Massive Tefilah and Chizuk Atzeres in Flatbush

By Aharon Hirsh Cohen and Matis Glenn

Thousands of Jews from all walks of life converged in Flatbush Sunday afternoon to storm the Heavens on behalf of their brethren in Israel and to hear words of chizuk from community Rabbonim.

The gathering was held in front of K’hal Veretzky, known as Rabbi Landau’s shul; a central hub of round-the-clock minyanim and Torah study for the Flatbush community. The shul is located on the corner of Avenue L and East 9th Street.

A heartfelt mincha was held at 2 p.m., led by Harav Eliezer Ginzburg, Rav of Agudas Yisrael Zichron Shmuel and Rosh Kollel in the Mirrer Yeshiva.

A women’s section was set up on the other side of avenue L.

Harav Elya Brudny, shlita, spoke of the importance of achdus in such a time of danger, and said how Flatbush is a diverse place, filled with all kinds of kehilos. “Some daven Sefard, others Ashkenaz. Some follow the Talmidei Ba’al Shem Tov, some follow the Talmidei HaGra…some learn all day, and some have kevias ittim l’torah..,the fact that we all came together to unite in tefilah…it shouldn’t only be today, it should be that way all the time.” Rav Brudny said we see from the precise use of the word “knos” in Megilas Esther, when Esther told Mordechai to gather all of the Jews to pray, that it means Jews of all types. Rav Brudny said that through such achdus, we will merit the geulah shleimah.

Harav David Ozeri, shlita, spoke next, and retold the story in the Gemara in Brachos (10a) which relates how Chizkiyahu Hamelech responded to Yeshayahu’s prophecy that the king would die. Chizkiyahu said that even when a sword is held above one’s throat, never give up davening. Rav Ozeri said that in our time, we’re obligated to daven, to be nosei b’ole, to share the burden with our fellow Jews in Israel.

Rav Ozeri said that when Moshiach will come, he will be proud of the people who did so. To express the importance of even a simple Jew’s prayers, he quoted Harav Yitzchak Hutner, zt”l, in his sefer Pachad Yitzchak, who says that if the Kohen Gadol was so concerned about the prayers of the “ovrei drachim” – who Rav Hutner says were farmers who would travel home after being oleh regel and did not want rain to impede their journey – that he would make a special prayer asking Hashem not to listen to them, then we see clearly how the prayers of simple people are.

Rav Ozeri said “When we shout out, Hashem will have rachmanut…. I beg you to daven.” He then quoted a teaching from the Chafetz Chaim that if one would spend only three seconds having kavanah before each brachah of shemoneh esrei every day, it would add only three minutes to one’s daily prayers and enhance them greatly.

Tehillim was recited b’rov am, and was led by Harav Hillel David, shlita, Rav of Khal Shaarei Torah; Harav Yosef Frankel, shlita, Rav of Khal Bnei Shlomo Zalman and Rosh Yeshiva of Vyelipole; Harav Eli Mansour, shlita, Rav of Edmond J. Safra Synagogue, and Harav Meyer Yedid, shlita, Rav of Shaare Zion and Rosh Yeshiva of Derech Eres.