We are standing now just a few weeks after the horrid events of the sad Shabbat, that was the day of the Torah’s rejoicing. The wicked who stormed the border wanted to destroy not just the State of Israel, but to erase the name of Israel from the world and the elimination of all Jews. How can we react after these unspeakable acts committed by beasts, not men?
The Midrash teaches us, “Any place where the word hayah (“it was”) appears, it refers to someone who saw three worlds” (Tanchuma, VaYeishev). Noah saw three worlds: the one in which he was born, the world of the Flood and complete desolation, and the new world after the Flood. The world that Noah saw after the Flood was not like the world in which he was born. The Rabbis discuss whether the sign of the rainbow, declaring that G-d would never again destroy this world, was a new creation or was created at the beginning of Creation and now simply acquired a new meaning after the Flood. If we accept the opinion of those who say that it was a new creation, we can see that Hashem saw this world as a new world, too, and that even Nature had to receive a new law of physics: the law of refraction.
What is the significance of this midrash, that he saw three worlds? The message is that Noah understood that the world after the Flood was not like the old one; it was a completely new world. In this manner, Noah was able to overcome the horror of the past and be able to start rebuilding the world and his life. How do you resume life after such desolation and loss? The key was the word hayah, it was, not now, only in the past. After a traumatic experience, the key to overcome it is to be able to put it in the past.
In a recent speech by Rabbi Dee, the father and husband who lost his wife and two daughters in a drive-by shooting in April, explained how he reacted after the tragedy. He could wallow in his pain and become depressed and paralyzed, or put the event in the past and start again. He saw that this is a new world for him, one that did not have his wife and daughters. He needed not to think of what he lost, rather to concentrate on what he had to do. A new reality, a new world.
The experience of the Holocaust survivors illustrates this phenomenon, as well. Some were so devastated by what they went through that they became emotionally scarred and unable to go on with their lives. Others, however, were able to start new businesses and prosper . The difference is that the former were still in the old world, lamenting the loss and the torture, while the latter were able to put it in the past; they used the word hayah – it was, it’s not now.
This is a new world, too. Although we must remember, record, and document what happened on October 7 (22 Tishri) and the horrific acts of the enemy, we must turn now to rebuild ourselves and the nation with energy and courage.
There are several practical aspects to consider. First, the view that Israel is invincible, that the army and the technology alone are sufficient, this must change. The miracle of the Six-Day War anesthetized us and made us arrogant; the horror of October 7 awakened us to a new reality. We need to connect with the Creator, with the One Who promised us, “To your descendants I will give this Land” (B’reishit 12:7). Our prayer routines and schedule must change, and our belief that Hashem listens to our prayers more intense.
Second, Israel must change its view of the enemy. Their aim is not to live alongside us; they want to live without us. They claim this is their land, that we stole it from them, and they will not stop until they take it away from us. It is interesting to note that Onkelos translates the word chamas in our parashah, as chatufin, the kidnappers. They are specialists in robbery and abduction, and now they have aimed their arrows on us. This is a conflict of faiths that will only be resolved by the defeat of one of them. When Hashem promised the Land to Israel, this is a promise we must resolutely keep. This Land is the Land of Israel. “Never Again” is not just a slogan; it is our plan of action.
Third, this tragedy taught us that we are a family. We must renew and reinforce the bonds that unite all Jews wherever they may be. The enormous display of unity seen in the last few days is inspiring. We are all family, religious and secular, Sefardi, Ashkenazi, “settler,” and Tel Aviv residents – all are in the front together, or in the rear sending packages, preparing food, bringing t’filin to soldiers who had never put them on before, giving tz’dakah – or the myriads of meetings, rallies, posts in social media that we are all doing now. We are all soldiers, we are all family, we are Jews.
There is a reason we are called Israel. The Torah teaches us that the Angel who fought with Jacob told him, “Your name shall no longer be Jacob but Israel, because you struggled (sarita in Hebrew) and prevailed (vatuchal in Hebrew). Why are we called Israel, referring to the struggle and not to the fact that we prevailed? In fact, we should more aptly be called Yachliel (the one who triumphs) rather than Israel, the one who struggles. The lesson is that the Jewish people will always have to struggle until the end of history. Hashem moves the world through us, He chose us to affect the changes in humanity. This is one of the reasons for the tragic events we suffered this week. Since this is our mission, we must accept that we will always be struggling until the final days when the Messiah arrives. Let us always be prepared to fight and not to desist from it, whether in the military, philosophical, or spiritual battles. Israel means we never give up. Even when we are knocked down, we do not stay down; we get up and we fight. And we will win.
Israel has been compared to lions because a sleeping lion may seem easy prey and vulnerable, but it awakens and rises; it is ferocious and devours its foes. So it is with Israel: We may appear at times sleeping and easy prey, as we seemed to Hamas; but when awakened, we will fight with furor and devour our enemies.
Peace is our ultimate dream, and we must always seek it. However, when the time comes to do battle against those who want to eliminate us, do not be unnerved. We have had long battles throughout history, and no one has come out victorious against us. From Babylonia and Greece, Rome and Spain, and Cossacks and pogroms that seem the end of us, we are still here. We are standing again, and with Hashem on our side, we shall finally meet peace.
By Rabbi David Algaze
