Letters to the Soldiers' Families

I created a facebook group in which close to 10 000 Jews joined together to remember the two fallen soldiers, Ehud Goldwasser and Eldad Regev. On the group, I have collected 64 pages of condolence letters which are being sent to the families. As they rise from Shiva tonight, I wanted to share a pdf version of the collection of condolences being sent to them (since many are incredibly inspirational), as well as my personal letter to the family:

Dear Goldwasser and Regev families,

This past week has been a tremendously hard week for all of Klal Israel. We can only imagine how hard it has been for you.

Over the last few days, as Klal Israel mourned the loss of two of its cherished sons, I created an online group (on Facebook) in which all the mourners could come together for support. This group grew very quickly coming close to ten thousand members. As members kept pouring in messages of hope, love and condolences, I decided to collect letters together in order to send them to the immediate family of the boys.

In Jewish Tradition, after one passes away, we say Kaddish. The Kaddish says: "May G-d's name be made holy and great". Wait, a person just died and you're telling me G-d's name is made holy and great?

For us Jews, the greatest hillul hashem, the greatest desecration of G-d's name, is when a life is lost. It is like a world destroyed, like a great light of Gdliness which is turned off. Therefore, in order to compensate this tremendous loss of light, we create our own light by praising Gd, by sanctifying his name. This is Jewish Mourning. We counter darkness with light – As Rav Avraham Itzhak Hakohen Kook once said: “The purely righteous do not complain about evil, rather they add justice. They do not complain about heresy, rather they add faith. They do not complain about ignorance, rather they add wisdom. “



Your sons (or husband’s) passing, while tragic and impossible to grapple with, has shown us the best of Klal Israel. Through this darkness, we have seen a great light. Your sons have inspired thousands, if not millions of people, throughout the world. They have enhanced everyone’s Jewish Pride. They have helped show us how great a nation lives in the State of Israel, and how much solidarity still exists between the Jews all around the world.

As we continue mourning your sons, and we will forever remember them, we can rest assured: they have brought a great light into this world. In their short lives, they have inspired more people than some of the most inspirational people. In their short lives they have had a stronger positive effect than most people have in a lifetime.
We wish they would still be here with us. We wish they could have come out of Lebanon alive. However, we find our consolation in the fact that their light still shines bright and that their legacy will, forever, live strong.

המקום ינחם אתכם, יהי זכרם ברוך

Dan Illouz
http://www.tzipiyah.com

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A Moment of Moral Clarity

As Lebanese leaders cheer return of a child-murderer,

Israel mourns its two soldiers
At first glance, it is easy to conclude that the country that is mourning lost this week and the country celebrating won. In fact, Israel won a great moral victory. Israel showed why Westerners should and will support the Jewish state, empathize with the Jewish state, identify with the Jewish state.

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A Political Religion Part 2

This week I would like to focus on perhaps one of the largest political intervention in Judaism: The Mitzvah/Kiyum of Yishuv Eretz Yisrael. Ever since the end of the Holocaust, which coincides with the Dawn of the MOdern State of Israel, there has been fierce opposition to those who have attempted to build up Eretz Yisrael. While no Jews would deny the significance of the land of Israel to our people, there is a legitimate argument as to when the Jews are supposed to return to the land of Israel and begin the process of rebuilding the land and the third Beis Hamikdash. The arguments get more complex and interesting because even those Rabbinic authorities who support the current rebuilding of Eretz Yisroel would argue over whether the amazing miracles that G-d has and still does perform for the Jews in Eretz Yisroel is the beginning of our final redemption or rather just the best practical thing that could happen for our people. This, however is a discussion on it's own and what I would like to discuss pertains to every one of these groups.

Besides the issue of whether we are supposed to be in Eretz Yisroel rebuilding the land or not, and besides the issue of whether this is the "Atchalta D'Geulah" or not, the fact remains clear: JEWS HAVE AN OBLIGATION TO BE MAKIR TOV FOR MIRACLES FROM HAKADOSH BARUCH HU. This is an undeniable fact.
How can a Chareidi Jew live with himself, criticizing the Land and saying tehillim crying over the terrible "Shande" of the Tziyonim, when G-d clearly intervened in the Six Day War to let the Jews defend their land and even take back some of what was lost when Israel, the tiny little country was surrounded by bigger, wealthier, and stronger countries.

On the Flip Side, How can a Tzioni Jew live with himself, and call the Gedolei Am Yisrael, Reshaim because they have a different political view. (This was said to me in conversation last week by a Frum Tzioni Jew) I assure you that they know more Torah than we could ever imagine and when they encourage Bochurim to sit and learn in Yeshiva, this is not up to us to judge them and call them Reshaim. Torah has and will always be the most important part of our Religion and event hough most of the country of Israel disagrees with this, I am confident that they are wrong. Avodas Hashem is why we are on Earth, and while this should not come in place of national defense, some people should be sitting and learning Yomam Valaylah. They are as imnportant a piece of defense as the army is.

My point is not that Jews should not serve in the army. and my point is not that Jews should not live in Eretz Yisrael. My point is that the Torah clearly shows us that the ideal life is to be serving G-d in Eretz Yisrael. This is impossible without an army currently so all Jews should protect our land. My point is that when G-d makes a miracle for us: Don't let your political views get in the way and say "Oh, it's a fluke" or "This will show those stupid Chareidim". Judaism's beauty is in it's diverse yet unified people. We are uni through the land and through the Torah and there are legitimate arguments surrounding our involvement in both these things.
My one Plea: Be truthful; Not Political

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Sderot, Pollard and Tehilla

I just read a letter that Jonathan Pollard wrote to the residents of missile-battered Sderot, two years ago. He speaks to them with love and encouragement; he urges them to keep strong, and to keep fighting for their city, and for their lives. The email that quotes Pollard's letter mentions that his message is uncannily as applicable today as it was two years ago. Sderot is in a terrible condition today, and it seems that the Israeli government couldn't be bothered to do much about it. That's sad.

I sat at my computer, wanting to write out an article for Tzipiyah.com. Sderot, and Jonathan Pollard's letter, and Jonathan Pollard himself, are, unfortunately, issues that have a bitterness to them. These are issues, or, much more importantly, people, who deserve attention, who desperately need help, whose salvation lies potentially in the hands of the Nation of Israel and its leadership, but whose situation seems to deteriorate as time goes on. I feel about these things similar to how I felt just before, and during, the Disengagement: the power and the opportunity are there, but something is tragically missing between potential and action... and we sit back, helpless, in shock and in misery. We have to do whatever we can to help these people. Dan Ilouz mentioned in a previous post how we really have to act to help the people of Sderot. I definitely agree. I think that even talking about them, and raising an awareness of them, is wonderful. But my post was destined to be much deeper than just a list of things that are problematic...

I was flooded with this resentment, this bitterness that unfortunately is inherent in these issues. But I don't want to post an article that just goes on about what's not right. As I began to type, I saw I'd received an email. I looked at it, and saw it was from Tehilla, an organization that works to bring religious Jews to Israel and to settle them in optimal environments, and to enrich their lives in Israel. I glanced over the details of a tour that they're planning (for various reasons, I don't think I'll be on that tour, though). And I was reminded of something so immensely important, something that we who really deeply care about Israel need to keep reminding ourselves: There is so much good happening; there are people doing their utmost to bring good and light into the world; there are organizations that are dedicated to doing beautiful, wonderful things, even as there are people sitting with folded, apathetic or impervious hands...

Our choice is between two options: 1. focus on the negative, and get tangled in its painful sting, becoming gloomy and depressed, or even turned off Israel. Or, 2. get involved in the good. Find out about all the TONS of amazing projects that are happening in Israel (one that we take for granted is Masa; there is Tehilla, and there are many other initiatives and organizations doing great things in Israel), or, even better, get on a plane and get to Israel, and feel the amazingness of life there... The last time I was in Israel was in January 2007. I'm actively planning my Aliyah, to happen, with G-d's help, in the next few months. It's incredible how you can break apart a world of negative perceptions, based almost exclusively on the media, just by stepping off a plane into beautiful Israel, and getting enveloped by the wonderful life there. It's so refreshing; connecting to where we really are supposed to be, and seeing it to be so full of goodness, and a depth that goes way beyond what hits headlines, even Israeli ones...

So, there's really so much good news in Israel, but unfortunately it's mostly only bad news that sells. Let's make it our business to keep informed about all the great things that are happening and building up in our beloved Eretz Yisrael... One great way to keep tuned in to this idea is to keep checking Tzipiyah.com, among other places. One of the awesome things about Tzipiyah.com that I've seen is that its conrtibutors are passionate about Israel, and they have a freshness of approach and a love for Israel that is wonderful to see...

I end with some majestic words from Rav Avraham Yitzchak HaKohein Kook, from the end of his Orot:

"ואם ראשית הגילוי רק קוי אור דקים אנו רואים, במהרה תפרוץ האורה, מלוא רוחב ארצנו עמנו-א-ל"

"And if, at the beginning of the Revelation, we can only see narrow beams of light,
[we must know that] the light will burst forth very soon, filling the breadth of our land,
[and] G-d will be with us"

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What can we do to help Sderot residents?

For once, this is not a right wing vs. left wing issue. Everyone can agree that the apathy of the world, and also of fellow Israeli Citizens, to the suffering of Sderot residents is shameful. The right wing should rise passionately and demand the security it constantly demands in all parts of Israel. The left wing should rise in defense of the basic human rights of the Sderot residents to live their lives without constant fear of falling rockets. Jews and non Jews should unite to oppose this obvious wrong. No one should be silent.

Civilians are being targeted and no one is speaking. Where is the international outrage which followed the killing of the Monks in Burma? Where is the international outrage which followed the killing of Benazir Bhutto? Where is CNN when it's Jewish Children which are being killed? Is it not a humanitarian problem when it is Jewish Children being targeted?Sderot Residents are now rallying all around Israel.

What can we do to help them in their cry for help? I'm thinking of practical stuff. I am here in Montreal, so far away from these regular people who were forced into the position of National Heroes. What can I do to help?

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This is a Test

If you see this, there are either no posts yet in this category or you have gotten to the last post in the category.

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