The abduction and murder of Leiby z"l, should put all *naarishkeit,*frivolity, in its place.
The unspeakable awfulness and its juxtaposition to the Fast of the 17th of Tammuz, the beginning of the Roman siege of Jerusalem which preceded the Great Temple's destruction, should be a lesson to us. The *ahavat achim*demonstrated by the *kehilah *of thousands who searched for him and by the *tefillos *of *Am Yisrael was* unique. How sad that poor Leiby's case was the catalyst which brought the unity to light. May the *sinat achim* that was the cause of the destruction of the Temple be banished, and may we all (men, women and children) be of one mind to root out evil.
I am reminded of a story I heard from Rav Koppel Kalman Kahana z"tl of London's Jews' College. As a newly married couple, my husband and I lived and studied in England. My husband had the honor of being in Rav Kahana's *smicha shiur* as well as being the rav's sometimes driver. As frequently as I could, I would join them in the car. Rav Kahana was an unbelievable scholar of both *Talmud* and anything else he put his mind to. He arrived in Cambridge, England a penniless refugee. The rav of the city was fast to recognize his prodigious knowledge and ability to *pasken*. Rav Kahana spent time learning *Talmud* and learning English - in the legal library of Cambridge. Rav Kahana even wrote a comparative legal paper on Talmudic, Roman and English Law. He received a Masters in Law for his work.
His memory skills where legendary. He once showed me the "pin trick." He asked me to put a pin on one word in a *Gemara* and then to choose a *daf *which was scores of pages from the pin. After slowly going through each word of the page he would then be able to tell which word was directly under the pin tens of pages away.
I don't remember the *apropos* of why he told this story, but the Rav Kahana was the *iilui* (brilliant young scholar) of his day and the Chofez Chaim frequently requested that Rav Kahana accompany him on his journeys.
The Chofetz Chaim was asked to spend some time in a distant city and Rav Kahana was at his side waiting for the train to take him there. When the train arrived the Chofetz Chaim put his hand on Rav Kahana's leg and signaled him not to board the train. "But Rebbe," he beseeched, "the whole community is out waiting for us." The Chofetz Chaim just shook his head. They waited for the next train.
When they finally arrived at their destination instead of being greeted by their hosts, they saw crowds of people crying, some of whom had *reist kriyah*, torn their clothing in a sign of mourning.
"What happened," asked Rav Kahana of those around them. "Haven't you heard? The Chofetz Chaim was in the train that crashed and most of the passengers were killed."
Aghast and traumatized by what he had just heard, he informed those around him that indeed the Chofetz Chaim had survived as he had waited for the second train.
Later, privately, Rav Kahana quietly asked his Rebbe: "Was it a prophesy?" The Chofetz Chaim shook his head in the negative.
"But Rebbe, how could you know?"
The Chofetz Chaim answered: "The train was early. It is not in the nature of trains to be early. Something was not right either with the train or the conductor or both."
The whole story, and especially the answer, is one that should guide us today. We need to be more aware of our surroundings; we need to trust ourselves and ask questions if what we see in front of us fits with what our gut tells us.
It doesn't always matter what the answer is. If your gut causes you to pause and ask questions, that is enough.
May the memory of Leiby ben Nachman and Esther be a beacon to us all, to light up darkness and fill nooks-and-crannies of aberrant behavior in our midst with the sound of reporting it, and the light of hope that no child or adult will ever have to suffer. *Y'hee zichro baruch*.
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