The miracles are heard from all sides. Our hearts overflow with emotion. Hashem unleashed His wrath on trees and stones, but the reports of losses of homes and their entire interiors, when two hundred families were involved who lost everything they once possessed, defies all credibility.

Reb M.D. a young learned avreich, resident of a building neighboring the one which was hit directly, tells of his experience:

"The motzei Shabbos of the third of Nisan was initially a routine one of wartime. The children were sleeping in their beds when the warning sirens went off. During that Shabbos, there had been several warnings without actual sirens. We adhered to the Torah dictum of being cautious for our lives and began organizing ourselves to go down to the shelter, calmly, when moments before we descended, the alarms went off. I realized that we would not succeed in reaching the shelter within 90 seconds, and remained in the stairwell, surrounded by protective walls.

The sirens ceased. Several seconds of quiet ensued, following by an ear-shattering blast with shattering glass and chunks of stone and plaster falling. The building shook; the children trembled even more. Electric cables were torn and everything was plunged into total darkness.

In the very midst of a difficult war, when the home front is absorbing blows and Israeli citizens — time after time, day after day — are seeking sanctuary from Iranian missiles in protected areas and shelters, the High Court continues to persecute chareidim as if all was well and normal. This selfsame dictatorial body began a dissertation against the government under the title "contempt of the court," all this because the government was not doing enough to harass Torah students.

The retort of the Secretary of State, that the various organs of law enforcement have other problems to deal with in these days of a difficult war, and lack the time to contend with the topic of chareidim was not sufficient to appease the learned judges, in whose view, the persecution of chareidim and their imprisonment, and the abuse of them and their children, is at the very crux of their central agenda and supersedes all wartime activities.

This is the fourth article about HaRav Moshe Feinstein that were first published in 1996, exactly 30 years ago.

This 13th of Adar marked the 40(10)th yahrtzeit of the legendary gaon and tzaddik, the poseik hador, HaRav Moshe Feinstein zt'l.

The following are selected stories about Reb Moshe that illustrate important points to learn and important aspects of Reb Moshe.

Honoring Others

The Cook's Feelings

Reb Moshe fulfilled Chazal's advice to, `Exile yourself to a place of Torah.' He left his father's home and, going to a mokom Torah, he immersed himself in Torah study.

Reports began to reach his distinguished father about the son who was providing a glorious continuation of the family's rabbinic tradition. The reports praised the young student's application, the depth of his learning and the chidushim that he composed but omitted all reference to the unimportant matters of where he lodged and what his meals were like. That was as it should have been, for it bore little bearing upon his welfare, happiness being assured to someone who sleeps on the ground and eats bread and salt, as long as he labors in Torah.

At recess, when the bochurim travelled home, Reb Moshe was no exception. His sister did not conceal her joy at the sight of his full, healthy face. "You've gained weight," she said to him. "Your hostess must know how to cook."

"Not necessarily," was the reply. "She's an inferior cook, so inferior, that if I don't eat what she serves, she'll guess the reason. So, in order not to embarrass her I eat more than I am used to eating."

Asking Forgiveness