FIRE IN TZFAS

 “From a distance, I could see the flames spreading out of control.”

Two weeks ago, a fiery inferno raged uncontrollably near Kiryat Chabad in the Holy City of Tzfas. Ten families – men, women, and children – were evacuated from their homes, some of which were completely destroyed by the flames. They have been left without a roof over their heads and no vestige remaining of what had been there before. While the cause of the blaze has yet to be determined, the failure in basic rescue procedure was catastrophic. “The firefighters stood by helplessly as the water supplies ran out.” Colel Chabad, under the administration of Rabbi Yoram Mauda, has initiated an urgent campaign and fundraising drive to save these families.

By Shmuel Tzur
Translated by Michoel Leib Dobry

Following the huge fire that broke out two weeks ago near Kiryat Chabad in the Holy City of Tzfas, Beis Moshiach spoke with R’ Shimon Yehuda Pizem, one of the blaze’s main victims, as his home and property went up in flames before his very eyes. In an interview conveying a message of pure faith and trust in the Creator, he reveals in full the chain of events and expresses his thanks for the miracles: “We offer thanks to Alm-ghty G-d and the Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach that my family and I emerged safe and sound from the raging inferno.”

YOUR ENTIRE AREA IS IN FLAMES!

Where are you now as we speak?

My wife and I are presently checking out a rental apartment suggested to us as a temporary residence. We need an alternative place for the immediate future until, G-d willing, everything can be restored to normal. I hope that we will soon find a proper apartment of appropriate size where we can live until we are able to manage on our own as before.

With your permission, let’s go back to the day of the fire.

About fifteen minutes before everything started, I was on my way to a meeting in preparation of the “Mekushar Bakol” seminar, together with Rabbi Moshe Abed. On that Sunday, my wife was supposed to come home late, however, due to this meeting, she arrived earlier to be with the children. At a certain point, she went to lie down and put her cellphone on silent mode.

By Divine Providence, she noticed that one of her friends was calling her. She thought for a moment about whether to answer the phone or not, but she eventually took the call. “Are you home?” her friend screamed. “Your entire area is in flames!” My wife quickly bolted out of bed and took all the children outside, where she encountered police officers standing nearby and evacuating everyone from their homes.

THE FEELING WAS HORRIFIC: MY HOUSE WAS ON FIRE!

When did you first hear about the fire?

As my family was being led out of the house, my wife called and told me that the policemen were evacuating everyone because of the fire and I should come back immediately. I quickly turned around and headed home. From a distance, I could already see the flames spreading out of control. As I drew nearer, I began to grasp what was happening. While the police had cordoned the streets off, I was close enough to my house to see that it was being consumed by fire…

What were you feeling at that moment?

At first, I simply couldn’t comprehend the situation. You see flames consuming house after house. The winds were very strong and it developed into a treacherous whirlwind. The firefighters stood by helplessly as the water ran out, a terrible act of negligence on its own. I am standing there, eyes Heavenward, thanking G-d that none of my family was inside while I continued to pray for a miracle that it would all be over quickly.

The thought that bothered me and still bothers me to this very moment: What became of the dollars, the kuntreisim, and the letters I had received from the Rebbe? These were the most precious and holy things to me! Who knew what had happened to them? I stood by completely helpless, not knowing what I could possibly do. I simply couldn’t let it go. I tried to get closer to the house, but the police blocked my path with their bodies. Gas tanks came into contact with the raging fire, setting off powerful explosions that rocked the house and the entire surrounding area as if a missile had landed inside and destroyed everything.

By Divine Providence, as I was struggling to decide whether to risk bodily injury and try to enter the house to collect these valuable items, Rabbi Shlomo Zalman Levkivker called me. When I asked him if I should try and get inside, he replied that since this was a matter of pikuach nefesh – it was absolutely forbidden for me to enter.

It’s difficult to describe the feeling, but it was positively frightful. You’re standing in front of your house and watching everything go up in smoke in a matter of minutes.

PUTTING THINGS IN PERSPECTIVE

Have you been able to go back inside what’s left of the house and see if there’s anything salvageable?

The police let us go inside for a few minutes, but we still couldn’t make a completely thorough search to see if anything had survived the fire. There was hardly anything left to salvage. On one floor of the house, the only things remaining were a few walls while all the belongings inside were burnt to a crisp.

There was something quite stirring that happened when I entered the house. When I walked in the direction of the bedroom, the first thing I saw was a pile of black soot along one side. As I got closer, I noticed our scorched family albums. I opened the remains, and the first picture I saw was of my grandfather, may G-d avenge his blood, killed during the Holocaust, sitting together with my grandmother and uncle. “Put it in perspective,” I immediately thought to myself. “In your family history, people’s lives were cut short, murdered in cold blood. Thank Alm-ghty G-d that you were saved and everyone made it out without a scratch. Property is not everything.”

MOVING FORWARD WITH THE POWER OF FAITH

How are you dealing with the situation now?

The only way to continue pressing forward is with the power of faith in G-d and the Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach. Look, while we were searching for things among the rubble in the house, my wife found a dollar that she had received from the Rebbe in Elul 5751. Although it was partially burnt, most of it was still intact. As we held the burnt dollar from the Rebbe, we literally felt that “I am with him in distress”; it was as if the Rebbe was telling us that we don’t have to worry – everything will be all right. We felt that the Rebbe was with us, even during these difficult moments.

Not long afterwards, I found two volumes of Tanya that my mother had received from the Rebbe, and this too was a miracle. While the covers of the s’farim were totally charred, the text inside could still be read. In addition, a coin from the Rebbe placed on a chain also survived the fiery blaze.

The truth is that the greatest source of encouragement was an answer I had received in response to a letter that my father-in-law had written to the Rebbe during the fire. As I stood in front of my burning house, I called him and asked that he write to the Rebbe about the situation. The substance of the Rebbe’s answer: “Dealing with the holy work in the field of education will be the channel to receiving G-d’s blessings in great abundance.” Thus, I have nothing to worry about; there’s a ruler and master over this world.

Where are you residing now?

We are currently staying in a local guesthouse until we find a house where we can live for the near future. Our family has begun to grasp what has happened, and G-d willing, we hope that things will get on the right footing as soon as possible.

I must emphasize the incredibly heartwarming response to the plight of those families most directly affected by recent events. Colel Chabad, under the administration of Rabbi Yoram Mauda, has offered its benevolent and charitable services to all these families whose lives have been thrust into turmoil by the fire. He has initiated a massive campaign to assist them in restoring their lives to normalcy. At present, they have no home where to return, and this is by no means a simple undertaking. The rav of our community, yeshiva faculty, Anash members, and local residents – and even people with whom I have never been acquainted, even those who are presently not Torah observant – have contacted me and have even personally come to offer their material assistance and accommodations. I am deeply moved by this demonstration of Chassidic love beyond all measure and comprehension.

In addition, friends whose names are too numerous to mention have initiated a fundraising drive designed to help us. While I never imagined that I would be in such a situation, I have a responsibility to my wife and children. Beyond all the vitally important material assistance, this gives us tremendous strength and warms the hearts of our entire family.

A DESCENT PRIOR TO THE REDEMPTION

How do you move on after this?

During the past several days, I have received responses and messages of support from friends, acquaintances, and people from all over the world. One of the shluchim, after writing his most heartfelt sympathies, quoted the Talmudic adage that “it is enough for a servant to be like his master.” The Talmud Yerushalmi states (Brachos 58b) that there was a story with Rav Ulla and Rav Chisda walking together when they saw someone’s home destroyed. Rav Chisda sighed and when Rav Ulla asked for an explanation, Rav Chisda said: “Whoever entered [here] hungry would leave satisfied. And they threw wheat and barley outside in years of famine so that anyone who would find it embarrassing to take during the day would come and take at night. Now this house has fallen into a heap of rubble and I should not sigh?” Rav Ulla tried to console Rav Chisda. He said to him, “Thus said Rabbi Yochanan: From the day the Beis HaMikdash was destroyed, a Heavenly decree was passed against the homes of tzaddikim, stating that they too will be destroyed, but Rav Yochanan also said that in the future G-d will restore them to their inhabited state…” Rav Ulla saw that Rav Chisda’s mind was still troubled (the fact that the house would be rebuilt in the future did not console him, since at the time it lay in ruins – Maharsha). He said to him, “It is enough for a servant to be like his master.” (One cannot expect houses of G-d’s servants to remain standing while G-d’s own house – the Beis HaMikdash – is in ruins.)

What has really comforted us is the knowledge that these are the final moments of the exile. This is a minor descent before the Complete Redemption. I constantly remind myself that there’s no great wisdom attached to standing and quoting Talmudic maxims when things are going good, as our entire life prepares us for moments of trial. Thus, G-d has now given us the strength we need and we will meet this difficult trial, and then we will truly say, “This is also for good.” We will continue to hold firm to this knowledge with total devotion until the True and Complete Redemption with the revelation of the Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach.

[NOTE: On the Thursday night after the fire, Rabbi Pizem and his wife were blessed with the birth of a son. His bris will take place, G-d willing, on Rabbi Pizem’s birthday, the 5^th of Menachem Av, the Arizal’s yahrzeit. – M.L.D.]