When Israel is at war, we become unified: Left and right, religious and secular, fighting together, praying together, opening up our homes and our hearts to one another. Why does there have to be a war for this to happen?
The last few months have seen tremendous political and religious discord, strife, and even enmity, between different stripes of the Israeli flag. Yet, in the last few days, thousands of books of Tehillim have been opened, circulated, and completed, as we pray for the safe return of the soldiers and hostages, the healing of the wounded, and the protection of our cities and yishuvim.
Of course we should pray, but we have been praying, intensely, for almost two months, so I don’t think it’s our prayers that G-d is lacking; it is our unity, it is our cohesiveness as a nation and our love and respect for one another that He seeks.
Currently, a microcosm of Jewish history and the revealed soul of the Jewish nation grace our WhatsApp groups and our Facebook feeds as we see scenes of inspiration – food and toiletries drives for the soldiers, and fundraising for the families in the targeted areas, lists of places welcoming refugees from the South along scenes of destruction of their homes. Clips of inspiration and encouragement posted by soldiers as their families list their names for prayers, heartwarming stories and life events that play out on the backdrop of the life-altering scenarios of war.
The young men who, not long ago, were waving flags on opposite sides of the protest lines are now singing Am Yisrael Chai with their arms wrapped around each other. Young men, who had sought adventure, fortune or just a break from routine, have been flocking home from the four corners of the earth, to join their brothers and sisters in defending their country.
My favorite clip, which, at least for me, epitomizes 4000 years of Jewish history, is a soldier, who is reciting the blessings at his son’s bris, he which he was seeing on his phone from his post in the South. “And his name shall be called in Israel, Shmuel Lev.” Can there be a better name for this child born on the brink of one of Israel’s worst wars than one that means – Hashem, listen to our hearts! Because, the bottom line is that we love each other, we love the Land of Israel and we love You. Despite the tragedy that has befallen us, the soldiers sing and dance in prayer and hope about how they are going to protect their homeland, their land that is home, and the people in it that are their family.
With their unprecedented barbarism, Hamas has united Israel. We’re all on the same side now. But what a devastating price to pay!
We need to put our differences aside and see each other as part of the same family, which we are, and then our Father in Heaven will not have to resort to drastic and tragic measures to bring us together. We pray that it is not too late.
Pray for the peace of Israel both without and within! And Jews all over the world, please, pursue it!
“Oseh shalom bimromav, Hu ya’aseh shalom aleinu, v’al kol Yisrael.”
