This story was related to me in 2001 by friends. I have made no attempt to verify it, becasue I don’t need to and it’s not the point.
As the story goes, in one of the towers, trapped above the fire line, there was a small firm whose employees were mostly Hasidic Jews. As the fires reached their floor and with their choices dwindling with each passing second some of them considered leaping from the windows. Of course, I have no knowledge of the religious dogma and laws that Hassidm need to obey, but I was told that, as in Christianity, suicide is absolutely prohibited. Faced with this dilemma, they were able to get a call out to consult with a rabbi or group of rabbis. After some deliberation, they were informed that in the opinion of those consulted the chances of surviving from such a fall were considered to be too small and therefore prohibited. Obeying their religious leaders, the unfortunate people gathered in a circle and prayed. We have no way of knowing if they were burned alive as they prayed or were crushed to death.
No, I am not going to include what I think the moral of this story should be.. If you don’t know, you need someone more qualified than I am to help you. Also, if you think that this is in any way a condemnation of those who tried to jump to save their lives, once again, please seek appropriate help.
For everyone else, I would just humbly ask that maybe we say yet another prayer for the people mentioned above and for all those who lost their lives on 9/11.