Klal Yisrael is experiencing one of the most difficult events in recent history. We have not even begun to digest the terrible atrocities, the unimaginable carnage that fell upon us so suddenly, leaving us in deep pain and shock. On the happiest day of the year, a day we celebrate being the nation of Hashem, well over a thousand Yidden were killed in cold blood, for one reason - because they were Jewish. Thousands more were grievously injured and many kidnapped; we do not even have the final numbers.
Do Not Put Down the Weapons!
The Sha’ar haTzion makes note of a phenomenon that we are currently witnessing. When an army goes out to war and defeats its enemy, the soldiers sit down and celebrate. However, if the enemy, even once it has been smitten, is likely to return and attempt to avenge its loss, the victorious army won’t be so quick to relax and celebrate. It will remain constantly on the alert with weapons in hand, to ensure that the enemy does not return. (This is patently the case with the Israeli army and its enemies.)
In the period following Yamim Noraim and Sukkos when we overcame our biggest enemy, the yetzer ha’ra, we cannot sit down and relax. Even after a defeat the yetzer ha’ra is always looking to mount a new attack against us. We should feel like a warrior in the middle of a conflict, holding our weapons tightly out of fear that the enemy will return and strike at any moment. The yetzer ha’ra never rests - he will always return and attempt to destroy us.
Today it is our Torah learning, our mitzvos, and our ma’asim tovim that are protecting Klal Yisrael. Every little effort we put in, even a little extra kavana, a little extra tehillim, serves as a tremendous zechus for those injured, captured, and those battling the enemy. We must also look back to the chizuk we gained during Yamim Noraim, reignite it and remember the resolutions we undertook. We must not put down our weapons even for a moment.
Trust in the War!
Throughout Elul, twice a day we recited l’David Hashem Ori, which contains the pasuk, “Im takum alai milchama b’zos ani bote’ach - If war comes upon me b’zos - in this - I trust”. Many ask what “bezos” refers to. If war comes upon us, what do we trust?
Some answer that “b’zos” refers to Hashem. Others say that it refers to the Torah. However, the Sefas Emes explains that it refers to the war itself! If a war befalls me - b’zos - in the very fact that this occurred I find my faith. If Hashem gave me this challenge, that itself is proof that I have the strength and will receive the si’ata diShemaya to overcome it and grow from it.
The current war is far from a simple operation and the challenges experienced by the civilian population are also difficult. However we must remember that if Hashem has given us this nisayon, He must have also given us the strength to withstand it. The greater the challenge, the greater the indication that Hashem believes in us. (This idea is supported by the mitzvah of the eishes yefas toar. In those circumstances the Torah knows that a soldier would be unable to withstand the nisayon. In all other cases, however, we do have the strength to overcome our challenges.)
The passuk famously states, “l’Hagid ba’boker chasdecha v’emunasecha ba’laylos - To express your kindness in the morning and your faith at night”. The author of the Akedas Yitzchak asks why the passuk uses the word, “v’emunasecha - your faith” when it should surely have states, “v’emunasenu - our faith”. He answers that the passuk refers to a different emunah - Hashem’s faith in us to withstand the challenges He sends us during challenging times.
The Weakest and the Youngest
Let us revisit a powerful lesson from R’ Avigdor Miller that we once discussed, and which is relevant now more than ever.
From the very beginning of our history an interesting phenomenon has repeated itself. Those who have built our nation or saved it during times of trouble, have never been the oldest, strongest, or even the most capable. Instead it has been the younger, weaker, and apparently less capable who have ended up becoming our leaders. Avraham Avinu, after davening for many years, finally sired his bechor, Yishmael. But rather than becoming the forefather of our nation, he was sent out of Avraham’s house and Yitzchak - the younger son - took his place. Similarly, Yitzchak sired twins, Ya’akov and Eisov, but Eisov - who was the first-born, did not father our nation. Instead the younger and weaker Ya’akov sired the twelve shevatim of Klal Yisrael.
In Parshas Vayeshev the Torah records that a terrible famine occurred in Eretz Yisrael. Again we might have thought that the oldest or the most powerful of the shevatim would help save the family and find sustenance, but it was not. Yosef, one of the youngest, was the one to sustain his entire family. In fact, with great wisdom and foresight he provided sustenance for the entire world.
Yosef had two children, Menashe and Efrayim. Here too it was Efrayim, the younger son, who received the status of bechor, brought our great leader Yehoshua into this world, and had the Mishkon Shilo built in his portion of Eretz Yisrael which stood for 369 years.
The Salvation, from the House of Pharaoh
Moshe Rabbenu, our greatest ever leader, came from the most unlikely place of all. He was brought up in the palace of Pharaoh, the infamous hater of Klal Yisrael who was actively trying to destroy them. And who was the one who saved Moshe and raised him? It was none other than the Pharaoh’s own daughter! Moshe the great savior was raised in the most unlikely place and by the most unlikely people.
What is the reason for this phenomenon? Why does our salvation always come from the most unlikely source?
R’ Avigdor Miller explains that this pattern is meant to teach us an invaluable lesson. The passuk states (Yirmiyahu 17:5): “Arur ha’gever asher yivtach b’adam - Cursed is a man who trusts in people”. We must place our trust in Hashem and only in Hashem. If we place our trust in anything else we can be assured that things will develop in the opposite direction and we will not see any salvation from that which we trusted.
Where will the Yeshua not come from?
In other words, if we believe that someone or something other than Hashem can save us, Hashem will ensure that our yeshua will not come through that avenue. Naturally people tend to have confidence in the bechorim, the oldest in the family. This is exactly why Hashem built Klal Yisroel from the youngest and weakest. We similarly tend to believe that the strong and influential can help us. This is exactly why Hashem always brings the yeshua from elsewhere.
In recent years, Eretz Yisrael has been blessed with unprecedented security. Though there were constant threats and unfortunately, occasional casualties, many terror threats were thwarted, often prevented at the last moment and usually more by “luck” than judgement.
Unfortunately, rather than appreciate the many nissim, people tend to believe that it is a natural sequence of events. Even though we are surrounded by so many enemies - in fact there are enemies living within our own country who hate us and are willing to sacrifice their lives to harm us - nevertheless b’nisei nissim we have been saved from one attack after another, from one terror organization to the next.
Kochi V’otzem Yadi Assa Li Ess Ha’chayil Ha’zeh
Even worse, not only have many failed to see the nissim, they have even espoused the philosophy of “kochi v’otzem yadi assa li ess ha’chayil ha’zeh”. “We have the strongest army, we have the latest weapons, the best cyber security, the latest sensors for the borders that dozens of other countries have purchased. We have the best diplomatic relationships, we are extending the Abraham accords with many other countries...”
As we have explained, salvation cannot come from anything in which we trust, if it is not Hashem. If we trust in the army, it cannot help us. If we trust in the intelligence services, they will be rendered impotent. This Simchas Torah we saw how all we believed in crumbled before our very eyes. All the intelligence, the latest technology, the best sensers all fell apart in one instance; thousandsewf of terrorists, from sea, air land, and tunnels freely made their way through the borders and into the civilisation. The Army bases and police stations which gave us a feeling of security were taken over by Arab terrorists, and kibbutzim were taken over by people riding second-hand motorbikes.
What about the diplomatic support? Those who we had always had trust in, who had always been supporting us, suddenly took a turn to compliment the terrorist whilst condemning Israel – and those who we did not lean on and did not put our trust into suddenly came out with unprecedented support, sending warships, planes and massive shipments of ammunition.
The more we trust in Hashem, and the less we put trust in others the more help and salvation we will experience.
As this war is waging let us remember that there is one thing that we can do which will help: turning to Hashem with true emunah and bitachon, real belief, and real tefila with the feeling of “ein od milvado” - we are entirely dependent on You Hashem.
These times are a great challenge but let us recall: “Im takum alai milchama b’zos ani bote’ach” - b’zos - in the very fact that Hashem caused this war, we trust that we will prevail for He clearly believes that we have the kochos to overcome it.
May Hashem bring an end to these difficult times, safety to all those on the front lines, a refua sheleima for the wounded, salvation for the kidnapped, and the geulah shlemah for all of Klal Yisrael.
