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Letters from the Front
Religious Zionist soldiers reflect on their experiences
during the immediate aftermath of the Yom Kippur War
What characterized this war was the spiritual Thank G-d, after all that we experienced, I am alive
awakening among the secular soldiers. They say and well. This war built us up, far more than any-
that in this war, it was clear that it was not “My thing else we learned and absorbed over the years
strength and the might of my hand that has accom- – despite the severe shock and the great suffering
plished this for me” (Devarim 8:17), but that there we have been through.
is a higher power that saved Am Yisrael. And they I am convinced that whoever truly possesses, with
say that when they return home from the front clear awareness, the idea of redemption, will feel
they will go to a beit knesset and make the blessing that we are experiencing a historic moment envi-
of haGomel. And in the field they are donning tefillin sioned by our prophets concerning the end of days.
every morning. Specifically this great crisis has made us feel that
Chaim Schechter, Yeshivat Bnei Akiva, Pirchei Aharon we are experiencing the birthpangs of Mashiach.
Those prophecies, which foresaw such great disas-
ters, were very far from our experiences. Perhaps
because of our lack of recognition, we said that
We saw the hand of Hashem in this war. We were these events were still far off in the future. The great
surrounded by heavy enemy forces on one side, and tragedies of this war, however, have brought us back
the sea on the other side, but we nevertheless held to the truth, constantly reminding us that we are
on. One time, one of their tanks came very close to literally living through the times of redemption.
us, right up to the gate of the base. Aharon Genser The young men who are able to maintain a little
and I shot at them with machine guns and yelled: peace of mind, and can remember the promises of
“These trust in chariots and these in horses, but we redemption to Am Yisrael, have brought great bless-
remember the name of Hashem our G-d!” (Tehillim ing to the other soldiers whose spirit fell from the
20:8). He immediately turned tail and ran away. heaviness of battle and the frightening experiences
Hillel Unsdorfer, Yeshivat Bnei Akiva, Ra’anana of battle, particularly during the first days of the
war.
Elchanan Ben-Nun, Yeshivat Har Etzion
From the very light of the Mashiach, which has been
revealed literally among and through us during
these days of war for our existence, we send bless- How were the Syrians stopped? How were the
ings of peace. Even as shells explode all around us, Egyptians stopped? We try to give explanations, but
Hashem protects us. May we all be blessed with the the true reason is this: it was a miracle. The soldiers
blessing of strength that Hashem has placed in our feel that something unusual has happened here.
hands, and may we merit to be immersed in Torah And each one in his own way expresses this with
study and the awe of Hashem, with peace of mind. words of faith.
Yigal, Yeshivat Merkaz HaRav Yehuda Meir Stern, Yeshivat Bnei Akiva, Kfar HaRoeh
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