Page 25 - HaMizrachi Chanukah 5784 North America

Rabbi Bentzi Noa Ari
Mann Lewis Bar-Shain

n many past wars, I have found myself on the take a lot of inspiration from the words at the am currently serving down South in an area
giving side – writing letters and sending care beginning of shacharit: that was heavily attacked on Shabbat over a
month ago. The beit knesset where I am was
packages to soldiers. I sometimes wondered I ה ֵשְׂ ֲעֲ ת ַוַ ְצְ ִמִ י ִמִ ְצְ ַעֲ לֵ ַעֲ לֵ ֵבְּ ַקַ ְמִ י ִנ ֵר ֲה I
to myself: “Do these really go anywhere and .ךָוֹמִ ָכְּ ךָ ֲעֲ ֵר ְלֵ ָתָּ ְב ַה ָאֶ ְוַ לֵ ֶשׁ sprayed with bullets during the massacre.
Imake any difference?” There is one sefer on the shelves that
Every day, again and again, it gives me a
This war, I find myself on the receiving side, was pierced by a bullet, and the bullet ripped
and I see just how much they do matter! Work- goal for the day, inspiration for the day. What through the spine until it stopped on a page
ing in my role in the army is emotionally very does Hashem want from me – when I am scared, in the middle of the sefer. Upon opening the
taxing, and letters and chizuk really means a worried about soldiers, when I am with people book, Likutei Moharan, to that very page (בפר),
tremendous amount. who are staying in hotels instead of their homes? it seemed like Hashem was trying to send Am
Sometimes the gifts are really perfect. Last It always comes back: Hashem wants us to Yisrael a pertinent message.
week when I returned home I took out my guitar love our fellow person. When we love Am Yisrael, The text reads: “Know that you must judge
to play a little, and my three-year-old son Lavi it is an expression of our love from Hashem, and everyone favorably, even if they are evil, you
broke my guitar pick. The next day, I was show- brings us closer to the geulah. must find within them something good.” (trans-
ing a group around our base, showing the avodat lated from Hebrew)
haKodesh that we do, and at the end one of the Before the war, our nation was torn apart
group came over to give me some tokens of internally. Political and social differences caused
appreciation – including a new guitar pick!
much animosity and there was name-calling.
With the start of the war, however, it completely
disappeared. The achdut has been tremendous.
From a group of Charedim in Meah Shearim
bringing dozens of pairs of tzitzit to base, to
secular Jews in Tel Aviv inviting rabbis to their
homes to kasher their kitchens in order to cook
kosher food for soldiers, to a Druze family driving
hours to visit us and give us care packages, we
feel like all of Israel is in this together. We put our
differences aside, recognize that everyone has
good inside them, and together, with Hashem’s
help, will win this war and return to a world of
peace and unity.

Ari Bar-Shain is a Platoon Commander in the IDF,
Rabbi Bentzi Mann is the director of Mizrachi’s currently serving in the south of Israel. He is a
Schools Department. He serves in the IDF, in the current participant in the Mizrachi Musmachim
unit of the Rabbanut that identifies and prepares Noa Lewis is the CEO of ECHAD, and director of program, and an alumnus of Mizrachi’s Shalhevet
the deceased for burial. OLAH, a program for Jewish women in Europe. program.

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