TLS Interview with Har Nof Massacre Survivor and Hero Rabbi Shmuel Goldstein

we're looking at a bullet hole a bullet hole that was shot during a terrorist attack here in agazi in the Harold section of the Y one would never know that the learning which continues here today continues as though nothing ever happened though of course it did [Music] we're here in hor no on ROV agazi at gah Hill of beny a couple of months ago though you would never know it two terrorists walked into this sh and killed four kite today we're going to interview RAB SCH Goldstein a survivor of that vicious terrorist attack and hopefully each of us will learn something from it and make it something meaningful that we integrate into our lives Goldstein it's great to see you we've seen your interviews we've heard you speak many times about the tragic incident that happened two months ago in Rab Ruben and agasi here in harof erel you've told the story many times before but there are aspects of the story that perhaps people haven't heard yet and need to learn from both members of the observant Jewish community and members of the not as yet observant Jewish Community if it's not too painful for you can you relate to us what happened on that day what you were thinking and then we'll talk about after after the aftermath in terms of what you think people really should understand and appreciate about this okay so if I could break down the the story to it was like two parts of the story in a way there was the first two minutes which I found out later that was the the worst part that was where the four four people were were murdered and you you know all four of them I know all four of them I I didn't know that it happened until a couple days later um but that was that was the uh that was the first two minutes after that there was lot of lot of a lot of the lot of n a lot of Miracles that happened that that was uh prevented any more uh anyone else from getting killed um there were there were the injuries but there wasn't uh you know the the the gun first of all the gun jammed of the terrorist let's what happened exactly first of all who were the perpetrators were they known in the community did people know who they were people thought they were there was reports that they were from a local store they were from a a supermarket but it turned out that it it doesn't doesn't seem like it it doesn't seem like they work in the neighborhood itself they did work in some Jewish store cuz they in Jewish some Jewish place because they they knew Hebrew very well they they said like two or three things in Hebrew aside from the when they first walked in they said something in Arabic but they but they did speak Hebrew um so they so they they came in and you know they after they they came in already in the hallway they shot one person they sh they shot so many and and then after that then they which that itself actually was was was somewhat of a miracle they decided to do that Strate strategically that wasn't a good idea because that let everyone know that they're that they're starting already that made so everyone else after that knew to to take cover to try try to escape um so that was the first part then then when they came in they said something in Arabic and somebody a friend of mine told me that was when he already knew he has to run away and you saw them I didn't see them until in the beginning I just I didn't see them I just knew there was something happening and everyone was jumping down so so I jumped down also and I I didn't see him until later until after they uh after after they started uh um actually even when they I stayed down on the table even even after they came and and uh and hit me with the uh with knife with with with the meat cleaver and it was only later after after that after they finished with a meat cleaver and they were standing there then I then I got to go to look at them and then that's when I I I decided I was able to uh to to go over to one of them and and you know start to pull pull pull pull them down uh that was uh like I said that was part of the part of the miracle was that they that they the gun jammed and they were able to I saw that I saw him standing there with his gun jammed trying to fix it and that that was that was when I was able that basically ended their what they could do and uh there was like they had like about 2 minutes left and that was that was when I was wrestling with him and then I went out and with by the time like two later by the time I got into the uh ambulance then that's when the he had struck you already he had struck you already with the yeah yeah I was lying in the Flor after being struck and then and then I gave me to just get up and and and you wrestle with him somebody said that that he said told you to get out yeah that was afterwards while while I was wrestling with one of them the other one came over and and he told me he told me to get out of there what language did he say then Hebrew just like that it was he wasn't so happy obviously but uh you know that was but they chose not to do anything further I mean you were already struck with a meat cleaver and bleeding and obviously in pretty serious shape yeah yeah and that that was for me that was that was a big miracle that I I think that I think about it that that when people uh that had a if I wouldn't have done it people said to me like why I didn't maybe I should have tried to run away or or something but I thought of it the other way that that if I wouldn't have done it then you know who knows like could it's very possible hasem hasem saved me from you know medically because I I tried to do something to help out uh you know to help uh stop their plan you sent your two your two two-year-old was in the sh also 12-year-old 12y old he was he was he we always di him together and and uh yeah that was also a big n that he was he he managed to crawl out usually he's he's very dependent he's very usually asks me everything permission before each thing that he does every every move he makes but here he is crawled out and he he ran away he ran home what's the extent of your injuries now I notice you're still wearing a bandage yeah I have uh I have injury in the back still and have an injury on my on my head for they chopped chopped me in a couple places and uh the ear Mar they were able to to re reattach my ear it uh it came together but um the the other places they have to as to to come together all the skin and all the uh all the bruises and also they have to there was a piece of bone they took out they have to to replace what do you want people to to recognize in this both those people that are members of theurban community and people those that that are not that that recognize that obviously this was a terrible tragedy and you're Survivor what what do you think people need to take away from this we have to have we have to have we have to realize that the people that were there saw the all the Nim all the Miracles and they that that itself shows us that uh that Hashem does have uh hasem loves us and cares for us andem that's why hasem that way Hashem saved us from the uh from the from the terrorists from doing doing worse than what they did it's actually it's also it says the says that afterward and also says it says that that makes like shs of K of of the of the din of the of the of the of the AA what's the sh of C like a big foam like it's like a big uh big whirpool or a big foam that just like yeah just like that like in a a bubble bath or something where there's a big foam like in the washing machine all of a sudden you can't see what's going on it's just one big Miss and and then and then comes afterwards so we we could we could take from this that after we R through this now now there's tremendous is bringing on us andm is going to bring a lot of on us and a lot of good things and hasem wanted to do Hashem did this to to to shake us up and and get us through chuva but uh basically now there's very good things from but what would you want somebody let's say let's say somebody's not observant as yet and they would look at this and say ah look what happened what what a tragedy is there something now that you Basham your life was given back to you that you would urge people to do or would ask them to do or think would be something that they could possibly glean from this that a to take upon them s something and that could be for anybody really but something you feel a personal sense of urgency for for people to to want to do yeah so one thing I mentioned in a previous interview is shabas I want should keep Shabbat uh in any any possible way there's there's ways for everyone to there's always room for improvement there's always some people even somebody who uh already keep shabas but now you know they should uh they could always keep in a higher level and uh and somebody who doesn't obviously could uh start to keep and also could influence others to keep shabas and we also see that a stronger message from the from the uh from the from the attack in France where when that happened in Paris just recently yeah that was that was that was when people were were buying stuff for for for for shabas so that was like more more of a direct message um but also I want to say that that we could look at two other two other um two other attacks which was at the same time of each one Hashem brought another attack on the on the G then it was in Afghanistan as far as I heard that Afghanistan there was a school that the the terrorists went into and and and and shot up the whole school and in Paris then they went in and they shot like uh the most most part of all the uh of this office of the Jour journalist of the newspaper and over there they then Hashem let them Wipe Out the whole thing was was like a mass destruction so I I take from that is that hasem shows us that that by by the uh by us and hasem does does miracles to show us that uh that Hashem loves us and hasm will take care of us so so for me I I take that to show that hasem loves us hasm is not it's not that's the reason more more more reason to have faith in Hashem and to to accept on accept through certain certain mitzvos like uh for example shabas or there's many other things or and and in general just to have have faith inm to have if we have faith in Hashem then uh hasm will will do good things for us will save us do you think the other families that were affected that did lose fathers and uh and husbands do you know are you in touch with those families have they themselves also felt similar to the way you do that we have to take something out of this and and strengthen ourselves um I I didn't speak to them I didn't I only spoke to one one one of the children over there but uh I know they they spoke when they uh they spoke very strongly about it and the uh by the when they they gave uh they spoke by the schim and by everything and they they also said uh they also pointed out certain things they want everyone to to strengthen and they they themselves are very strong in they they was very clear from how how they spoke we wish you were thank you very much thank you