Get Your Facts Right

Rabbi Moshe Meiselman has joined the Chaim Walder condemnation parade, relying entirely on second-hand information and news reports. I was curious about Rabbi Moshe Meiselman's comment that "For example, in 15 children’s books, he does not mention the Ribbono Shel Olam once, which is highly suspicious." So thought I'd check it out. I'm not privy to testimony that the beis din in Sefas claims to have heard. But I can test the veracity of this alarming claim. I opened up a random book "Kids Speak 6," which happens to be on my shelf. And right there on the second page (which is numbered p. 14 as the numbering includes the introduction) is "It turns out that the Creator of the world doesn't give a person an ability for no reason." How about that. And then on the fifth page (numbered 18) "I raise my eyes to the mountains and pray, 'From where will my help come?'" Then on the sixth page "Shema Yisroel." (p. 19) Interesting. And what else? "Someone who trusts in Hashem buys one ticket as a reasonable effort on his part. That's called 'hishtadlus.' He doesn't try to 'convince' Hashem." (p. 86) "Thank G-d I managed to get here on time." (p. 96) "It says in Taana D'Vei Eliyahu, 'HaKodesh Baruch Hu said to Yisrael: My children, what do I ask of you? Only that you should love each other and honor each other.'" ( p. 99) "I went to daven Ma'ariv in the hospital's shul. When I came to 'Refa'einu," I burst out crying. I cried out to the Creator of the world to see my mother's suffering and the suffering of our whole family. All the hurt and pain within me came out in my tears. 'Hashem,' I pleaded, 'why doesn't anyone remember that I have a bar mitzvah?' (p. 160) "She handed me the invitation. On the top it said, 'With praise and gratitude to Hashem..."  (p. 163) That's eight references in this book alone. I would image that there are more because I didn't read the book cover to cover. I plucked out these references to the Ribono Shel Olam in ten minutes of flipping through it. Rabbi Meiselman could have done the same if he had deemed it important to speak factually. So who was Rabbi Meiselman talking to when he said,“So shut up if you don’t know [the facts].”