<html><head></head><body style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; "><div><table bgcolor="#FFFFFF" border="0" width="100%" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); position: static; z-index: auto; "><tbody><tr><td width="100%" rowspan="1" colspan="1" style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; "><table bgcolor="#ccffff" border="0" width="100%" tabindex="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="5" id="content_LETTER.BLOCK2" style="margin-bottom: 6px; background-color: rgb(204, 255, 255); position: static; z-index: auto; "><tbody><tr><td rowspan="1" colspan="1" align="left" style="text-align: left; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); "><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div style="color: black; "><span face="Arial"><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; "><span style="font-family: Arial; "><font class="Apple-style-span" size="4">3006. The Tosfos YomTov writes that the 'Gezeira's Tach V'Tat' - when Jews were massacred en masse, </font></span></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; "><span style="font-family: Arial; "><font class="Apple-style-span" size="4">was as a direct result of people speaking during davening and Krias Hatorah. <i>Piskei Tshuvos 151:3</i></font></span></div></span></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table></div><div><div>I would be interested to know if I'm the only one on Avodah who is greatly bothered by the above statement.</div></div><div>To say that one is worthy of being massacred because of speaking during davening and k'rias haTorah is</div><div>a bit harsh; don't you think?</div><div>This is the same mentality as saying the holocaust was a result of irreligious Jews. I believe it is Rav Soloveitchik who had</div><div>said anyone who gives a reason for the Holocaust is a fool.</div><div>Thoughts?</div></body></html>