Déjà vu…11 months ago I sat in my daughter’s home, worrying whether or not my grandson Yoni was called up, as I saw cars going back and forth taking young men to their army units. Readers of my article will remember my relief when he knocked on the door. I told him how relieved I was, but Yoni cut me short. He had come to say goodbye as he was on his way to his unit.
Today, erev Shabbat before Rosh Hashana, I called Yoni to wish him a Shabbat Shalom and he told me that he has just been called up once again on the Lebanese front.
Oh Hashem, please keep him safe – him and all the others.
This has been a year of bloodshed. We lost so many precious young men; so many young women became widows, and little children orphans. Is this Gog U’Magog, I have often wondered? Is Mashiach close by? We stand alone as we fight for our survival and wait for the full redemption.
Yoni is not my only grandchild in the army, and many sleepless nights go by. I am praying extra hard and “talking” to the Almighty every night after Kriat Shema.
Wonderful things have also happened this year for me. I have been blessed with the birth of new great-grandchildren. Esti had a girl, and Gila had a boy, and Chani and Rachayli also had boys. Racheli B. had a boy and Estie Z. had a girl. I was also zocha to attend the bar mitzvah of a great-grandson, Tani, at the Kotel. I have wonderful children and grandchildren who give me nachat all the time. And I live in Yerushalayim, Ir HaKodesh. What could be better than all of that?
As we go into Rosh Hashana, I pray that our tefillot will be accepted and that we will have a new year of peace and harmony. I look forward to celebrating Sukkot and Simchat Torah with happiness and may it really be zman simchataynu as it is so named.
