Weekly Dvar Torah: Jews at War and A Chassid’s Response
Why? How? What?
The list of questions is as long as from here to Australia.
How could this happen on such a Holy day as the joyous day of the year that Jews dance with the Torah?
The pain is excruciating, how can we deal with such a tragedy of having a bunch of savages murder Jews in such an atrocious manner?
Why, why, why?
If anyone thinks that he has the answer, I strongly advise him to keep it to himself!
It was so hard to dance on Simchas Torah as the horrible news trickled in, but Jews continued to hug and dance with the Torah, because this is what Torah says that we do on Simchas Torah. Some of my friends in Israel told me how when they went home because the shul had to close, they hugged and danced under fire with their Chitas and other holy books that they had at home.
So to try to explain and make sense out of this all, is stupid and cruel.
At the end of the day we are Jews, and we are Chassidim, and therefore we need to know what is our response, and what are we to do?
We have to thank G-d that he gave us the Rebbe who gave us clear instruction and direction as to what Chassidim have to do, and what Torah and Chassidus expects from us.
It was on the 13th of Tishrei 5734 (1973) during the Yom Kippur war. The Rebbe held a Farbrengen in honor of the Yahrzeit Hilula of the Rebbe Maharash, and the Rebbe started with the question; “how can we sit and hold a Farbrengen in a time when Jews are engaged in war?
“The answer is, that since today is the Yartzait of the Rebbe Maharash, and his slogan was to say that we have to behave in a manner of ‘לכתחילה אריבער’ (to rise above and higher than the natural order), we have to rise to a level higher than nature, and connect with the higher order which is not bound by nature. As we say about the Baal Shem Tov, in a Baal Shem Tov manner (which is a miraculous state of affairs).”
The Rebbe continues; “after this spiritual approach, we still need an explanation which is grounded in Halacha. Today we find ourselves during the days that we don’t say Tachanun, because these are days of joy, and the reason that we don’t need to say Tachanun, is because all that needs to be accomplished by saying Tachnun, is now being accomplished through our joyous behavior, which includes not saying Tachanun. This is something that applies not only to special people with high levels of spirituality, but this is a matter that is written in the siddur, which is equally applicable to the greatest people and even children. Everybody is on this level to be able to replace Tachanun with joy.
“This is a manner of ‘לכתחילה אריבער’, that everybody rises above the natural order, to the miraculous order.
“On the Pasuk in Tehilim (chapter 121,5) that reads: ‘ה’ צלך’ (G-d is your shadow), the Rebbe continues, that Reb Levi Yitzchock Barditchever (the great lover and defender of the Jewish people) explains in the name of the Baal Shem Tov, that Hashem acts as a shadow of every Jew. A shadow reflects the actions of the person’s movements. So whatever a Jew does, G-d reflects like a shadow. So when a Jew is joyous, G-d reflects in a manner of joy.
“This teaches us that when we behave according to the Torah, which tells us that during these days we must be joyous, G-d will make sure that things turn out in a way to bring us joy. And just like we don’t lose out by not saying Tachanun, because this is accomplished through joy. So too when Jews are fighting and they need our help, the proper way to help them is by being joyous.”
The Rebbe’s words are instructive and very clear. This terrible situation happened on the day of Simchas Torah, which is a day that Jews must by happy and dancing with the Torah. Torah tells us that the way to deal with the pain, and the way to beseech G-d to help us to win and end this terrible war, will be accomplished through joyous behavior, and not through crying or fasting, which is forbidden during these days.
Whatever we feel with our own limited mind, the pain, the anger, and perhaps even despair, must be pushed away, because these are days of joy. And when we feel it to be too difficult, we should rely on the Rebbe and reflect on his teachings, because he gave us the understanding and he empowered us to rise above our limitations.
When we rise above our limitations, Hashem will reflect our behavior by breaking all limitations, and He will perform the greatest miracles for a sure win and the success of the Jewish soldiers against the greatest evil of our times. Our response and contribution to the success of Israel, is to be joyous.
Rise higher and we will all see and witness the high miraculous hand of Hashem.
The way we behave on Shabbos Bereishis, so goes the rest of the year.
Have a joyous, miraculously infused Shabbos,
Gut Shabbos
Rabbi Yosef Katzman
