The city of Mumbai, India, was hit with a series of coordinated terror attacks, starting on Wednesday evening, the 29th of Cheshvan 5769, which left close to 200 dead and scores more injured.
One of the terrorists' chosen targets was the local Chabad House, known as the "Nariman House," operated by Chabad-Lubavitch emissaries Rabbi Gavriel Noach (Gabi) and Rivkah (Rivki) Holtzberg.
In the subsequent standoff, which continued until Friday afternoon, Gabi and Rivki and several other Jews in the Chabad House – Rabbis Bentzion Chroman and Leibish Teitelbaum, Norma Schwartzblatt-Rabinowitz and Yocheved Orpaz – were killed in cold blood. May G‑d avenge their murders.
Miraculously, the Holtzbergs' two-year-old child, Moshe, was saved by his nanny.
Link: Mumbai Terror Attacks
“And these are the offspring of Isaac…” Genesis 30:3
“Who are his offspring? Esau and his children.”—Midrash Rabbah
Although the hero of the story is Jacob, Jacob’s ultimate goal is the rescue of Esau.
Isaac wished to rescue Esau with a blessing, lifting him from the dirt and overwhelming him with a downpour of intense light.
Rebecca, however, saw this would only further feed Esau’s wickedness. The one to rescue Esau was not his father, but his twin brother, Jacob.
Only Jacob could dress in the clothes of Esau, experience the world of Esau from within, and then heal himself from there.
And in healing himself from within Esau’s world, the precious good within Esau would be rescued and reconnected to its true place.
That is the entire history of Jacob and Esau, the offspring of Isaac. It is also the entire story of Israel and the rest of humanity.
So that within this story is the secret of healing:
When you want to heal another, get inside their skin, identify with them, and heal together with them.