17 Oct HOW TO RESPOND TO THE WAR OF 5784 – PART ONE

Since we heard the
horrifying news at the
close of Simchas Torah
(some heard from gentile
workers even on Simchas
Torah), Klal Yisroel has
been walking around in
a daze of dismay, fear, sadness and dread.
What is the proper way to shake ourselves
out of our inner turmoil and despondent
stupor, to act responsibly and usefully? One
thing is for sure: becoming a news junkie
is not the way of a Torah Jew. Of course
we need to have the basic facts in order to
respond with the proper empathy, but by
now we are all aware of the savage slaughter
of hundreds, the murderous violation of
terrorists bursting into homes and savagely
killing whole families, men, women and
children, and the taking and torturing of
hostages. There is no need and no profit in
being glued to the computer and following
each skirmish and every new horror.
The Medrash teaches us in Yalkut Shemoni
[Kings 1:200], the name Yishmael, the father
of the Arab nations, conveys a message and
that is yishma Keil, his descendants will
cause Hashem to hear the cries and the
screams of our people. At a time where so

many are in mortal danger, when many of
the 360, 000 reservists are facing the guns
of savages, our response is, as it says in the
verse that we all know, “Eileh va’rechev
v’eilah vasusim, va’anachnu b’sheim
Hashem Elokeinu nazkir – They come with
their tanks and their cavalries, but we come
with our calling out to Hashem our G-d.”
When he was afraid of the Jews, Balak
asked the elders of Midian (where Moshe
Rabbeinu grew up), ‘What makes him tick?’
The elders responded, “Ein tivan shel eilu
ela b’peh – The secret of these people is
through the mouth.” As the Torah testifies,
“Hakol kol Yaakov v’yadai’im yadei Eisav,”
the strength of Yaakov lies in their voice. For
starters we need to pray with great urgency
and concentration the V’lamalshinim
bracha of Shemone Esrei: that hazeidim,
those who are willful, “Meheirah s’akeir,
us’shabeir, usmageir, v’sachni’ah bimheirah
b’yameinu,” that these murderers doing
their terror with a preparedness that was
planned as long back as two years, should
be uprooted and broken, pulverized, and
humiliated quickly and in our day.
Every time we break bread and we say in
bentching, “Racheim na Hashem Elokeinu

al Yisroel amecha – Have mercy Hashem
our G-d, on Yisroel Your nation,” we should
think about the soldier who is going into
Gaza leaving a wife who is eight months
pregnant, hoping that he will live to see
his new baby. We should have in mind the
father who is guarding the breached southern
border who is praying that he should live to
attend his daughter’s wedding. The thinking
Jew, who is ever aware of his brothers and
sisters are in harm’s way, should empathize
and pray for the people in Sderot who have
missiles raining on them by the hundreds
and for the people in the kibbutzim who
are still terrified of infiltrators bursting into
their homes with submachine guns.
Our prayers should come alive with new
meanings. For example, when we say
Lecha Dodi and we say the stanza, V’hayu
limshisah shosa’ich, may they be torn those
who tear us, V’rachaku kol m’val’aiyich,
and may they be distanced all that swallow
us. These words pop out with new meaning.
Or, when we said in Hallel this past Rosh
Chodes, “Min ha meitzar karasi Kah,”
with distress we call to You Hashem,
“Anani,” answer me, “Va’meirchav Kah,”
broadly Hashem. And when we beseech
Hashem in Yukam Purkan, “V’sispar’kun
v’sishteiz’vun min kol aka, u’min
kol marin bishin – Redeem us and
save us from any mishap and any bad
occurrence.”
The Gemora in Megillah askes an
interesting question. Why did Esther
invite Haman to a banquet? How could
she sit with such a monster? Would
Rebbetzin Wasserman or Rebbetzin
Weismandl invite Hitler, yemach shmo
v’zichro, to a meal? The Gemora offers
many answers which it says are all
true. One of the answers is a poignant
one. She wanted to ensure that the
Jews should not say, “Achos yeish lonu
b’beis hamelech – We have a sister in
the palace,” who is queen. We have an
ace up our sleeves and we don’t have to
worry. So, she invited Haman, to make
them question their allegiance so that
they should put their reliance only on
Hashem.
We have to be careful not to put our
faith in the $13 billion aircraft carrier
Gerald R. Ford with the Normandy
and others that are parked nearby in
the Mediterranean. While we certainly
have tremendous gratitude to America,
we know how fickle public opinion
can be. As the stories come out about
the water and electricity being stopped
even to hospitals in Gaza and pregnant
Palestinians, who are told to be human
shields- being gunned down, as we do

what needs to be done, the opinion of the
world’s press and politicians can change
rapidly. We must know that, “Ein lonu
le’hisha’ein, ela al Avinu sheba’shamayim,”
We can only rely on our Father in heaven.
Even the military might of the Israeli air
force, the brave valorous and skilled IDF,
is not what we put our trust in. We are in
awe and appreciation of their sacrifice but
we must remember that we can only rely
on our Father in Heaven. The only posuk
in the Torah that has the same gematria as
the words Eretz Yisroel is “Hashem Ish
milchama, Hashem Shemo – Hashem is the
Man of battle, Hashem is His Name.”
Instead of Googling the latest news, open
a Tehillim instead. When saying Sim
Shalom or Shalom Rav, pray for the peace,
security, and peace of mind of the millions
of Jews that are terrorized or are in harm’s
way. When saying in Maariv, “Hashkiveinu
Hashem Elokeinu l’shalom – Hashem, allow
us to go to sleep peacefully,” we should
beseech Hashem that the elderly and the sick
children shouldn’t be woken up in the night
to run to bomb shelters and sealed rooms.
When we continue with “V’ha’amideinu
Malkeinu l’chaim,” that we should arise
alive, we should have in mind the soldiers
sleeping in trenches and in harm’s way, and
all those who are in the paths of missiles
should get up alive and healthy.
May it be the will of Hashem that He
answers the fervent, united prayers of a
scared and caring nation, and bring to us
the geula sheleima, the final redemption,
speedily in our days.
To be continued…