<div dir="ltr"><div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:tahoma,sans-serif;font-size:large">What were the last 1000 talmidim thinking</div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:tahoma,sans-serif;font-size:large">after having witnessed 23,000 dying?</div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:tahoma,sans-serif;font-size:large"><br></div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:tahoma,sans-serif;font-size:large">It seems that Talmidim from other Yeshivos </div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:tahoma,sans-serif;font-size:large">were not afflicted</div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:tahoma,sans-serif;font-size:large"><br></div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:tahoma,sans-serif;font-size:large">If Heaven forbid, in our times</div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:tahoma,sans-serif;font-size:large">500 talmidim would perish in an epidemic</div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:tahoma,sans-serif;font-size:large">but only of one Yeshivah</div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:tahoma,sans-serif;font-size:large">would there not be a massive outcry</div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:tahoma,sans-serif;font-size:large">many days of Tefillos</div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:tahoma,sans-serif;font-size:large">Fasting</div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:tahoma,sans-serif;font-size:large">Exhortations from all the prominent Rabbanim</div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:tahoma,sans-serif;font-size:large"><br></div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:tahoma,sans-serif;font-size:large">What was R Akiva doing during those days</div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:tahoma,sans-serif;font-size:large"><br></div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:tahoma,sans-serif;font-size:large">ALL died</div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:tahoma,sans-serif;font-size:large">not one survived</div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:tahoma,sans-serif;font-size:large">did not even one recognise the cause of HKBH's distress</div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:tahoma,sans-serif;font-size:large">and their shortcomings</div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:tahoma,sans-serif;font-size:large">did not even one repent and change?</div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:tahoma,sans-serif;font-size:large"><br></div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:tahoma,sans-serif;font-size:large">Is it possible that their mutual lack of respect</div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:tahoma,sans-serif;font-size:large">went unnoticed </div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:tahoma,sans-serif;font-size:large">and R Akiva's exhortations went unheeded</div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:tahoma,sans-serif;font-size:large">because this flaw of lacking respect</div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:tahoma,sans-serif;font-size:large">was baked into their self-righteous-image</div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:tahoma,sans-serif;font-size:large">it had become an element of their identity and their learning</div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:tahoma,sans-serif;font-size:large">a feature of their Yeshivah culture</div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:tahoma,sans-serif;font-size:large">it was part of their uniform that they wore with pride;</div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:tahoma,sans-serif;font-size:large">when they disagreed with one another </div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:tahoma,sans-serif;font-size:large">there was an element of attack not just on the argument</div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:tahoma,sans-serif;font-size:large">but on the bar-plugta's character</div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:tahoma,sans-serif;font-size:large">playing the man rather than playing the ball</div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:tahoma,sans-serif;font-size:large">performed under the cosmetic shield of honouring HKBH and His Torah</div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:tahoma,sans-serif;font-size:large"><br></div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:tahoma,sans-serif;font-size:large">why did none see this flaw?</div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:tahoma,sans-serif;font-size:large"><br></div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:tahoma,sans-serif;font-size:large">Chazal say once a person has repeated an Aveirah</div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:tahoma,sans-serif;font-size:large">it appears to be permitted - it loses the sting of having violated HKBH's trust</div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:tahoma,sans-serif;font-size:large">The BaAlei Mussar say</div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:tahoma,sans-serif;font-size:large">after the third time it is rationalised as being a Mitzvah</div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:tahoma,sans-serif;font-size:large"><br></div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:tahoma,sans-serif;font-size:large">Perhaps we need to reflect</div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:tahoma,sans-serif;font-size:large">that we might have aspects of similar flaws</div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:tahoma,sans-serif;font-size:large">that we not only justify </div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:tahoma,sans-serif;font-size:large">but actually honour because we have persuaded ourselves </div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:tahoma,sans-serif;font-size:large">that it is part of our Avodas HaShem?</div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:tahoma,sans-serif;font-size:large"> </div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:tahoma,sans-serif;font-size:large"> </div><br clear="all"></div><div><div dir="ltr" class="gmail_signature" data-smartmail="gmail_signature"><div dir="ltr"><div><br>Best,<br><br>Meir G. Rabi</div><div><br></div><div>0423 207 837</div><div><font size="1">+61 423 207 837</font></div></div></div></div></div>