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Short Summary
Main recommendation: Recite the three verses of Al Tira (the passage after Aleinu that most people skip) daily, and internalize that God is with us so one need not fear sudden terror or the plans of wicked people. The speaker ties this to a personal story: after the principal of Sheva High School, Mrs. Rifle, spoke about these verses the morning after 9/11, and was herself killed in an accident, he came to see them as a source of strength.
Key Points
- Mrs. Rifle called Rabbi Krohn to speak to the girls the morning after 9/11; before he spoke, she herself addressed the students and urged them to recall these verses, that God is with us in the face of sudden terror.
- Al Tira is printed in a different typeface in most siddurim (prayer books) and is often skipped; the speaker says he had never paid it close attention until she spoke.
- The key phrase is "ki imanu Keil" (because God is with us), which the speaker says gives strength regardless of what happens in the world.
- The speaker explains the verse Isaiah quotes in which God says "I" five times, which he reads as God promising to be present, help, carry, and save, even into old age.
- The speaker contrasts the lowercase "i" of Apple product names (iPhone, iPad, iPod) with the five times God says "Ani" (I) in the Isaiah verse, using this to urge people to move from self-centered "lowercase" personalities to "uppercase" ones focused on caring for others.
Details Worth Noting
- Concrete instructions: Open your siddur after Aleinu and say the three verses of Al Tira: "Al tira mipachad pit'om, u'mishoas r'shaim ki tavo, eitzu eitza v'tufar, dabru davar v'lo yakum, ki imanu Keil." Underline the phrase "ki imanu Keil" and the five "I"s in the Isaiah passage so the siddur speaks to you. Recite the verses as part of your prayers; the speaker says he has recited them three times a day for many years.
- The speaker recounts the verse that Mrs. Rifle quoted to the girls: "do not be afraid of sudden terror, and the calamity of wicked people when it comes."
- The speaker notes that the middle part of the Shemoneh Esrei is written in the plural (Hashiveinu, Refa'einu, Barech alenu, Shma kolenu, Slach lanu), so prayer is meant as a shared, communal act.
- Mrs. Rifle was killed by a car on Route 59 in Monsey; her thirty-day memorial, held at the Yeshiva of Spring Valley, drew about a thousand people, where the speaker spoke and connected her death to these verses.
Bottom Line
Al Tira is a short passage meant to be read as a direct, personal message from God, not a formality, and the speaker's account suggests its value lies in remembering God's presence during fear and loss.
