10/13/2023
My friends, our world has been turned upside down. We did not anticipate this kind of year when we were in shul a few weeks ago on Rosh Hashana. This Shemini Atzeres is a day that will live in infamy. The events of the past few days have overwhelmed us. But as the Yomim Tovim pass, we are now called upon to act. How are we to respond? We do not have prophets to tell us what Hashem asks of us. But we have the words of our Sages, who have told us that the world stands on three things; on Torah, on Serving Hashem, and on Bestowing Kindness. The pillars of our world have been shaken. Our brothers and sisters in the Holy Land have been hurt grievously in ways our imagination would not even allow us to think a week ago. All we can do is strengthen what has been weakened, to make it even stronger than before.
Our enemies waged war on the day we resolve to strengthen our joy in Torah, and the Torah's joy with us. We need to make a point of learning more Torah than ever before. Join a Shiur. Schedule a new chavrusa. If there is a mitzvah in which time and life has made you lax, now is the time to strengthen your resolve to renew your commitment. An email went out yesterday with a recommendation to add a Shabbos candle. I do think we need to add light to the world, and I appreciate the symbolic intent. I do not support that email's recommendation because Minhag Yisrael has established standards and customs for the number of Shabbos candles we light, and those holy customs have never called for Shabbos candles to be used as memorial candles. However, the intention is sincere. I would recommend enhancing Shabbos by taking in Shabbos 10 minutes early, or extending Shabbos on Saturday night by an additional 10 minutes or more. Add more Kedusha to the world by adding more Shabbos to your life. Reach out to a friend who might not be lighting Shabbos candles yet and encourage them to do so. See the announcements below for the new Torah initiatives we are offering.
Our davening was marred by the news that was leaking in throughout those two last days of YomTov. We need to call out to Hashem more than ever before. Say one or more chapters of Tehillim after every tefilla. Resolve to complete Sefer Tehillim every month, or even every week. Use any spare moment to daven. Resolve to come earlier to davening so that skipping the holy words of the Siddur becomes unnecessary.
Jews all over our Holy Land were saving lives to the best of their ability. Our family and friends who were in Chutz La'Aretz are being heroic, but really only Jewish, in their drive to return to their homes, to OUR NATIONAL HOME, to save more lives, and commit to more chesed. Those of us here need to resolve to enhance and increase our chesed during this crisis, by increasing Tzedaka, to all of our usual recipients, but also to those who are saving lives in Sderot, in all of Israel. If you have some established amount you plan to give to Tzedaka on a regular basis, increase it, immediately.
https://helpsderot.com/
https://upreaching.com/israel/Orthodox-Union
https://www.charidy.com/Amyisrael/porter
https://colelchabad.org/iron-sword/
https://donate.jewishcleveland.org/israel
The truth is that nothing that we do seems sufficient. But we can only do more. God's first mission statement is "Yehi Or". Our mission should be to add more light into the world to fight the darkness that descended into the world last week.
Al HaTorah Al HaAvoda V'Al Gemilus Chasadim.
Hashem Hoshiya Hamelech Yaaneinu B'Yom Koreinu
Rabbi Raphael Davidovich
Together, we can help support our family in Israel during this time of crisis.
