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TORAT MIZRACHI MIZRACHI SCHOLARS-IN-RESIDENCE

Sivan Rahav Meir and Yedidya Meir

Eight Thoughts

for Eight Days

Self-sacrifice. It sounds like an of online products. The human brain child-rearing (whoever makes a floor-
old, antiquated, irrelevant word. simply cannot contend with the flood mop of himself cannot expect respect
1In previous generations, there of information – much of it unnec- from their spouse or children), but it
was self-sacrifice; today everything essary and undesirable – coming its is also true nationally. Some 200 years
is easy and comfortable. Neverthe- way. ago, Rabbi Samson Raphael Hirsch in
less, the past year has taught us all a Germany dealt with many Jews who
lesson in a new kind of self-sacrifice: Rav Chagai Londin, of the hesder abandoned and belittled their tradi-
Grandma must not be hugged. It is yeshiva in Sderot, writes that this is tion. At that time, he wrote an essay
forbidden to pray together. Things exactly what we need to learn from for Chanukah, in which he reminded
that were considered mitzvot became Chanukah – how to contend with the them that even if they give up on their
offenses, and vice-versa. Our basic powerful forces of the surrounding culture, it would still not help them to
Jewish communal life… collapsed. culture. We become dizzy and con- integrate into German society:
Much of what we loved… diminished. fused, continually bombarded by alien
We are at home more than ever, close forces and hedonistic messages, but “To the extent to which you respect
to the nuclear family, far from every- must strive to keep our focus: and admire your past and your holy
one else. We need to wear weird and “Am Yisrael always tries to connect values, so will the nations respect you.
annoying masks, keep a distance, everything to one place: ‘Shema Yis- It could be that for this reason or the
wash our hands. other you will win less or more sympa-
rael, Hashem Elokeinu, Hashem thy from them, but their respect – you
But we are doing it together. The Echad.’ G-d is One. We endeavor to will win. However, if you yourself treat
whole world, and the Jewish world focus and to concentrate and to unite your past with disrespect, if you do
within it, is going through a period of the forces of the soul into our purpose not respect the burial places of your
trial, of examination, as in previous for living. Greek culture was a culture fathers, if you do not respect your Holy
generations. It is our self-sacrifice. of many idols, with many focal points Temple and you do not try to acquire
After almost a year of small outside targeted in every direction. The strug- proper knowledge of your Torah – how
minyanim, of Zoom, of days in iso- gle of the Hasmoneans has not ended. could you expect others to respect you
lation, of Seder and Rosh Hashanah Today too, we are likely to live absent- and your forefathers? Many pleasures
so different from what we are used minded lives of perpetual distraction, are in store for you if you deny the
to, of chesed and Torah and prayer of running from one new thing to the Torah, but respect is not one of them.
that have undergone such creative next, of always searching for something How great the mistake that all of those
changes – after all this, Chanukah has that doesn’t exist. To defend ourselves progressive, educated people made,
arrived! We light Chanukah candles from overpowering forces that seem the priests of renewal. Go out and
and know that we too are heroes and stronger than ourselves, each of us learn what a Chanukah candle tells
pioneers. We too know something needs to be a Maccabee – not to be you!”
about self-sacrifice and how to come ashamed to take breaks, to set bound-
through the darkness stronger. aries, and to take control of our digi- Ori Kotler, a commander in the
tal devices instead of allowing them Rotem Unit of the Givati Bri-
Every single minute, worldwide, to take control of us. The Chanukah 4gade, shared the following idea
humans are sending 18 million struggle is not over.” with us:
2text messages, watching more
than four million video clips, down- If you do not respect yourself, no There is a famous phrase that states
loading 400,000 computer apps, and one will respect you. This princi- that if you have a hammer in your
buying more than $1 million worth 3ple holds true in marriage and in hand, everything looks like a nail. So

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