Was the Attack on Mercaz Harav Targeted?

Originally published 3/7/08, 12:07 PM, Eastern Daylight Time.
When I first heard of the terrible, tragic attack on Mercaz Harav, I was immediately concerned that it may have been more than a random terrorist attack. Others seem to share my concern. See, for example, http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1204546426188&pagename=JPost% and http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1720222,00.html?xid=feed-cnn-topics&iref=werecommend. If this is so. and this attack was a directed attack on the yeshiva, there is reason to be further distressed by this occurrence. Mercaz Harav is more than just another hesder yeshiva; it is the spiritual centre of the entire movement. As such, if this attack was directed than it was directed against the entire movement, a specific action directed against the national religious in Israel. And if the movement's spritual centre can be a target, are the terrorists also contemplating other spiritual entities of the movement, i.e. the hesder yeshivot? I hope and pray that this is not a new episode in the calamities that have fallen upon Israel whereby our mekamot of Torah, specifically the hesder yeshivot, lose any aspect of their effectiveness due to targeted terror.

Rabbi Ben Hecht