What about Rav Kalman? We still didn’t know for sure – rumors flying – but Rav Kalman was the most alive person in the world. He was the reason many people came to our Shul on Simchas Torah – to see Rav Kalman’s ecstatic dancing with his beloved Torah.
We should have known if he didn’t come home and didn’t call something was terribly wrong. But we couldn’t believe it could be. And then we heard. The brutal animals shot as they yelled out their vicious war cry.
They butchered Rav Kalman as he stood in the hallway absorbed in a Sefer — those few seconds gave some of the men in the Minyon time to flee out another door. Rav Kalman’s last act of Ahavas Yisroel was to save the life of his friends.
And now – Rav Moshe הי”ד, Rav Aryeh הי”ד, Rav Avraham הי”ד, Rav Kalman הי”ד are in the Beis Medrash Shel Maalah — with their beloved Torah.
Between the hope and the tears we spoke. “Chaya, do you remember….”. Binyomin Dovid was a sickly baby with Down Syndrome and a host of medical issues and I needed Chizuk. I made my way to Bnei Brak to see Rebbetzin Kanievsky. I waited outside until it was my turn. I came in to her — a sleeping baby in my arms. Rebbetzin Kanievsky took one look at him and said, “You don’t know what Shmira (protection) you have in your home”.
I thought I understood. Perhaps, I thought, other things would be easier because this would be difficult. But now, almost 13 years later, I understand. Binyomin Dovid was the only reason my husband was not in his Minyon that morning.
And because he knew my husband wasn’t coming, his post davening Chevrusa – a stalwart regular in that Minyon, decided to daven elsewhere that morning.
We could not have imagined so many years ago that our son would save his father’s life and the life of his Chavrusa.
The stories abound. Those who were saved – Rav E – an elderly gentleman who takes a cab the half a block each morning – but THIS morning the cab didn’t come.
Rabbi L was on his way to that Minyon and for some reason he cannot explain, found himself turning into a closer Shul, and stayed there.
A. was up during the night helping his wife who felt unwell, so he decided to Daven elsewhere.
R’ S who smashed a terrorist over the head twice with a chair to try to stop his shooting, and somehow managed to run out unscathed.
Rav P, Reb B, Rav Pr and Rav F who somehow ran through the line of fire out the door.
Rav S who was hiding behind the Bima until something told him to get out — and he managed to run through the side door.
Rav I saw one of the terrorists in the kitchen on his way in earlier. He thought he was one of the many who come into the Shul to take a free cup of coffee in the morning. Why didn’t he shoot him then? He escaped through a side door when the shooting started in the Shul.
Dr. H and Rav W who ran out after throwing a table at the terrorists.
HaRav B, who is not a young man, heard the commotion and came downstairs. As he was trying to help one of the victims, he was shot repeatedly by the terrorists — but the guns misfired four times. When they pulled out a knife he ran upstairs. An old man outrunning two young terrorists?