Does every question have an answer? Does every tragedy have an explanation? How am I supposed to react to the beyond-tragic senseless murder of innocent men, women and children? What shall I think when two courageous individuals, a young couple that selflessly left the comforts of their hometowns and communities and went to far-off India to help their Jewish brothers and sisters, are gunned down by agents of pure evil?

I echo the words of horrified angels, exclaimed upon witnessing the barbaric murders of the holy Ten Martyrs, haunting words repeated each year in the Yom Kippur liturgy: "This is Torah and this is its reward?! Look, look, G‑d! See what the enemy is doing!"

In my youth, I merited to bask in the presence of the Rebbe. As a rule, the Rebbe radiated optimism, faith and joy. His enthusiasm was infectious and uplifting.

But I have one memory that will never escape me. It was the 9th of Adar I 5752 (February 13, 1992). It was the last day of shiva for Mrs. Pesha Leah Lapine, a Crown Heights resident who was killed in cold blood by an assailant who broke into her home. That evening, the Rebbe addressed the crowd assembled in Lubavitch World Headquarters. I was stunned by the words—words uttered with such intense emotion and pain. The Rebbe was trembling, even his lectern was shaking.

The following is excerpted from the Rebbe's talk that night:

What has occurred – an act of open martyrdom – is utterly incomprehensible!

There is no one to whom to turn for an explanation. All those present, including myself, are equally confounded. So what do we gain by questioning? The question will remain...

To die al kiddush Hashem, for the sanctification of G‑d's Name, is an incredible merit—as is demonstrated by this episode:

The venerable Rabbi Yosef Karo reached such a high spiritual level that he was informed from Above that he had "earned" the merit to die al kiddush Hashem. Later, because of his involvement in an incident that was not appropriate – considering his exalted spiritual level – he was denied this privilege.

What happened afterwards? He lived many more fruitful years, and composed the Shulchan Aruch, the Code of Jewish Law. By authoring this universally accepted Code, Rabbi Karo, in effect, became the rabbi of all Jews until the end of times.

Yet despite all his subsequent achievements, he was "denied the privilege" of dying al kiddush Hashem; i.e., dying al kiddush Hashem would have been considered an even greater merit than being the rabbi of all Jews in all following generations!

The greatness of dying al kiddush Hashem is amplified in this instance, for the victim was a young mother who left behind young children. Being taken from her children is a greater sacrifice than that of her own life. For this means that she must give over the upbringing and education of her children to others. This is the greatest sacrifice possible for a mother.

For many years to come – if, G‑d forbid, the fulfillment of the prophecy "Those that lie in the dust will arise and sing" will be delayed – these children will long for their mother. They will recount to their own children their intense longing for their mother; they will tell them that she merited to sanctify G‑d's Name...

Enough is enough! Have we not sufficed with all the martyrdom we have experienced until now?

And that which G‑d derives nachas and pleasure from a Jew's self-sacrifice—it suffices the self-sacrifice of a Jew who is in exile, with the knowledge that this exile has lasted more than 1,900 years—and Moshiach has yet to come!

Another day passes, another week passes, another moment passes... and Moshiach still has not come. We say and we think and cry out "Ad masai!", how long must we wait in exile? And yet what do we see happening? -- The sanctification of G‑d's Name; a Jewish soul is taken away; a mother is taken from her children.

May there be no further need to discuss these matters for the Redemption will come immediately. "Those that lie in the dust will arise and sing," and those who died al kiddush Hashem will merit to be resurrected first. And then this young woman will encounter her children and continue their education with a joyous heart.

May this take place in the immediate future, without any delay whatsoever.

(I'm copying here an article that appeared in our news section -- N.S.)

As these lines are being written, the hearts and minds of people all over the world are with our brothers and sisters in Mumbai;

With little Moishe'le Holzberg, miraculously rescued from the besieged Mombai Chabad House, who celebrates his second birthday this Shabbat, without his parents, who were both killed in the attack;

With Moishe'le's grandparents, the parents of Rabbi Gabi and Rivki Holtzberg, mourning the loss of the young couple, the beloved, dynamic co-directors of the Mumbai Chabad House, who cut down in the prime of their lives by cruel and vicious terrorists;

With Gabi and Rivki's extended family of thousands of brothers and sisters, the Chabad emissaries around the world, traumatized and saddened by the terrible tragedy;

Most of us are hundreds or thousands of miles away; yet our very being cries out: What can I do to help?

Yes, there is something we can do.

A mitzvah, a G-dly deed, has the power to reach deep into the core of our being--where we are all one, and the physical distance between us is of no consequence. At this core, a positive deed on our part can help bring peace and goodness to this troubled world.

What better way to mark little Moishe'le's birthday, and to salute the bravery of his courageous parents, than to perpetuate their lives--lives they devoted to bringing goodness and G-dliness into our hurting world!

Take a minute to do one or more of the following. You can make a difference.

• Light Shabbat candles! Jewish women, light a candle tonight! Click here for instructions and local lighting times.
• Tefillin: If you already put on tefillin every day, encourage a friend to do so. If you don't yet, now is a good time to start! Click here to find out how to put this important mitzvah into practice or contact your local Chabad center for assistance.
• Torah study (suggestion: our Daily Study page contains selections from the Torah)
• Say a prayer (suggestion: Psalm 20 is traditionally said in times of distress)
• Charity and acts of kindness: Put a coin in a charity box, give a gift of money to a fellow in need or to a charitable cause, or extend a helping hand to someone who needs it.
• Mezuzah: If you don't yet have a mezuzah get one now! If you already do have one, it may be time to have it checked to ensure that the words on the parchment have not faded. Click here for more information about this special mitzvah.

I am stunned. The pain of our holy nation of Israel at this time cannot be described. Our fellow Jews, amongst them Rabbi Gavriel and Rivka Holtzberg, the beloved directors of Chabad of Mumbai, were killed during the terrorist attacks that just struck India. May G‑d avenge their blood!

I'm trying to articulate how I feel and how I am certain every Jew feels at this time. But I just cannot. Instead of an analysis of a broken heart, I am going to share a Torah thought with you in memory of the victims. May G‑d have mercy on His people!

In this week's Torah portion, Toldot, we read about the life of our patriarch Isaac, the first born-Jew. In celebrating the birth and development of his son Isaac, our forefather Abraham made a feast. The Torah tells us (Genesis 21:8) that is was "big." The Midrash explains that it was big by virtue of the impressive guest list, which featured the greatest and the brightest of the generation, including the infamous giant named Og, king of Bashan.

This Og wasn't just big for his size. He was literally a giant. In fact, according to the Talmud, during Noah's Flood, he managed to survive by hanging on to the roof of the Ark.

The baby boy Isaac was brought to the feast. Amidst the coos and smiles there was a smirk and a nasty comment from Og. "What is this kid worth?" he sneered. "With one finger I could squash him."

One imagines that such a comment quieted the crowd. But a voice was heard in response. It was G‑d Himself. "By your life, you will see thousands ands tens of thousands of his children. Your end will be that you will fall into their hands."

Needless to say that is exactly what happened. Og managed to live till the times of Moses, as he was leading the Jewish People to the Promised Land. Moses did battle with Og and slew him single-handedly. So much for big Og and his strength. The Jew prevailed, although apparently weaker and smaller.

This has been the story of our history ever since. They think they can squash us. They think we are weak. They never succeeded. They never will.

Friends, let us remain united in our uncompromising demand from the Almighty to send us Moshiach speedily and end the pain and suffering forever more. The Torah's prescription for situations such as these is to remain focused on life. Together we will overcome our enemies and flourish!

I was sitting in the office yesterday afternoon when I clicked on to cnn.com to check on what's happening. As the moderator of this news blog, I'm in the habit of checking the news a few times a day—always on the lookout for breaking stories or interesting news items.

The big red lettering sprawled across the top of the page immediately caught my attention. Another terror attack. A big one. at least 80 people killed, countless other injured, and many others taken hostage.

"What a tragedy... what a crazy world," I thought to myself as I returned to the article I was in middle of editing. "When will all this madness and grief end?" I sighed to myself.

A few minutes later, I'm totally engrossed in my work again, and some snippets of conversation emanating from an adjoining cubicle pique my attention.

"Hello, I have a friend who I think might have been a victim of the shootings... Were any of the victims brought to your hospital?... Were any of them Jewish?"

Huh?

It seems that they've been unable to establish contact with the Chabad-Lubavitch emissary to Mumbai. The shootings are in the vicinity of the Chabad House, and some of my co-workers were calling the various local hospitals, hoping for some information as to his welfare.

Not much work was accomplished in the office yesterday afternoon. Same story this morning. Eyes are glued to the various newscasts, as news slowly trickles in.

The Chabad House of Rabbi and Mrs. Holtzberg, the Chabad representatives in Mumbai, is occupied by terrorists. As I write these words, their fate is unknown. Thank G‑d, their young son escaped in the hands of a nanny a few hours ago. According to news reports, Indian commandos are preparing – or have already begun – to storm the Chabad House. We all hope and pray to hear good news very soon. May G‑d have mercy...

A tragedy that is occurring 8,000 miles from me has hit home. An event that would have normally elicited from me a sigh and a few moments of thought is now consuming me. It's not "numbers" of casualties; it's real people with real faces. People just like me.

What is this supposed to teach me? Am I really expected to be this affected by every tragedy that is reported? Is that humanly possible? Would I be able to continue on with life in such a fashion?

I don't know.

I do know, though, that for the moment, I suddenly have perspective.

Meanwhile, let us continue saying Psalms and prayers for Rabbi & Mrs. Holtzberg – Gavriel Noach ben Freida Bluma and Rivkah Bas Yehudis – and all the others impacted by this monumental tragedy.

May G‑d have mercy.

The continuing decline of the economy is unfortunately taking a toll on so many different areas of our lives. The news headlines are voraciously tackling every possible angle—each day revealing another area affected by the recession.

This past Sunday, msnbc.com reported on perhaps one of the most unfortunate side effects of this financial crunch. It seems that many couples are opting to remain married instead of divorcing—they simply can't afford to divorce. Nationwide, the numbers of divorce filings are dropping.

Pamela Smock, a researcher at the Population Studies Center at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, says that this does "not bode well for all sorts of families. It could keep unhappy couples together."

Jeff Grumley, a marriage counselor from Illinois, said he had seen a 25 percent jump in business in recent months as couples tried to save their marriages, and their money. "I think people feel desperate," Grumley said.

The way I see it, the incalculable damage caused by this phenomenon will be long-lasting. Think of all those poor couples who are undergoing marriage counseling: chances are that a good number of them will end up resolving their differences, leading them to stay married long after the economy recovers!

Let's get serious now.

Thinking rationally, it's difficult for most of us to understand people who would divorce, just because "they can afford it," rather than try to patch things up through therapy. But when egos and feelings get involved, many people – even those who are normally wise and intelligent – stop being rational. Sometimes a financial deterrent is what does the trick.

Our Sages recognized this truth about human nature when they instituted the ketubah—the marriage contract. This contract, whose centerpiece is the husband's obligation to financially compensate his wife in the event of divorce, was intended to make divorce a financial trouble on the husband, so that "it should not be light in his eyes to divorce her."

The economy will rebound. It always does. In the famous Biblical story of Joseph in Egypt, the years of plenty served to sustain and feed the years of famine. But just as the booming years provide a nest-egg that cushion the lean ones, the lessons learned during the lean years provide perspective and clarity for the financial good times.

Empathy, financial prudence and prayer. The realization that we are not completely in control over our destiny; we must always have faith in a Higher Being who is the ultimate power. All these positive traits that we cultivate during difficult times—we must make sure they carry over when these times pass.

And, of course, marriage is most sacred. Termination of a marriage should only be considered after every single possible solution has been exhausted.

Maybe you can afford it in terms of dollars. But the destruction of a family has no pricetag.