13 May CALLED UP YET AGAIN

This past week, tens of
thousands in Israel
received the message
from the IDF that they
are being called up, yet
again, not for a few
days, but for several
weeks or months.
Children will have to adjust again to being
without parents. Spouses will have to manage
households by themselves. Parents will again
have sleepless nights. Employers will again
struggle to manage without key personnel.
And tens of thousands will again put their lives
on the line and live in challenging, difficult
and dangerous conditions. While there are
efforts to persuade reservists to protest and not
answer the call, yet again, overwhelmingly,
our heroic soldiers are showing up and doing
so in record numbers, again.
When the war began over a year and a half
ago, Jews and Israel supporters in the United
States and around the world responded by
raising significant funds, sending supplies,
organizing missions, tying tzitzis, sponsoring
BBQs, writing letters and more. Over time,
these efforts dissipated as cease fires were
observed and for many, fatigue set in.
Our soldiers have been called up and despite
their true exhaustion and very real emotional
fatigue, they are showing up, and so must we,
in our own small and modest ways. If we care,

if we are connected, we must answer in our
own record numbers to resume the coordinated
efforts and show of support, to get back to
planning trips, to dig deeper to send more
funds, to do more to help bear the pain and
struggle.
This week we will read Parshas Kedoshim and
be reminded of the obligation to love our
fellow Jew as ourselves, v’ahavta l’rei’acha
kamocha. What does it mean to love fellow
Jews? R’ Moshe Leib Sassover used to tell his
chassidim that he learned what it means to
love a fellow Jew from two Russian peasants.
Once he came to an inn, where two thoroughly
drunk Russian peasants were sitting at a table,
draining the last drops from a bottle of strong
Ukrainian vodka. One of them yelled to his
friend, “Do you love me?” The friend,
somewhat surprised, answered, “Of course, of
course I love you!” “No, no”, insisted the first
one, “Do you really love me, really?!” The
friend assured him, “Of course I love you.
You’re my best friend!” “Tell me, do you
know what I need? Do you know why I am in
pain?” The friend said, “How could I possibly
know what you need or why you are in pain?”
The first peasant answered, “How then can
you say you love me when you don’t know
what I need or why I am in pain.”
R’ Moshe Leib told his chassidim, he learned
from these peasants that truly loving someone
means to know their needs and to feel their

pain. Real love is not lip service, it is
not just tolerating one another. Love
is noticing someone is having a bad
day, it is feeling their pain, it is
showing someone you care, even
when that person is someone you
barely know or don’t know at all.
The morning blessings of Birchos
HaShachar are said in the plural –
.etc ,פוקח עורים, מלביש ערומים
There is one exception – כל לי שעשה
צרכי , thank you God, who fulfills all
of my needs. Why is this blessing
written in the singular?
The same R’ Moshe Leib Sassover who taught
us what it means to love a fellow Jew explains
that when it comes to ourselves, we should
have an attitude of “I have everything I need”.
We should feel content and satisfied. However,
when it comes to others, we must be thinking
– he or she don’t have everything they need.
What are they lacking? How can I help them?
What can I do for them?
Loving our brothers and sisters in Israel means
recognizing their sacrifices on behalf of our
people and stepping up in our own small ways
to show gratitude, display support, provide
relief, and do all we can to help.
The great Arizal suggested that before
beginning davening in the morning, one
הריני מקבל עלי מצוות עשה של :say should

כמוך לרעך ואהבת, I hereby accept upon
myself the positive commandment to love
your fellow as yourself.” Based on R’ Moshe
Leib Sassover’s insight, we can understand
this to mean that before we can pour out our
hearts to Hashem for all of our needs, we must
pause to think about our fellow brothers and
sisters and their needs. Before we ask Hashem
to be there for us, we must commit to be there
for others.
As you think about upcoming trips or
vacations, consider going to Israel to volunteer.
As you review your finances and tzedakah
opportunities, consider how you can contribute
to help the physical, mental and emotional
well-being of the soldiers and their families.
When you feel love for fellow Jews, express it
by identifying with their pain and doing what
you can to make it go away.