45 is the Gematria of GEULA

Following on from Rabbi Kessin's shiur below, a couple of things I have just read.

Firstly, from R' Avrohom M. Alter:

Over this past Shabbos, one of the survivors from Meron, gave over something quite unbelievable, when relating his experience: 

When he was entangled among all the other trampled people, he (this survivor) managed to find a small passage of air that kept him alive. In those precious minutes, this survivor heard another person saying Shema, knowing clearly that he was about to return to His Creator. And then, this victim, after saying Shema, continued: "Whoever is on top of me, I am moychel (forgive) you completely." And those were the last words heard from him. 

Clearly the people who passed onto the Next World, were not simple people! A person whose focus and final thought in this world, is to be concerned about the possible feelings of guilt of the one who is pushing him down (even though it was unavoidable), is not a simple person! 

Though we can not comprehend the Cheshbonos of Shamayim (Hashem's perfect wisdom), we do know that there is always what to be learned for US ALL! Each person knows where they can improve.

Perhaps one lesson we can learn is to always consider the feelings of others, even when we are in difficulty. Reb Chaim Vilozyner said: "A man was born for others, not to serve himself." May this be a zechus for the iluyos neshomos of all the victims z"l.

The second one came via a What's App group, sent to me by Sharon:

"To what could we compare this tragedy to? 45 holy tzaddikim were taken while a hundred thousand Jews were all united, all different types of Jews together in one place, singing and praising Hashem. As we look at the pictures of the pure innocent children, as well as the fathers and brothers who have passed on, we can help, but cry. The Ben Yehoyada writes ( בניהו ר”ה דף מ”ח ) Chazal have taught us that our final geula will be in the merit of 45 tzaddikim. 45 is the numerical value of geula. 

The Gemara says( Zevachim 92:19) the world is held up by 45 tzaddikim. There is no question that these tzaddikim are now enjoying the delights of gan eden with all of the other tzaddikim from the previous generations.  They have completed their mission in this world. It is us who are left bereaved and speechless. It’s a time to cry. We cry over the 45 tragedies that came about, and we cry because we don't know what to say. We don't know exactly what Hashem wants from us. 

We learned in yesterday’s Daf Yomi how during the shalosh regalim that here was so many people cramped into the courtyard of the bet hamikdash that it appeared like the people were floating above the ground, yet when it came time for them to bow Hashem gave each person ample space to make a full bow and not encroach on his friend's space. When the Shechina was dwelling amongst us, crowding was not a problem. When the Shechina was dwelling amongst us, we knew what the ratzon Hashem was, but now what do we do? We don't know exactly what to do, but we can't just do nothing. 

We must react with action. I can't help but think of Rabbi Akiva. After he lost 24,000 precious students, all great tzaddikim. Although he was broken, he immediately took action and went to find more students to teach Torah to. At a time that he could have questioned and given up, Rabbi Akiva said so long as I have life I must continue to be the best eved Hashem that I could be. It was because of that decision that we have Torah today, as we know it.

At a time when our hearts are open and we want to help so badly, the best thing we could do is improve ourselves. Whatever we were thinking of maybe changing, now is the time to do it. We need Mashiach. We could also additionally, work on bringing more life to those people around us, going out of our way to give honor to people and to give them encouragement. 

That gives people more life. Everybody could use a good word, and we are the ones who are able to give it to them. And it doesn't cost us anything. It's not good enough just to hold back from dishonoring people. 

We have to proactively give honor. The gemara says, if someone gives money to a poor man, he deserves six berachot. But if he gives the poor man chizuk, if he lifts him up with elevating words, then he deserves 11 berachot. Tell somebody “you're doing a great job. Keep it up.” Be free with compliments, compliment your spouse, your children, your friends, your coworkers, give people kavod. It'll bring more unity and more love. 

We pray that those who are injured should have a Refuah Shelemah. We pray for those in mourning to have a complete Nechama that only the Ba’al Hanechamot can give them. And we pray that these 45 tzaddikim will go in front of the kiseh hakavod and plead with Hashem to bring us mashiach. 

Then we will see the fulfillment of the pasuk בלע המוות לנצח ומחה ה’ דמעה מעל כל פנים - death will cease to exist and Hashem himself will come down in all of  His glory and personally wipe off the tears of every single person's face. And then we will be able to live together forever in a complete state of joy.