Last week, the Jewish people were struck with a shocking and traumatic blow when a bus empty of passengers ran over Shoshanah Glustein (30), a teacher from Ofakim, and her two daughters Hayah Sarah (7) and Hannah (3) on Rechov Shamgar in the heart of the holy city of Jerusalem.
Our Rebbe Rav Berland shlit”a wrote a new prayer about guarding one’s eyes which relates particularly to the terrible accident, explaining spiritually how such tragedies happen, may the Merciful One save us.
The prayer in full:
Ribono shel Olam — Master of the World, Capable of everything, that no goal is withheld from You, let me merit to guard my eyes, and no more shall I see any unrelated [not from one’s immediate family — i.e. wife, mother, daughter] woman, and no unrelated girl, chas v’shalom, and I shall know that upon every unrelated woman, and upon every unrelated girl rest 18 myriads, which is 180,000, destroying angels, and the moment that one gazes at a woman or girl, chas v’shalom, they give permission to all the destroying angels to make road accidents, like what happened in Jerusalem on Rechov Shamgar, and thousands of innocent people are killed, chas v’shalom. Therefore, let me merit from now [on] not to see any unrelated woman any more, chas v’shalom.
Below is the prayer in Rav Berland’s holy handwriting:
