If you pay attention, even Buenos Aires newspapers feature police reports from the city of La Plata almost every day. Furthermore, everyday stories lead us to question the safety of our surroundings, both physical and spiritual.
In response to this concern, what does Judaism have to offer? The following is a story about it.
In 1974, Arab terrorists invaded the Land of Israel, murdering and destroying property. At the Maalot school, a group of children on a bus near the city of Tzfat were brutally murdered. Everyone was shocked. The Rebbe urged the strengthening of spiritual defenses, emphasizing the mitzvah (divine commandment) of the mezuzah.
In one of his public talks, the Rebbe related the following: «I received a call from Tzfat. The caller checked the mezuzot at the school where the children had been studying, and 17 mezuzot were not kosher—not proper. Seventeen children from that school were killed.»
«God forbid,» the Rebbe continued, «to say that the absence of kosher mezuzot caused the death of these children. However, just as a soldier must wear a heavy helmet to protect himself from enemy bullets, in the same way, the mezuzah protects the Jew. The helmet may be heavy and expensive, and it may disturb the soldier’s concentration. But if he does not have it, and is struck by enemy fire, it is the enemy who killed him, not the lack of a helmet. Even so, wearing the helmet would have saved him.»
The lesson is clear. Since action is paramount in Judaism, I propose that every house in La Plata and the surrounding area that doesn't have a kosher mezuzah be able to obtain one free of charge. It's simply a matter of having the desire. Are you going to wait for enemy fire to reach you, unprotected?