History tells us that in Eretz Yisrael, roughly every one hundred years there is a very large earthquake, of magnitude 6 or above along the Dead Sea fault. Nadav Wetzler, an Israel Geological Survey seismologist mentioned recently that the last quake of that magnitude, 6.2 on the Richter scale, hit the Dead Sea valley in 1927, killing 500 people. Taking into account the terrible results of the recent earthquakes in the area in which so many thousands died, should we all say a Mi Sheberach on Shabbat in Shul asking Hashem to protect us from such tragedies?

Although we do recite on Shabbos a ‘Mi Sheberach” after Yukum Purkan for the benefit of the community leaders and others that work for the welfare of all needy members and bless them, usually we do not recite a particular ‘Mi Sheberach’ for the future protection of a specific tragedy that may happen, we just privately pray for them. Horav Shlomo Miller’s Shlit’a pointed out to the gigantic earthquake predicted by Zechariah (14: 4); “And on that day His feet shall stand on the Mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem from the east. And the Mount of Olives shall split in the midst thereof-toward the east and toward the west-a very great valley. And half the mountain shall move to the north, and half of it to the south.” The fact is that we do pray to be saved from the tragedies and suffering predicted before the Final Geulah