Brooklyn, NY – My name is Nochum Elek, I am a Torah Jew, and a psychotherapist. Last Friday night I was assaulted on the street I live on, for reasons unknown to me or anyone else to the best of my knowledge.
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Some people think that it was a hate crime, others a gang initiation and some are spinning tall tales that I’m at fault for being either a slum lord, the owner of a business who didn’t pay his workers on Friday, or even a Public School teacher hated by his students.
I don’t have enough information to reach a conclusion about this incident apart from the fact that it was an act of violence from one human being toward another, and I believe that this is all that matters. Everything that happens to us has a deeper meaning. Rabbi Nachman of Breslov talks about the “hidden messages in all things”, the way God communicates with us through the textures of everyday life.
What’s a matter if he forgive them or not?
there is a lot to ponder from this article and tolerance and forgiveness
hopefully people of all races and religions can learn from this man
should be distributed widely for all to read
Was his Grandmother smart ?Don’t think so ,this nazi shot her son for no reason just because he was a Jew so by sending him home he would lose more sons to mothers ,we all know how many nazis killed Jews after the War
The unfortunate thing is that the perpetrators of this heinous crime will never read this message. Dr. Elek sounds like an amazing human being and we can all learn from his quiet and forgiving ways. I don’t know, if put into the same position, if I could be so eloquent and forgiving. It is easy to say that I would but when push comes to shove, I would only hope that Hashem would give me the strength and understanding that Dr. Elek exhibits.
Read the whole letter people, it is amazing.
Well I’m from Lee ave, and I don’t forgive those animals who tried killing one of our ppl for no good solid reason, just because they are sub-humans
beautiful
He’s hiding under a mask of holyness and forgiveness, Shomrim members told me that his story didn’t add up, it was full of contradictions, in the begining he said that he knows the attackers than he he said he doesn’t know them, it wasn’t a random antisemitic attack, because if it was he should not have forgiven them because they will do it again to another “innocent” jew, shomrim members suspect that he knows why he was targeted and its because of some black market disagreements and its better for him to keep quiet.
Foregiving only works regarding the Heavenly Bet Din and monetary claims, not for punishment according to dinei hamelucha. Moreover, in keriat shema al hamitta we except cases where we can obtain monetary compensation in court.
While we obviously have to do a cheshbon nefesh on things that happen to us we also have to do our part in establishing an orderly society. Thus David HaMelech on the one hand did not take personal revenge against Shimmi ben Gera but said that the kella nimretzet was from Hashem and on the other hand instructed Shelomo to punish Shimmi.
“Turning the other cheek” – nope.
Next?
This is a new phenomenon in the psychotherapy world, to forgive and accept, its origins are from the Buddhist Religion, and from a practice called Zen. While this perspective of forgiveness and acceptance can make one feel less rage and more at peace, it is not logical and not the Torah way. The Torah teaches us an eye for an eye! Like King Solomon said; there’s a time for peace, and a time for war. In conclusion his idea of forgiveness here, is utter nonsense, since the attacker has not asked for forgiveness. Only God can forgive!
Let him daven with others who think the way he does – with the notzrim in a local church. I agree – something doesn’t make sense here, and what’s more, the story about the Nazis sounds contrived.
I remember the Klausenberger Rebbi Z’L. The Zaddik was in the depths of the holocaust, and made a vow that if the A-mighty would save him from the war, where there was so much hate, he would build a hospital to heal people. The Rebbi built the Laniado hopsital in Netanya, which serves Jews (religious & non-religious) as well as gentiles with care. Yet, when speaking about evil gentiles during his Shalosh Seudos drashos, he would say “Yemach Shemom” . This is Da’as Torah. When Gentiles act against us in hate, we can say “Yemach Shmom”, but if they act in a humane way, we can show them respect and heal them.
Its not his to forgive.
This attack was an attack on the community as a whole, and he can not forgive in the name of the entire community.
I agree with #7 -There should be no forgiving of the sub-human savages who attack our people, whether here, or in Eretz Yisrael.
It’s not surprising that The Jewish Week would publish this turn-the-other-cheek essay.
We are not owners of our own bodies and we are not allowed to forgive someone who hurts us because of our faith.
G-d Himself, in sefer Yoel and elsewhere, indicates that He will neither forgive nor forgive (see, for example, the prayer Av HaRachamim).
Neither should we.
H’es a very compassionet person BUT the attacker was against Jews not him.By being soooooo nice and forgiving like sheep they will go after you like a predetor against a helpless sheep. A nazi once said when we 4 came into the villiage to round up all the 800 Jews and they just came without resistance ,then i knew they were not humans but cockaroches .This Dr is a shoteh with no understyanding of evil natured people. The Baisdin dosn’t forgive a premedetated crime it executes,so this nice man is against fundemental Torah Hashkofah. A self certified Amhaarets ,a well meaning FOOL