...Chazal say (Makkos 10a) on the pasuk, “Our feet were standing at your gates, Yerushalayim.” What caused our feet to stand in war? The gates of Yerushalayim symbolize that they were osek baTorah! If so, during the time of this war, when it is truly life-threatening and there have already been tragedies, Rachmana litzlan, we certainly need to increase zechuyos, to protect ourself with our zechuyos, and in the zechus of Torah they will stand in war. But there must be “the yoke of Torah,” there must be hasmadah! Just as Rabbi Elazar said, “early in the morning and late at night” — it is a great chiyuv now.
The truth is, Chazal said further (Yevamos 63a), “Calamity only comes to the world for Yisrael.” When there are world tragedies, such as floods, earthquakes, and world wars, with casualties, and all sorts of tzaros, Rachmana litzlan, it’s happening so that Klal Yisrael will wake up and do teshuvah. The Gemara cites a pasuk: “I have cut off nations; their towers have become desolate. I have destroyed their streets so that no one passes by... I said, “But surely you will fear Me and take mussar...” When it says “ אותי תיראי “ it is referring to yirah, fear; not sight, but fear. Fear Me — gain yiras Shamayim, and as a result of that newfound yiras Shamayim, you will accept mussar; the tragedies will have an effect on you to make changes and they will actively lead to changes in your behavior.
This is talking about when calamities strike other nations of the world, even when they hit non-Jews. Kal vachomer, if the calamities are hitting us here in Eretz Yisrael. In that case, we certainly must wake up and do teshuvah. What must we do teshuvah for? Every single person knows, everyone must make their own cheshbon hanefesh: what are my obligations and what am I doing? Am I doing everything that I can? “Early in the morning and late at night”? Am I guilty of bittul Torah in thought? Bittul Torah in actual time? And what about my davening? Am I davening with kavanah? How much kavanah?...
