In the wake of the Iranian missile that struck Bnei Brak, severely damaging a school for special-needs children, Gerer Rosh Yeshiva Rav Shaul Alter delivered a powerful and emotional reflection on the tragedy, questioning why such a vulnerable institution was targeted.
Speaking on the “Hi Sichasi” call-in line, where he regularly discusses Torah topics with the talmidei chachamim of his kehillah, Rav Shaul veered from his usual format to comment on current events. Referring to the heartbreaking strike that hit a facility for children with special needs, he remarked, “The Ribbono Shel Olam is awaiting the tefillos of those children in particular.”
In a poignant statement, Rav Shaul pointed out that these children, more than others, are shaken when their routines are disrupted. “They experience the change most acutely,” he explained, “and their cries in tefillah—emanating from such sincere, broken hearts—may pierce the heavens.”
The Rosh Yeshiva recalled a recent moment he witnessed at the wedding of a daughter of the gabbai of Rav Yechezkel Halpern. There, an autistic child suddenly began calling out loudly. “I saw it not as a disruption,” Rav Shaul said, “but as that child’s personal way of speaking to the Borei Olam.”
He concluded with conviction, “There is no doubt in my mind that the tefillos of such children can open gates and bring yeshuah.”
{Matzav.com Israel}