It’s hard not to be fixed these days to the radio and TV all day long. As we try to follow the events of what’s going on down south and up north. What’s going on with the wounded? Who got killed? And who was saved?
Israel has known many wars since its beginning. And yet we always hope and believe that this war will be the last one. We try very hard to move on with our daily lives as best as we can, going to school, to work, and simply trying to move on with our daily lives as best as possible. There are moments that things even seem to feel regular. Looking out my car window in Jerusalem everything seems so normal, and I then turn on the radio and my heart sinks again hearing of another beautiful soldier gone. Chosen by the Almighty to join the other flowers that were picked so recently, up in the heavenly gardens. I feel the pinch in my heart, thinking to myself ‘when will the situation in Israel ever change? When will we be redeemed once and for all?’
The Jewish people have been persecuted for so long and yet we have an inner strength like no other people in the world. Not only do we have a purpose that keeps us going, we have guidelines that help us go in the right way. We also have a great history of heroes and leaders of Israel, that gives us strength and hope. We know that our forefathers went through troubles before us and came out winning. For G-d there are no limitations or impossible tasks. Hashem never gives up on His children. What we have been seeing in Israel the last couple of weeks and around the world, is the wonderful energy that Hashem is sending His children to overcome and withstand this tremendous trial – nisayon. Before the Redemption will come there will be great hardship in the world and a darkness that will be unbearable. It will seems like there is no way to survive. Yes, we physically have everything we need today. However, the death and the casualties that are a daily occurrence make us feel depressed and seem to give us a sense of darkness and gloom. Before the people of Israel were saved during the exile in Egypt, G-d sent the ten plagues upon the people of Egypt and then Hashem took His people out with great might. It is known that the Final Redemption will be similar to the first. The darkness that was seen in Egypt was like no other and yet each time we feel there’s a darkness for the Jewish people we hope and pray it is the last and we will be redeemed from this one.
What I see in this last episode of darkness and Jewish history is the great spiritual rise that has come as an outcome from this terrible war. Hashem says to His people; “I want you to fear me.” This is a tremendous attribute to be sought out. And great are the righteous ones who can achieve this quality. And yet I feel that this generation needs to come back to G-d through love, and through togetherness. The events of October 7, 2023, united the nation in a way that they haven’t been in so many years. All different types of political opinions, religious backgrounds, everyone has come that much closer to each other and to the Almighty. Jewish people throughout the world are starting to come together as one.
At first when Hashem brought the plagues onto the Egyptian people, there were many Israelites that were so deeply rooted in the exile and in the pain that they did not believe at first that Moses was indeed sent to rescue them, and that G-d wanted to redeem His people. It took about five plagues for everyone to really come together and realize that Hashem is one and His people are one. And still with all of G-d’s great miracles, they were still non-believers from the Israelite that did not make it out of Egypt and perished during the plague of darkness.
In today’s darkness we see that so many beautiful souls are coming back to Hashem and the ways of the Torah. We also see so many beautiful souls of Israel that were taken from us in these horrible times, and the pain is beyond comprehension. When we left Egypt we left as one people. Hashem is clearly bringing his entire people to the full Redemption. And when we will be fully redeemed the entire world will be saved as well. We’re not only a light amongst ourselves when we are together, the Jewish people are a light onto the entire world. When we all worship Hashem, His name is glorified and everyone is enriched by it. The Jewish people are the symbol of all that is good and the evil and darkness that we see around us which seems so great will be defeated as we unite. we’re in the month of Kislev, the month with the holiday of Chanukah, the holiday of light. When one little light saved the entire nation. Where the might and strength of great warriors was defended by the few Maccabees who were united and connected to the One above with all their being. Our beautiful soldiers are up against such evil and such darkness and almost an impossible feat. We have lost so many beautiful souls to the evil Hamas terrorists. All the captives, all the soldiers that keep falling, are going up to heaven and lighting up the heavens and praying so hard for us to all be redeemed.
When we are together as one there’s no one that can defeat us, when we stand together Hashem stands in front of us and leads the way, and protects us from all corners of the world. It’s hard not to see the personal casualties and the individuals that are being killed and they have left us, and not be devastated. However, as Jewish people we must hug, love and support the families that are grieving and be strong and powerful to keep on moving forward towards destroying the enemy and evil that surrounds us from all corners. We see that this war is a spiritual war, just like the war in the time of the Maccabees. Before this great massacre there was great controversy amongst our people specifically in the area of religion. Now we see the extreme opposite is happening. Jewish people who spat on G-d’s love and refused to do anything having to do with the laws of the holy Torah are now coming together with love for Hashem and His commandments. Keeping Shabbos, putting on tefillin and more. Hashem is stronger than any evil in the world. Hashem is above everything. He can fix anything in a second. Hashem does not want to lose any Jew out there. He wants every single person to come close to Him and to keep His Torah.
We suffered great spiritual damage since we returned to our homeland 75 years ago. Religion was made secondary and only developing the physical was ememphasized. However as long as there was one small candle, one light that still existed in the land we could never be destroyed. This small light is the light obviously of the Jewish people that do keep the beautiful laws of the Torah. By keeping the smallest commandment this brings us to keeping them all. From small children to old people, we are the small light that will chase away any darkness. We hope to merit lighting the entire menorah, all the candles, all the lights for the eight days during the holiday of Chanukah. These lights are the Jewish souls. May they be lit up and may we all unite with the nation and return back to our heritage and to keeping all the sweet laws of the Torah. And by the 8th night of Chanukah the entire Jewish people will all come back to us and be fully redeemed with mercy. Amen.
