Parashat Bamidbar

Baruch Hashem  כלל ישראל is using Covid-19 to grow and improve. There has been a lot of חיזוק. Our gedolim have told us that Hashem had us leave our shuls. It should bother us. Very much. Why did this happen?

The Gemara says when there is a plague in a city, one should not enter a shul alone because the Angel of Death stores his weapons there. The מפרשים ask-  the Angel of Death couldn’t find anywhere else to store his weapons but our shuls? The דרך משה explains that his weapons come from people speaking during davening. That’s where he gets his power. Furthermore, when people speak during davening, their words create destructive angels that hold back the congregants’ תפילות from rising to שמים.

Once, a man who was diagnosed with cancer came to Rav Avigdor Miller, to get a blessing. He was in tears. Rav Miller asked him if there are people who talk during davening in his shul. He answered unfortunately there are such people. Rav Miller told him to leave the shul immediately!  A shul where people talk, the תפילות do not ascend to שמים! This man switched shuls and shortly afterwards made a full recovery. There are many more such stories. Our תפילות are our protection. Let us show Hashem we are ready to improve.

Close to 10,000 people have signed on stopthetalking.org to accept bli neder that they will not talk during davening. Please join! Sign on for as long as you feel you are able. This is a tremendous זכות. May we be  זוכה לקבל פני משיח צדקנו  בקרוב אמן

Shabbat Shalom