"Mi Ba'chanika". The bereaved grandfather in interview: "Heavenly decree"

"A night before the tragedy, Chaim Hanoch Henich z"l couldn't fall asleep. His father, my son-in-law, told me they never had such a night. In the morning, when he travelled with the Melamed to the Cheider, he fell asleep in the car, and what happened afterwards is already beyond our understanding", the words of Harav Yisroel Leichter, grandfather of the child Chaim Hanoch Henich Boimel z"l, a week and a half after the tragedy in which his grandson was forgotten in the transport car to the Cheider – and died.

Even before he managed to recuperate and fathom the great loss, he is full of faith and trust in Hashem. At first, he refused to be interviewed, even after many attempts to convince him. But when he understood that there is a possibility that an individual might read the words and get Chizuk out of them, he changed his mind. "We are simple people, all this interest of the media is something which is too big for us," he explains. "But I heard that this is causing great Chizuk, and therefore I shall say a few words".

Over the last week, Behadrey Haredim reported of the noble behavior of families Boimel and Leichter, starting from the notices in which they asked the public to daven for the success in the court case of the Melamed who forgot Chaim Chanoch z"l, and up to their announcement that they will invite him to take part in all the simchas they will have from now on. Even the media which reported about it were amazed in face of these families' behavior.

"I understood straight away that the driver is a positive person, an outstanding man", testifies Harav Leichter. "A few days after the tragedy, he was already asked by the Cheider's management to come back to teach. My daughter and son-in-law also told me about his personality, and if G-d forbid I would have one percent or trace of a doubt that he is negative, society was the one who would treat him as an outcast, and not the court.

"After all, he did us a favor, he used to come happily each time to take Chaim. On the first day, he didn't want to go with him to Cheider, but on the second day he already agreed to concede. What happened there, something which none of us can understand – these are Heaven's calculations".

About the moving meeting at the Nichum Aveilim he recounts: "He came like a niftar, he wasn't able to look into our eyes or to smile a little smile. I understood the miserable situation, I talked to him for a few minutes and gave him Chizuk. When he went out, he looked different already".

"There is no doubt that he got a fatal blow, and it will take time until he can come back to himself, but we have to do our share in order to help him, we must do. We should not forget," he says, "that we are now before a great judgment. My daughter told me that when the Melamdim from the Cheder came to be Menachem, she told them that this is a decree from Heaven that was already decreed 11 months ago, and she thanks Hakadosh Boruch Hu that he gave her a gift of 11 months". About her and her husband's coping, he adds: "Boruch Hashem that I have nachas from her, they are responding like Jews".

In conclusion he would like to add: "Whatever will happen to us during the following year, are things which will be decided on Rosh Hashanah, in a week's time, and will be signed on Yom Kippur. We are surrounded by enemies and the Hareidi Jewry is under persecution. This is the time that each one of us has to adopt for himself the part from our prayers, "u'Tshuva, u'Tefilla u'Tzedaka Ma'avirim es Roa Hagzeira".

'בחדרי' גם ברשתות החברתיות - הצטרפו!