Our Sages noted that this rich word of praise was first used when David saw the downfall of the wicked (Brachos 9b). With the assassination of the wicked and murderous Hezbollah terror chief Nasrallah, we must say Halleluka, giving praise to God. We are grateful to God and to the beloved and dedicated soldiers of the IDF who continue to fight to eradicate the vicious evil surrounding Israel.
We are grateful and we must express that gratitude, but we are in no mood of celebration. We cannot celebrate because the war is not over and the men and women of the IDF continue to put their lives on the line while their families anxiously await their safe return. We cannot celebrate while tens of thousands continue to be refugees in their own land and while many more live under the constant threat of rocket fire. And we cannot celebrate while the hostages continue to languish in the tunnels of Gaza.
We cannot celebrate. But we can pray in the words of the prophetess Devorah: “Kein yovdu kol oyvecha Hashem, thus may all Your enemies perish, Hashem.”
As we approach Rosh Hashana, we must come together with love for each other and with a shared commitment to the downfall of our true enemies. While joy may be warranted at the downfall of villainous antisemites, we must refuse to build enmity between Jews. We are one nation, and we need each other.
Our Selichot prayers frequently invoke the image of the hostage pleading and yearning for freedom and conclude with the heartfelt plea to God: “We beseech You, in Your abundant mercy, heal our overwhelming pain, so that we are not annihilated in captivity.” We thus pray for the fulfillment of the divine promise we read this Shabbos (Devarim 30:3), “the Lord your God will bring your captives back and have compassion on you; and He will again gather you from among all those where He has scattered you.”
Let us gather to express sincere gratitude to Hashem for the downfall of the wicked and pray to Him that He bring the hostages home, the soldiers home, the refugees home, and all of us together b’ahavat Yisrael.
Sincerely,
Rabbi Moshe Hauer
Executive Vice President
It’s a real bizayon TLS which considers itself a Lakewood publication is promoting a letter from a Rabbi of the Modern Orthodoxy!
Do you really think lashon hara right before the Yom Hadin is a wise move?
The above letter writer ( I won’t even type his silly choice of a name) is clearly not well.
Let’s not gang up on him for not looking in the mirror.
May he have a refua shleima.
Learn a little something about Rabbi Hauer. But more importantly, if you have such strong issues with rabbi Hauer and people of his ilk I have for you an opinion from Rav Belsky ZATZAL, dating back over 20 years ago. When Rav Belsky came out strongly against the Boro Park Eruv, people said that all piskei Halacha of Rav Belsky should be ignored. His response to them was, stop eating anything and everything, because everyone relies on his psakim for all types chemicals used in foods you eat daily. Thus, no matter what you eat, you are relying on the OU for basic food products you eat daily. Rabbi Hauer is one of the senior poskim in the OU. if he’s so terrible, who are you relying on when you bring milk into your house. The chemicals used in the pasteurizing process are all under the OU. Get over yourself and realize that while the shul where he’s a rav is modern orthodox, he himself can compete with anyone you know in kol hatorah kulah. Same with many rabinim who lead Modox communities.
I do think this has very strong zionist tendencies. I did not appreciate it at all. More appropriate to daven to to the Eibishter for all of klal yisroel that live in Eretz Yisroel – who are ALL in danger. If there is one thing that we can learn from this long war is how ONLY Hashem can help Klal Yisroel. In the last two weeks we finally see how success from Hashem looks like. So while we cheer on those that are killing our murderers, no need to make it sound like the IDF are the defenders of E’Y. I would thank Hashem that “despite” us not being totally ehrlich and committed to him – that he gave us Yeshuois. Hashem should continue to help Klal Yisroel and Eretz Yisroel and bzchus the limud Hatorah, the tefillos, and the ovodas Hashem of Klal Yisroel we continue to see nisim from Hashem until the eradication of all of our enemies and the full return to Hashem of the entire Klal Yisroel.
I disagree with your assessment that this is about Zionism. Though as a rav of a modox community, recognition of the fact that there are IDF soldiers on the front line and Jewish hostages, doesn’t equal zionism. being mispalel for fromnt line soldiers, even using a debatable tefila, isn’t the end of the world.
You should stay away from the Mir.
Rav Chaim Schmulevitz said that someone who does not have hakoras hatov to the soldiers of IDF?
“Has no place in my Bais Medrash!”