We were remiss in not commenting on what transpired last night in 770, Lubavitch World Headquarters in Brooklyn New York. Nothing is by accident, so perhaps this posting was meant to go out alone.
Early last evening, a deranged individual, a black man in his fifties, entered 770. It soon became apparent that he was mentally not well and was escorted out. He returned very late last night and before anyone had a chance to stop him, stabbed a 22 year-old Yeshiva student in the head. The young man was at first thought to be not that badly injured, but late this afternoon a call went out to Jewry worldwide to say tehillim for Levi Yitzchak ben Raizel. It seems that he has bleeding in his brain.
The police were there very quickly and in the end, the black man who threatened the police with his knife, was shot and died later.
As nothing happens without someone taking a video, one can watch almost the entire episode play out. We did not watch it. It was enough that we saw the bloody knife.
When we heard this news our first thought was of what happened in Israel, in Har Nof. Where are we safe if not in our shuls? Then we thought of the unimaginable events last week during a home invasion in Paris. Where are we not safe if not in our homes?
We must do what we can do to protect ourselves and our children. If that means hiring armed guards, then hire armed guards. If it means installing cameras and other protection in our schools and synagogues, then do that. But in the end, after all is said and done, we must have faith that G-d will watch over His children. We turn to the Rebbe for advice in these inexplicable times.
Not all suffering can be explained. There is pain, sometimes, that is not punishment and not repair.
True, we were given Torah, a G-dly wisdom containing the secrets of all things. But concerning these things even Moses asked and was told to be quiet, to cease to ask. Because there are some things that even G-dly wisdom does not explain. Because they cannot be explained.
We can only know that whatever happens is from G-d, that G-d is just, and that He does not desire suffering.
But until the end of days, we will have to suffer the ‘why.’