I write these words with tears in my eyes and pain in my heart as our nation mourns the loss of three beautiful, young men cut down brutally in the prime of their lives. One wonders what words of solace can be expressed to their families and to an entire nation that grieves with such emotional tension that knars away at the fiber of all our being. I, like everyone else, is searching for some comfort. Today, my search takes me to our Neveim. In particular, my mind and my heart are directed to the Navi Habakuk, a Navi who looks at the evils that exists in this world and, in his anguish and feelings of anger and depression, cries out to G-D. Listen well to the words of Habakuk in chapter one and chapter two.
עד אנה ה׳ שועתי ולא תשמע אזעק אליך חמס ולא תושיע
“O’Lord how long shall I cry for help, and Thou will not hear me.
Or cry to Thee “Violence” and Thou will not save me?
Why dost Thou make me see wrongs and look upon trouble?
Destruction and violence are before me, strife and contention arise.
For the wicked surround the righteous, and justice goes forth perverted. And then Habakkuk relates how Hashem answers him.
And the Lord answered me “Write the vision, make it plain upon the tablets, so he may run who reads it. For there is yet another vision about the appointed time, it will speak of the End and it will not deceive you.
אם יתמהמה חכה לו
Though it may tarry, await it, for it will surely come, it will not delay.”
I sense Habakuk is speaking to K’lall Yisrael at this most devastating time in Jewish history. He feels for our depressed and angered feelings and as he cried out to Hashem, we cry out to Hashem. We still hold dear to a vision of a better time. There are times we may challenge Hashem for the lack of justice in this world. I can surmise the Navi saying to us, “If the world is an unjust world, that’s because there are unjust people in the world, and what you have created you have created by yourself and now is the time to clean up this mess which you have permitted to proliferate and become part of your societal malady. But a new vision is on the horizon and we are to become the masters of our own destiny to help that vision of a just and peaceful society where our Jewish people will not be threatened again by the beasts of our world.”
We will not be able to see this vision of Hashem without first taking a strong stand to bring about a better society that dedicates themselves to their protection and to the guaranteed survival of our people.
Our Jewish Chalutzim, when they came to our Promised Land, had a glorious vision and we need to steady our course in life to continue to bring about that glorious vision of a land where all Jews can live in harmony and peace.
The unity that existed in Israel and around the globe over these past weeks as we prayed together and tried to give each other the needed Chizuk , must continue to be emblazoned upon our hearts and minds in memory of our young Kedoshim and to realize more and more that we are all Achim.
We are all Brothers and Sisters. We are all Am Yisrael. No one and no hateful action can ever disrupt our recognition that we are Am Echad and we will together rise up from our Avelus to a day of Yagon V’Simcha , V’Yishuah , VNechama.
On a personal note, as a parent and as a grandparent – my heart goes out to the families of Naftali,Gilad and Eyal. May Hashem give them the strength through this horrific time and may they findNechama in their hours of Aveilus.
K’lal Yisroel is sitting Shiva with the Frankel’s, the Shaar’s and the Yifrach’s.
Hamakom Yenachem Eschem V’es Am Yisroel.
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