rabbi, everyone left, because of the shooting!" one of the policemen exclaimed.
The Baba Sali turned in the direction of the policeman’s outstretched finger, and observed the scene before him..
"Rabbi!" the policeman gasped. "Look at your cloak! A bullet went through your cloak, right next to your head! Somehow, you didn’t hear it, even though it was right next to your ear! You must have been really absorbed in your prayer!"
(This story was heard from the Rishon Letzion Rabbi Mordechai Eliyahu, zt"l, and is recorded in the book Avihem Shel Yisrael, page 15.)
Should the congregants have interrupted the Baba Sali in the middle of the Shemoneh Esrei, in order to tell him that a shooting was taking place?
Answer of Rabbi Avigdor Nebenzahl, shlita:
The congregants were obligated to interrupt the Baba Sali from his prayer, because of the laws of pikuach nefesh (saving a life). Even a great tzadik cannot know with certainty that he will be saved. We see this from the fact that many great tzadikim were killed in the Holocaust. (See Kidushin 29b, which relates that Abayei endangered Rav Acha, with the understanding that Rav Acha’s righteousness would protect him. Rav Acha was miraculously saved, but criticized Abayei for potentially endangering him.)
Rabbis in Midrash
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Kuzari -Rabbi Ari Shvat Kuzari class 9 - "Seeing is Believing" (parag. 21-30)
These paragraphs elaborate on the theme that seeing and knowing is better than any attempt to prove logically, and begins explaining the difference between Israel and gentiles.
Ein Aya Various Universal Stages of the Geula Process
Rav Kook examines the various stages of redemption, explaining how (in addition to the obvious oft-mentioned stages of ingathering the exiles, reviving the Hebrew language, army, state etc.) the messianic dream of world prosperity, the State of Israel and world unity can and are realistically and logically gradually coming true.
Kuzari -Rabbi Ari Shvat Kuzari class 8- "Answering Questions on the Kuzari's Proof from Mass Revelation
How do we know that the "claim" of mass revelation to 2,000,000 witnesses at Mt. Sinai is really true? This important class answers all of the questions skeptics ask about this claim of the Kuzari.
Ein Aya Armies Still Necessary for Balance & the War Against Wars
Rav Kook explains why the world was originally divided into the various seemingly contradicting ideologies and cultures, in order to develop each one respectively. Swords or armies symbolize how each respective ideology defends themselves, as well as deters their opposing ideologies and cultures. On the other hand, the messianic era will be one of peace, and Rav Kook explains the transition to that stage, which mankind is already undergoing.
The Land of Israel LGBT'S IN ISRAEL
The question was asked, how can one make Aliyah with the LGBT parades?
Kuzari -Rabbi Ari Shvat Kuzari class 7 - Five Accumulative Proofs of G-d
As a preparation for the Kuzari's classic proof of G-d from the mass-revelation at Sinai, we start here with 5 other directions to strengthen our belief which also contribute to what the Kuzari will present as well.
Ein Aya Muscle & Meaning: The Dual Nature of Gevurah (Physical Strength)
Is physical strength and fitness a necessity or an ideal? Although it if often totally overlooked among topics of Judaism, Rav Kook writes that it clearly is also a necessity to deter the many enemies of Israel, but even in Y'mot HaMashiach, in the Messianic era, to a certain extent, it's ideal continues even after our enemies will have been finished off.
