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By: Chaya Sora Jungreis-Gertzulin
“We stand with Israel” has become popular phrase seen on posters at solidarity rallies, spotted on store windows, and placed on front lawns. I would like to add to it… “We stand and pray with Israel”.
Yes, we stand and support our nation, but we also daven for our people. The tefilla of “Acheinu kol bais Yisroel – Our brothers, the entire house of Israel… hanesunim b’tzara – who are pained, afflicted…. u’vashivya – and in captivity. HaMokom yeracheim aleihem, may HaShem have compassion upon them, V’yotzieim mitzara lir’vacha, and take them from stress to comfort, mei’afeila l’ora, from darkness to light.”
The words of Acheinu resonate in shuls, schools, batei midrash, Tehillim groups, and in private prayers worldwide.
Mei’afeila l’ora, from darkness to light. Words that describe the battle found in this week’s parsha of Vayishlach. A battle between Yaakov and the malach of Eisav. A battle that lasted through the night, until the break of dawn, from darkness to light.
In his introduction to the parsha, the Ramban writes regarding Yaakov’s meeting with Eisav: “There is a message for future generations that everything that happened to our forefather Yaakov with Eisav, will continually occur to us with Eisav’s descendants”. Earlier in Bereishis, the Ramban writes, “Ma’aseh avos, siman l’bonim, everything that occurred to the Patriarchs is a sign for the children”. The lives of our avos are one with ours.
In parshas Vayishlach, Yaakov and his family leave Lavan’s house, journeying to Yaakov’s birthplace. It’s nighttime when Yaakov realizes that he forgot some “pachim ketanim, some little vessels”, and he goes back on his own to retrieve them.
“And Yaakov was left alone, and a man (maalach of Eisav) wrestled with him…” (Bereishis 32:25) As we have witnessed throughout history, “Hein am levadad yishkon, we are a nation that stands alone.”
Today, once again, we are alone, fighting for our survival. Our people were attacked barbarically, brutally murdered, and suffered atrocities that are not comprehensible.
Am Yisroel faces an enemy that proudly proclaims that “they are not done”, and vows to return again and again to “finish the job”. Yet, after a brief few days of the world expressing shock and solidarity, we are once again left alone. For many, instead of stating that Israel is justifiably defending itself, we are once again accused of being the aggressor, of conducting ourselves “disproportionately”, ignoring the evil that has been perpetrated against our people.
The pasuk tells us that Yaakov’s battle with the malach of Eisav continued until “the break of dawn”. A battle between good and evil, the eternal battle between Yaakov and Eisav, until the break of dawn, the coming of Moshiach.
The Torah’s recounting of the confrontation between Yaakov and Eisav concludes with Yaakov asking the angel for his name. To which the angel responds, “Lama zeh tishal?, why do you ask,” – what difference does it make? This question haunts us to this very day. Eisav appears and reappears with different names, different languages, and in different guises. Babylonians, Greeks, Romans, Crusaders, Cossacks, Communists, Nazis, and now Hamas and Hezbollah. The name is always changing, but the goal remains the same. To break us, to destroy us.
Sforno comments that this too, is a message for generations. We, the Jewish people, take a page from the story of Yaakov. Yaakov was injured during his confrontation, and walked away limping, yet resilient in spirit, and strong with his faith. So too, we have been oppressed at the hands of tyrants and dictators. We have sustained many bumps and bruises. We have endured unimaginable pain, suffering, and even massacres. But it has never broken us. And it never will. Our oppressors through the ages are gone. But we are here. Am Yisroel Chai! Our commitment to HaShem’s Torah and mitzvos has kept the flame of Yiddishkeit alive. It is our sacred obligation to continue this dedication, and to transmit these eternal values to our children and grandchildren.
A clip went viral of a man covered in “tats”, as he referred to his tattoos. He shares that religion didn’t mean anything to him, nor did he ever think of his Jewish identity. He spoke of his mother escaping religious persecution in Iraq, and his father having lost family members in the Holocaust. He admits that these were all “just stories” to him, until October 7. After seeing the way the world reacted to the horrible atrocities, and witnessing scenes of Jew-hatred, “The Jew inside me woke up”. He went on to thank the enemies of Israel and the anti-Semites that are marching in cities worldwide, spewing messages of hatred, giving him the wake-up call that connected him to his G-d, his religion and his people. A call that he assured many others similarly experienced and acted upon.
Mei’afeila l’ora, from darkness to light. Chanukah is just around the corner. It falls during the darkest time of the year. The shortest of days, the longest of nights. A time of choshech, darkness, of both day and soul.
If one takes the Hebrew letters of choshech – ches, shin, chof, and changes the order to shin, chof, ches, we have the word shochach – forgot. During Greek rule that preceded the miracle of Chanukah, there were those who temporarily “shochach – forgot” their Torah and their mitzvos, and lived a life of choshech, darkness. But, like the lights of the menorah that were kindled once again in the Bais HaMikdash, their inner lights, their neshamos were reignited and shone once again.
Shochach. Forgot. With time, and as we get back into our day-to-day routines, it is natural to forget. After almost two months of war in Israel, we must be vigilant not to fall into the trap of war fatigue. Of slowly losing the great achdus amongst ourselves, and increased connection to HaShem that this war has brought us to. Within the word shochach is the word koach – chof, ches – strength. To find the strength to keep on davening, to stay connected to HaShem. To keep up the chesed, and be there for our people.
As Chanukah approaches, may we, B’ezras HaShem, truly experience “mei’afeila l’orah”, and merit to see in our own time, the “Break of dawn”, the light of Moshiach.
Shabbat Shalom!
Chaya Sora
Chaya Sora can reached at [email protected]
This article was written L’zecher Nishmas /In Memory Of HaRav Meshulem ben HaRav Osher Anshil HaLevi, zt”l and Rebbetzin Esther bas HaRav Avraham HaLevi, zt”l