Page 25 - HaMizrachi Yom HaAtzmaut 5783 USA

The Friday Night

YOUR ALIYAH FLIGHT of Independence

n 15th May 1948, Shabbat was wit- “Zion,” cried another. “It’s an obvious choice.”
ness to another creation – that of
the modern State of Israel. Due to “Israel” cried a third. “What is wrong with
O Shabbat’s sanctity, the ceremony was Israel?”
brought forward to Friday afternoon, even “Let’s drink to that,” said Elisha with delight,
though the British Mandate did not end until breaking open the bottle of Carmel wine and
midnight. filling a tin mug to the brim. “A l’chayim to our
new State, whatever its name!”
Yehuda Avner, in his book The Prime Ministers,
recalls that awesome Shabbat in the trenches “Wait,” shouted a Chassid whom everyone
just outside Jerusalem: knew as Nussen der chazzan – a cantor by
calling, and a most diligent volunteer from
Daylight was fading fast. Far to the west, the
sun’s last rays were receding behind the hilltops Meah Shearim. “It’s Shabbos, kiddush first.”
of Judea, heralding Shabbat. Grimy, exhausted Our crowd gathered around him in a hush
diggers assembled in the glow of a hurricane as Nussen der chazzan clasped the mug
lamp hanging on the door of a stone ruin, hidden and, in a sweet cantorial tone, began to
from enemy view, to recite Kabbalat Shabbat. It chant “yom haShishi,” the blessing for
was a heavenly pause: Shabbat stillness sud- the sanctification of the day.
denly seemed to reign over everything.
As Nussen’s sacred verses floated off
The Shabbat silence was broken only by the to a higher place of Shabbat bliss his
crunch of rushing feet, panting breath and the voice swelled, ululated, and trilled
winded cry of Leopold Mahler running out of the into the night, octave upon octave,
blackness into the light of the hurricane lamp his eyes closed, his cup stretched out
shouting, “I have news, I have news!!” and up.
“Has Ben-Gurion declared independence – yes And as he concluded the final con-
or no?” asked Elisha Linder, beside himself. secration, “Blessed are Thou O L-rd
Mahler took a deep breath and solemnly said, Who has hallowed the Shabbat,”
“David Ben-Gurion declared independence this he rose on tiptoe, his arm stiff-
afternoon in Tel Aviv. The Jewish state comes ened, and rocking back and forth,
into being at midnight.” voice trembling with emotion, he
added the triumphantly exulted
There was dead silence. Even the air seemed to blessing to commemorate this
be holding its breath. And then the air exploded
into joyful tears and laughter. Every breast first day of independence: “...
shehecheyanu vekiyemanu vehi-
filled with exultation as we pumped hands and gianu lazman hazeh” – “Blessed
embraced and roared the Hatikvah at the tops
of our voices. are You, L-rd our G-d, King of
the Universe Who has given
“Hey Mahler,” shouted Elisha, cutting through us life, sustained us, and
the hullabaloo. “Our state – what’s its name?” brought us to this time.”

The violinist stared back blankly, “I don’t know. “Amen!”
I didn’t think to ask.”
WWW.NBN.ORG.IL • 1-866-4-ALIYAH • ALIYAH@NBN.ORG.IL “You don’t know!” Mahler shook his head. “How

about Yehuda?” suggested someone, “After all,  Published by The Toby
Press, an imprint of Koren
WORKING IN PARTNERSHIP TO BUILD A STRONGER ISRAEL THROUGH ALIYAH King David’s kingdom was called Yehuda.”
Publishers Jerusalem.

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