A Night of Chizuk in Beit Shemesh Including Rabbi Goldberg

R tells there's a nation that's scattered around your country your countries and kazal tell us Now's the Time to attack because they're Maura mafus there's Discord and they're not connected but what humm did in understand is that deep down we are connected we are one and wherever we find ourselves in the worlds we know we're family tonight's about celebrating that as I'm sure some of us will talk about that but as I introduce Rabbi gibber it's really it's very special for us for all is and Isel I'm on a number of WhatsApp groups and all the ranim from are trying to come are figuring out a way to come because that's what they want to feel part of it they want to be part of it they want to show the love and we cherish we cherish the effort and the exhaustion we know both of you came in this morning and you've had a whirlwind day I wouldn't be able to keep my eyes open but we thank you very much for the M neish of sharing words of Torah with us and uh should give us all in the presence of my revered and beloved colleague Rabbi efim Goldberg and my revered and beloved colleague Rabbi Josh bro I can't begin to tell you what it feels for me for us to be here tonight with all of you sure we traveled the great distance to be here and yes we didn't sleep much we went the breath and the width of today I stand here before you humbled inspired very motivated because today I stand Here representing my community the bajur center community the hundreds of men and women the hundreds of children who I represent in being here I'm giving voice and expressing our worry our angst our connection our dedication our solidarity oh on the face of the soldiers among the hundreds of letters that we gave out today the hundreds of letters to the soldiers specifically written to soldiers with pictures of all of the children so that the soldiers should see the face of children doing for them writing for them worrying for them wondering about them and I stand here in solidarity with the bone synagogue Community the bone Jewish Community where we stand with you in there is no place that I would rather be there is no place that we would rather be we stand with you we cry with you we're hopeful with you and together we'll gain some perspective this evening this evening of kuk here in bees I want to tell you that even though this has been dubbed auk mission for us to come as though that would be possible I'll tell you we're not here but a day and already the that we have been in receipt of it's enormous to see the resiliency to hear the stories of Hope and determination without compromise to speak to those soldiers wounded in battle defending their brothers and sisters the first responder to walk in the face of imminent danger wondering if whether or not while he was struck by a bullet wondering if he himself would perish in that very spot reciting shma is waiting for hours wondering what would be with the terrorists to understand and the the power The Passion of to see the determination the grit from the border in the North to the border at the Gaza Strip and all around ER Israel and as we are all called as reservists here in the B the resiliency of the soldier that we met just a few hours ago on morning was meant to name his daughter his ninth child and we got the call he ran right to basee took his nesek and he went into action it was only that M shabis that he called his wife to tell her the name of the child because he went to name his daughter at base with his comrades the resiliency The Unbelievable resiliency of the Jewish people the heroes of the IDF it's extraordinary and the the togetherness something that I don't believe anybody here has seen the of we brought as I'm sure now most of not all of you know 102 duffel bags on Sunday in our schul and at bone synagogue there were hundreds of people that were packing all types of supplies lists of supplies that were needed all around Israel there was no compromise of how much needed to be raised tens of thousands of dollars muman pressed into our hands to give out to locations to people who needed because we are one as said the response to the thought that we are fractured and splintered it's not the case but rather we're people that is strong and resilient Theus the togetherness it's unbelievable to witness it's unbelievable to see to such an extent as the AK that this past Sunday morning when I was supervising all of the various supplies they put in certain bags and duffles to be labeled and inventory I was standing in the back of the sh and I happen to have seen that there were two ladies that were packaging and they're putting into a duffel supplies but what I hadn't realized until I took a double take is that these two very ladies had not been talking to each other for nearly 10 years they had not been talking to each other for nearly 10 years in a serious and significant so much so much so much and somehow they found themselves packing the same bag and they didn't even realize that they were packing the same bag they were so intent and so focused they were so focused on what they were doing they were thinking about you and they were thinking about our brothers and sisters here in ER Israel and they were worrying and they were so determined and so focused that they didn't even realize that their Nemesis their adversary the person that they despised and spoke ill of and would never ever send their children to have play dates with the others children here they were packing a duffel bag together and then they realized that they were packing the duffel bag together and they just simply couldn't help but fall into each other's arms and they started to cry and they simply embraced and anybody who was there including myself we started to cry because the story was known and the m was over over a duffel bag packing supplies for it wasn't until this moment that the and the that was felt so profoundly how much it meant how much it's the call of the day how much it's going to carry the day and what it means for us to be here tonight I would say that perhaps this as the Batum explains is the Clarion call of Who We Are are what it is that we stand for who it is that we are meant to be what it is that we represent the PK tells us in the beginning of saer shos in shos of the greatest spiritual interception in the history of our people when the Torah tells us that baby mosenu is he is floating a drift and he is floating a drift to his own demise and the tells us and of courses we're all familiar with the story story she sees this basket of this baby and she doesn't yet know what's happening and she extends her arm is she tells us quoting the me this extension of arm and she intercepts this basket of this child and she sees this this y the child is crying and she's able to ascertain and she has Mercy on this child and she's able to say this is a Jewish child but of course if you stop for a moment and you T you explain you define these words in this PK you'll know that there are two words that seemingly describe the same person it seems as though baby Moshe is who she found and baby Moshe who she found crying the problem is that the word Y and canote two different stages the development of a child yeled is a Katan is a little boy and a Nar is a lad slightly older and the Batum explains that it's not talking about the same person it's talking about two different people in this very famous well-known P it's talking about two different people the yed is mosenu and the Nar was his older brother was our own and now according to the B we have to understand now reread the the tells us she opened it up and she saw she saw but MOS he was not cry cing maybe he was soothed by the rhythmic motion of the water he wasn't crying but off to the side there was a Nar there was an older brother it was Aon who was standing off to the side and he was crying and in that very powerful moment when there was a child and then there was a Nar who was crying over the child it was in this moment it was in this very precious moment she has Mercy on this child V and she's able to say aha this must be a Jewish child V she says what makes mosu recognizable as a Jew as an iy is that there's another Jew that's crying for him the welfare what's going to be will he survive what's his future going to be we cry for each other we worry about each other we stand for each other and we stand with each other that is what defines us as Jews and to tell you the truth the reason why we came here tonight and these few days before we head back Thursday night back for chabas is to just simply stand with you is to give hugs to you to give kisses to tell you that we stand with you and we know that you stand with us and that we could not be more proud of you to you're strong you're passionate you're powerful needs you to be here we're daving for you we hope to meet you here we're trying to inspire our kilos to be here together with you you are our heroes we know it's hard for you for your children for your grandchildren friends and family many of you have relatives and service front lines no like this sh and all schs we D in for your for your family for our family the heroes of the Israeli Defense Forces Around the Clock we have tum chat that is literally firing in our show we finished over a 100 times to we finished multiple MOS people taking on mitzvos I've given out Pairs and pairs of toin and I'm not kabad nothing wrong with kabad but Pairs and pairs of Fillin to people who have never put on Fillin before because the call of the time it's resounding and we're resilient and the and the and the togetherness and the unity that we feel that we've come here to share and to stand with you and to stand with each other we have your backs and you have ours this isn't your circumstance nor your War this is ours and we are together and we will fight we're called as reservists and we can we must and we will I'll just leave you with what I was left with on my way to the airport before I left early early Monday morning our 99-year-old buen Wald Holocaust Survivor mayor Rapaport should live and be well he pulled me to the side very early and we left very early and I met him very very early he said to me Rabbi tell the Jews in ER Israel my number tell the Jews that I was in banal with rabbi is tell the Jews and ARS Israel the persecution and the Holocaust and the pagram and the rallying University campuses around the United States tell them that the media bias tell them that that the Jewish people are strong we face and stare down the enemy as long as we are strong tell that we will persevere and we will overcome the stories and the ISM the acts of unity in the gathering tonight and the Gathering tomorrow night and the Gathering in shs and the strengthening of our conviction and our character it's what's going to carry the day so on behalf of Mayor Rapaport on behalf of my community in the bone Jewish community on behalf of diaspora jewry on behalf of every single one of us in in we say to you stay strong be strong because I'm [Applause] you know many of us uh obviously have children in the in the SAA but those who don't aren't always connected and don't always think about our every single day except in times like this rabi besides being a r ches r who made Aliah who inspired people's daily with his Torah he is also very involved in inspiring at all different times of their service being part of the salash staff doing so much to bring Ras to all of our all of our frontliners whatever they might need we have tremendous aaro for all the work that you do uh both spiritually and physically Hashem should give you kak to continue youres and we are very privileged to have you here tonight to share some words thank Robbie Rosner the entire community and this wonderful kahila for opening up your home and opening up your hearts to the Greater beish raish Community and that we are so privileged to be joined and honor to be joined by Kim from the boaron community AB gibber RAB Goldberg it's really such a pleasure and honor to be here with you like so many of you in a very real and personal way my life was changed on Simas Tor morning like so many of you in this room I have multiple children who were called from hakos to go to their base to the front lines we have two sons in the North and a beloved son-in-law from bees in the South like so many of you haven't had a good night's sleep in two and a half weeks like so many of you I've lost about 9 lbs not all has been bad and like so many of you I worry constantly I've been asked more than once both in my community inesh through my work with Tash that R rasner alluded to and in various other forums to share my story to give some perspective and I always have emphasized that our story my children's story it's not unique and we're not special we're one of hundreds and thousands of families in erit Israel going through the same thing I know this evening was dubbed an evening of kiz I think it's the third or fourth such event that I've been a privileged to be a part of in each one of them I have felt and even to some extent articulated the same thing I don't feel strong how am I supposed to give you strength when I'm not strong I'm scared I'm not depressed but I'm scared and not just for my sons and my son-in-law how many of you are like me you look at your children at home I look at my beautiful grandson and I have to chase away the dark thoughts I'm not strong how am I supposed to give you if I can't be myself and yet each time I've been asked I've done my best to say something not because I feel like I have what to say but if I can Echo a famous comment of R cook I talk not because I need or want to talk but because I can't be silent we are gathering tonight in a way very different than some of the I'm sure like in our community and in bokeh and in bees I'm sure immediately after Simas Tor there were big tahim rallies Anda Gatherings and that was one kind of experience we were still completely shocked by what we were reading and I assume that all of you like me just presume that probably imminently would be an invasion and for reasons that are above anyone's pay grade in this room I assume we find ourselves at a period of limbo do you know that there are a half a million soldiers right now around the country 200,000 in Sadir the standing army and 300,000 miluim that were called up within a day or two they're just waiting where waiting and we pray that our leaders have the sataya to make the right decisions not only about what to do but about when to do it but We Gather in a certain sense of limbo and everyone I assume not just me and my family everyone is asking the same question when are we going to go in the soldiers are asking you don't have to have inside knowledge to know that the generals are asking Amel is onus when are they going to go in so I have a secret to tell you we're already in we're already in because you have to understand that the battle is being fought on two levels the shortterm immediate enemy is is Kamas the shortterm immediate war is in Gaza maybe it'll be in the north we hope not but that's the shortterm immediate War and the short-term immediate mission is peace peace from strength peace with security that is true that's the short-term immediate war and we're waiting to to go in but there's also a long-term War there's a long-term enemy that isn't from without but is from within the long-term War has not lasted 2 and A2 weeks but 2,000 years our enemy in the long term isn't Hamas but sinum it's the oldest enemy the Jews have had it's been our Achilles heel since the time of Bay sheni and the mission for the old and long War isn't defeat it isn't vanquishing Kamas it isn't peace the mission of the long war is AK is being together and the secret weapon that we have in the the long War isn't the Iron Dome or the space lasers or who knows what tricks sahal have up their sleeve the secret weapon is AAS Israel and on that war we're already in and we've been fighting since Simas Torah the front is not the South it's not even the north the front is throughout the entire Jewish World we're at war with what has been the longest enemy that has plagued the Jewish people and we're winning we are winning already as was alluded to so eloquently by Rabbi gibber there is no one in this room I say that without any shred of Doubt who has experienced even a cintilla of the level of aus that we have seen over the last 2 and 1/2 Weeks not long after we made Aliyah was the terrible Summer of the kidnapping and the murder of the three boys and what came after that and there was incredible akas in the Jewish World then and certainly in Israel and it doesn't even come close to the akas that I and we are all feeling and experiencing over these last 2 and 1/2 Weeks there aren't 500,000 soldiers that are 16 million soldiers because every one of us every one of us is not a reservist but on the front line and we are combat soldiers in the war for abas for akas and we're already in and we are winning unprecedented AK inspiring Unforgettable AK many years ago I read a story I can't tell you I know all the details but it's one of those stories that's too good to verify and there was someone who came from a more litva background was actually a brilliant young Tom I won't mention the name in case I have the facts wrong but at least in the version of the story I'm familiar with who became exposed to sometime in the immediate aftermath of the Holocaust and the transition from Europe to America with a bunch of sat and others from Hungary he as was universally accepted in the greatest of lvas of the day was clean shaven and if he wore a hat it was gray of course the Hungarian Basim very different Outlook about many things but is you some of you may know satmer in particular most but satmer in particular particularly strident approach to the need for a beard they hold that shaving even with an electric shaver is an is and so probably two and this Wonder of didn't have a beard and they went to tell R satov and they were complaining they were Mis and the satov no less someone known for having passionate beliefs looked at his with love but condemnation and he said to them you know you're right taka one day when this gets up to sh they'll say to him re where's your beard but when you get up to shamayim they're going to say to you re beard where's your yid because no less than the s a rebi who got had strong views but he understood at the end of the day a Jew is a Jew is a Jew and we are family I want to share with you a beautiful and Powerful Insight of theam sof he's commenting on the tan Shalom make your order peaceful Shalom he explains in his commentary to thetically what the Torah what the tanak is telling us so powerfully is that in life everyone has a g everyone has a border a red line that they won't cross no matter how passionately they believe about a particular item and they're willing to go to the mat for it and fight for it but everyone has a goo a price that they're not willing to pay a line that they're not willing to cross and says theur for a lot of people it's their covered they'll do everything until the compromises are covered and all of a sudden they're willing to give up for other people it could be money for other people could be jealousy all sorts of things that people no matter how much they may sincerely feel about something but they won't go over that line says the the tanak is telling us shalom no matter how strongly you feel about something I'll read you his words because they're too powerful for me to paraphrase you believe in something strongly also had strong views you believe in something strongly and you're pursuing it because you believe in it but when you see says the that if you keep on pushing it it's going to lead to mlus disunity divisiveness po I think I'm a I think I know what's right but if that thing that I believe with all my fibers right is going to take me over the line of shalom shalom that has to be our red line for so many years for so many generations we couldn't get it we couldn't and it took the most UN imaginable horrific unspeakable Horrors from T from to lift the veil and to remind us of these fundamental Elemental truths Shalom that has to be our red line yes we believe in things we don't always agree and that's okay but a Jew is a Jew is a Jew and if your beliefs if your positions are going to lead to per toas to mariva that has to be the red line it's something that every one of us see so clearly today where were we 3 weeks ago and I'm speaking to myself as much as anybody else but aren't we all seeing so much more clearly now than we were I want to conclude if I could with a true story that just happened the other day Ray Rosner was kind enough to mention my work with salash which is a organization which didn't discover the IDF on Sim T we've been serving them for over 10 years providing emotional and spiritual and religious support for the so many people in this room and in our community have benefited and M will continue for so many years years to benefit from our services and just today as I've done so many times in the last two and a half weeks but just today I spent the late morning and early afternoon with a group of Golani soldiers all reservists who were called up and are currently based out of the yesu of AI in the shron for those of you who are familiar in the best of times it's not the nicest neighbor neighborhood Eli is beautiful but the neighbors not so much so we all understand if that's true in normal times given what's going on now in the South those areas are raging eight of the soldiers are guarding the ISU in fourman rotations and the rest are patrolling the area they told us that just before we got there overnight and this morning they arrested in their words 11 kamnik and they made sure to tell us don't let the world think that Hamas only exists in Gaza while we were there my colleague and the founder of Tasha parit Einhorn who's called up himself as a reservist and he's working in the raban stationed in seim very close to Gaza but for this he was pulled to give kiz and I joined him with the soldiers today he mentioned something that he had just experienced not that far from his base if I'm not mistaken and with this I leave you because it summarizes everything that I want to tell you I want to share with you and I know you're all feeling like me near an army base not that far from where he was the other night a large group ofid came and they brought sandwiching Burger Ranch schnitzel all sorts of things to give out to theim of course were filled with gratitude and they asked one of these K people who had come to give them the sandwiches what is your name to which he responded Amel Kel we can't forget that truth next time someone asks you I know it'll be a little awkward to say like at the grocery store oh you're a new member I haven't seen you in SCH what's your name Kim if you do that and they don't invite you for shabas lunch don't blame me a little EQ I expect from a sophisticated crowd but we need to remember this truth deep inside every one of us we all share the same DNA and we share the same name an David Le I'm [Applause] is [Applause] the Bali muster point out that every single one of us was born in a specific generation for a specific purpose at a specific moment our birthday literally our birthday is the moment that akes baru decided the world can no longer exist without you because this generation needs you there might not be another person on the planet that uses everything that this generation has to inspire to uplift to spread Torah to connect throughout the globe and from his sh in bokeh Torah goes throughout the world so Amel really owes a debt of gratitude and we are special to have RAB Goldberg with us many years ago we spent the summer together in Camp m a lifetime ago but um really it's very special to have one of the great marbit Torah of Our Generation here in our Sho tonight to share some words I was going to begin by thanking Rabbi rner until he offered that introduction which I'm glad that my mother is here so one person in the room believed it but it is a great to be [Music] here someone we all look up to as an outstanding and how much Torah proliferates around the world from this rle and from him my dear friend P just this summer we were communicating we should do a program together salash Israel BRS we've got to really do something together and neither of us imagined ever it would be this and I would travel anywhere in the world with Rabbi gibber Rabbi Brody my dear friends more than just colleagues really brothers to be on this special trip together I want to also acknowledge and thank era and Alex Katz instrumental in putting this evening together the bottom line I felt long before I stood up here but certainly after hearing in the esteemed rabam is how grossly inadequate I am to even be speaking to you a night of we who live in the comfort and safety we who see our children sleeping in their bed or checking on them wherever they are knowing they'll be able to answer our call we have the audacity the the brazenness to come here and think that we can offer you so I'm not here to give I'm not in a position I'm not qualified none of us who came from outside of Israel can offer to those who are the Target and those who are sacrificing to those whose children are in the front lines to those who are living and breathing and experiencing this war so why are we here simply here to to deliver a message in person because we couldn't stay away we couldn't stay apart frankly I'm embarrassed and ashamed how long it took to get here and to be here you could get from the baggage handler at Boran airport this morning when we thank them for helping us with the bag said you could thank me if you please will Davin for those who are sick and injured and taken captive and those who gave their lives you can get from mik r g mentioned T sh hospital today who we met was lying in bed with multiple wounds because literally the story of a volunteer Shir of four in the community of schlomit next to khuta answered the call and greeted 10 terrorists more than double their number two of them fell he was shot in the side the bullet came out and hit his arm I w't have to tell you about the medical treatment and what they needed to do from his leg in order to save his arm but he described to us that they were able to take down some of the terrorists others ran away but he lay there on the ground for hours hours losing blood knowing that he was the only thing blocking these terrorists from going door to door in his yeshu family to family the pgrs and the atrocities that we've come to know way too well he lay there for 2 hours waiting and wondering if those terrorists would return would he survive survive he just said shma for 2 hours straight and you'd expect him to say when this is over I'm moving a b at home with you when I'm out of this hospital when I'm Healed I'm going to find some more comfortable place I'm not sure where that is right now in the center of the country but it's not what he said to us together with his wife Leia he said the day I get out of this hospital I'm returning to schlomit to build the next phase of our community to add more homes to grow the Jewish presence and I'm going to begin preparing for Sim t t for next year's Sim Tor because we're going to go back to the same spot that same place and we're going to dance with those toras and we're going to celebrate you want to get meet with the soldiers one of the not even a reservist in the ago unit who heard the news and grabbed his gun and drove down into danger without it being his responsibility the extraordinary people that we met today so I'm not here to give you your mere presence in this room where you are living and breathing every moment of every day of these days gives us extraordinary I and we came simply to in person deliver a message to deliver a hug to tell you how much we love you and how much we think about you and how much we are you we're not a third party watching from afar feeling sympathy and empathy we are united we are together we are one our lives have not been normal we have not become adjusted to this reality we've not returned to a routine and we won't until you can tell us Shir we took the name and number of these soldiers and promised their mother that this wasn't a one-time visit it's not a photo op it's not to boost or cheer him up but we will continue to stay in touch we will continue to be involved we will continue to build a relationship a biger mentioned that we travel with 102 duffel bags we could have had many multiples of that number Al told us it was the record and you've never seen in the back of the ticket 102 little baggage claim stubs which I have and I'm going to be framing from my office at home we had to beg our community stop stop die you can't bring anymore we are not allowed any more cargo you know who gives you Al Israel's Airline who's gone to extraordinary efforts and I don't think is being recognized nearly enough for their cooperation an airline not historically known necessarily for making easy Arrangements but has gone out of its way the person who runs the alal in Miami told us there's another holy Jew in Florida joose volon he sends 25 bags a day no people with it just puts 25 bags a day he had to tell Joe not today there's a group from bokeh they're taking up all the cargo elow giving an enormous discount on those bags allowing us to take much greater than the usual weight allotment that's who gives us we're not here to give you we're here to give you a hug we're here to tell you how much we love you we're here to tell you that our lives will not go back to normal we were on the Lebanon border today meeting extraordinary soldiers sleeping in the woods whether it's raining or cold we were inside one of their tanks trying to imagine what it would be like to be wearing all that gear surrounded by 12 people in that claustrophobic Hot Space charged with going to fight and defend the people and nation and the soldier who was talking to us inside that T said with such resolve and tenacity with such confidence and Clarity he said we're going to win because we've always won and because we have no choice but to win and we will not leave and will we not go home until we know our families are safe and then he continued and he said and if sahal says we're done it's time to go home but we don't think our families are safe we're not going anywhere we'll still be here here will still be on the line we still be on this front so I want to tell you your brothers and sisters in America in Florida and boaton but I'm pretty confident in describing around the world how we feel how connected we feel how much love we feel and also how much concern and fear not in the same universe as you not in the same ballpark or category Beyond comparison but we too wake up in the middle of the night to check the news to check on our family the r defining the mitvah of writes that after reciting forem a person continues with bakha with the request and supplication it's a very clumsy expression you ask for the needs that he needs it's repetitive it's redundant it's clumsy sounds even more awkward in the translation he asks for the needs that he needs why does the rambam describe it that way theur explains that at the root at the core of genuine and authentic prayer is a sense of need a personal need something missing being incomplete not whole a need a need that's beyond our control a need that's beyond our capacity a need in which we surrender and submit to the rebon to the almighty Hashem I need you I can't do this without you you don't just recite a script you don't just deliver a text a liturgy but you have to genuinely authentically feel desperation you have to feel that you need Hashem it's an indispensable element of turning to Hashem from a sense of vulnerability and fragility from a sense of utter dependence from relying on him all together if a person feels self-sufficient a person feels self-confident a person feels I've got it it's in my control I can take care of it then whatever words they might utter with their lips don't carry the meaning of because is you don't just say the words but you have to feel that you need that you miss that your absence something that he and only he can deliver theur with this understanding of the ra is explaining A peculiar comment of the mar the maral says that you're not allowed to DAV it on behalf of someone else praying for others is not an effective it's not a legitimate form of by definition has to be something that you are offering and asking from yourself and the is very difficult to understand because it's our entire collective experience to regularly dve in for one another long before s t before October 7th every time we heard someone is sick every time we heard someone is in a situation of Crisis we doav we get a name we're on a list we're part of a group and we doav for others all the time it's part of what it means to be part of the Jewish people part of a Jewish community so what does the maral mean when he said says ding is inauthentic unless it's something you need it comes from you the S offers the most magnificent Insight he says ding has to be something that we need if you're ding for the other person because you feel bad for them because you have sympathy for them because your heart aches for them but it's not something that's painting you you're not incomplete you're not screaming in pain that's not ding the only legitimate and accurate and authentic definition of also and even when you do it for someone else is because they're not someone else they're you if they're hurting you're hurting if they're scared you're scared if they're worried you're worried if they're in danger you're in danger if they're wounded you're wounded F around the world and that's the message I came here to tell you in person we're not doing for you we feel bad for you we're following the story about you we're doing for ourselves because we are you you are us we are one the left hand doesn't do in for the right hand when the right hand is injured or hurt they're one entity they're one organic ho and that is claur that is who we are We Are One United people we are we are one whole that is our feeling that is our concentration that is our focus a commander of the unit in the north today told us that he's afraid he's not afraid of the enemy all we saw today from the injured soldiers and those on the front line is resolve and tenacity and fierce faith and Clarity of mission and purpose their families are worried and Afraid and I'm sure they have their moments too I don't think they were putting on a face for us I think it's who they are and what they feel right now this Commander shared he's not afraid of the enemy he's afraid that right now the Jews of the diasp they're sending letters they're delivering packages they're packing supplies and they're even coming to visit he said but this war is not going to be in his estimation a matter of days or weeks it's going to or could last for months and will we continue to visit will we continue to write will our lives continue to be interrupted will we continue to change our Simas and our daily behavior and our routine of what we Post online and how we live offline of what are our priorities are we sensitive are we caring are we compassionate are we callous and are we cruel he's afraid he's afraid the world will move on and they will be left continuing to fight and I assured him we assur him and we are assuring you no one is moving on we're not here for a three-day Mission we're here to see how in two or three or four weeks we could bring back three buses from our community and a month after them another bus and that we can continue to come and hopefully leave some who will stay and move and place their lot where we all belong not a question of if but when so we're not doing for you out of sympathy or empathy as a third party who feels bad for what you're going through we are you you are us we are one we are united we are together the author of The was a Hungarian R staunchly anti-zionist before the Holocaust but as he lived through those atrocities he had an entire about face he radically pivoted his position his perspective on returning and founding a state of Israel coming to our homeland and he authored a book that quotes an incredible incredible range of sources all by heart all on the Run called and in there he says an Insight we D every day in our we ask for the in gathering of the Exiles that we should all move and we should come in a message we continue to repeat over and over as I just said is not if but when all of us there are legitimate excuses or reasons not yet to live in Israel but there no legitimate reasons not to be grappling with when we DAV for that kibs Gus for that day when we'll all be United not because we're running away from something but we're running towards somewhere but of writes even in that dark place he says kib Gallos is not only Geographic it's not only physic physical it's not only when we are together kibot Gus is when Jews around the world wherever they are are thinking about our focused on are drawn to can't concentrate on anything else I have trouble giving shiram in our community because they disconnect from the news for a whole hour to not know what will be when the sheir is over to find out what was going on that's a form of kibod Gallos when Jews around the world are united as R Gotti described winning the war of unity and togetherness of coming together but I want to deliver another message of unity not only with your Jewish brothers and sisters around the world there's a lot to be worried about and frankly being here for 12 hours has made me confident while certainly there's a lot to fear that Israel is going to be okay Israel is going to be just fine with the IDF the with all of you behind them Israel will persevere Israel will Triumph Israel will emerge Victorious Israel will be okay but what will be with college campuses in America what will be with the streets of our communities what will be with some people in Congress what will be with a Legacy Media that simply abandoned all the rules of Journalism to spread a blood liel what will be what will be with people who can pull down posters of children who are being held hostage what will be in America in France and England and Germany and Australia and South Africa Israel is going to be okay I'm not asking you to start saying to hilum for us but I don't know how far off we are from that but I want you to know that with all those challenges and all those troubling indications there's enormous support and love from the president demonstrating a commitment to come in the middle of a war but much more locally I can't tell you how many people told me that they're non-jewish housekeepers landscapers and Painters gave them some cash and said this this is for Israel I'll read to you a letter I got just today to the congregation of batone synagogue this email this letter was on paper came from Pastor Steven goundry of a local church once again I feel the need to let you all know that in your hour of trial you have friends that care for you who daily hold you in their hearts at this Dreadful time please be assured you are deeply loved and that you are the chief subject of many prayers May the words of one of your own prophets it's comfort you today and then he went on you know it's not Jewish cuz he quoted from the navi he went on to quote from Isaiah yours truly Pastor Steven goundry would we take the time to write a letter to a local other Faith going through a hard time you don't only have brothers and sisters in the Jewish Community but decent moral good people of which there are still so many they love you they're thinking about you housekeepers taking a piece of what they made that day not much but something that hurts them just to help you and help us it means something it means something I had a lot more to share but the hour is already getting late so I'll end with this as we're all observing and noticing this horrific atrocity one we'd never want or welcome and we'd give anything in the world to have not experienced has not created but revealed truths all along of how we feel for one another how we can live with one another the selfless we can do for one another our enemies thought they were going to crush us and destroy us exterminate us and eliminate us from The River To The Sea and hamas's Charter Jews around the world which makes this war ours as much as yours and there aren't words to capture our debt of gratitude for your being on the front line to fight the war that targets us as well we know it we live it we believe it we feel it we're grateful for it they thought they could terrorize and fear they drive you and us from this land they would Splinter our people that we would simply melt and dissolve away but little did they know the heart of the Jewish people little could they know what this would reveal and bring out how Fierce and strong not only physically and mighty we are but spiritually and interpersonally and in our promises I'll make you a great nation I'll bless you I'll make you great and you'll be a blessing and those who bless you will be blessed and those who curse you will be cursed I wish some of our fellow Jews believed in that PK as much as some of the evangelicals in America those who bless you will be blessed and those who curse you will be cursed but the PK is not consistent it's not congruous it's not parallel the root of both those who bless you will be blessed is and those who curse you why didn't it say those who curse you I will curse why do we switch the word I saw from raos the great leader of Aura he said the word aor comes from the word or light and the way this PK should be read as as follows those who bless you will be blessed the housekeepers and the painters and the landscapers the overwhelming majority of the members of Congress the journalists who have some ethics left to them those celebrities and athletes who've used their status to stand for truth those who are blessing us they will be blessed and those who curse you or they will be enlightened to who we are or light they will be enlight lightened they will see the tenacity the ferociousness the fierceness they will see the resolve and the resilience they will see the unity they will see the clarity of mission and of purpose Hashem is saying bless the Jewish people you will be blessed but curse them come at them attack them or I will Enlighten you and I will Enlighten them to what they are capable of to who they are to what they are about that's who we are that's what we're about and that is why we are here we're humbled by this opportunity and really come simply to give you this hug literally figuratively to give a big Collective hug and to not let go even when we get on that plane we'll walk away backwards still hugging and even when we return where right now we feel we need to be we will still be hugging and davening and interrupting will still be intertwined and one not feeling sympathy and empathy for another but asking for all the because this is our need it's not a favor we're doing for anyone else this is who we are you are doing the favor for us in this front line I'm thank you so much for having us [Applause] some of the ideas will be repetitive but that's what happens when you're fourth speaker I've had this clus of being involved in and shaped by Major Torah centers for the past 40 years I was on the Yu campus for 20 years em bibing and growing from all my amazing reum and for the past 15 years I've been teaching inas here in Israel Torah aod giving shim that's what my life has been about barem and then came that awful day the day that seared into our Memories Forever without even knowing what exactly was happening putting my son Abraham into a car and watching him drive off to gather his soldiers put my son Yoshua into another car watching him drive off to join his pluga hearing that my son Amai was driving up from the north to the South all of my rinic training my SM my and did not and could not prepare me for those moments but I saw it in my boys that they were prepared they knew what this meant they recognized the savasha and they jumped at the opportunity what was it that they knew that they felt that they believed that I was missing that I was lacking and I realized that I was nurtured trained and shaped in the world of R salvic and that is amazing and wonderful and still guides my every moment of learning and shim it was that Torah of religious Zionism after all that motivated my wife and me to bring our family here 15 years ago but here now in this era in this country I needed to tap into Tores Israel an additional world view that could help us cope and deal with the present situation that of course is the Outlook of Ru cook and how he teaches me to see the cataclysmic events surrounding me though I am not a trained or a seasoned tment of of cook I will share one crucial message that he gives us for our times in or R cook writes mashiach Wars of am Israel represent very powerful even uplifting moments and they are part of the Divine hand bringing the world to its ultimate state of redemption these major national events as difficult and as painful as they are are ultimately the harbinger of a brighter and stronger future Paving the way for the footsteps of mashia we say every morning Bal Hashem is the bamos and that leads into zos yes B and we end up the leads to a new light it's all Paving the way but how do we tap into this process this Outlook this Vision Ru cook explains that our Outlook has to change my Outlook has to change from one of the pr to one of the claw yes of course to focus on the pr in terms of our our our are making sandwiches our tying tizas we focus on the PR but in our overall zooming out from every news story and each detail of what's going on and recognizing that I'm Israel right now is on the move on the move forward towards our ultimate destiny and we must view ourselves as part of that awesome and eternal arm this is not a fight against the state of Israel and its soldiers as R Goldberg mentioned we saw two weeks ago lmid LaRog as it's a fight against the nation of Israel wherever they are in this country or throughout the worlds and now we are fighting and defending as a claw as an AM has been abah isov our thoughts then must be channeled positively to that caused focused on and is this is the message that a gave to go battle defend our people but always remember the context remember the higher person purpose remember who to connect yourself to and it's even an explicit rambam I always understood this rambam as only for active soldiers which it definitely does relate to but ruk teaches us that it's also for each and every Jew B whether they are at the on the Forefront are or the the support behind those front lines the ra once the battle starts lean on the hope of Israel and he will save you we're acting for God lay it all out don't think about your family not only explains ref cook because it might be distracting but no because when you're fighting and there's a war we're not individuals we're not even many families we're one family and he ends up with the words of the Rah teaches us that our Focus must be that we are part of we are not this is not the story about this this family this act of heroism of course we need to relate to the pr and there'll be time for that and support and visit and pray and appreciate each one but in terms of our Outlook the greater picture this is and our Focus must be this is what my boys and all our boys felt and feel at this time it's in their blood it's in their upbringing I am a part of I'm not a I am and I'm ready and proud to serve my people what a feeling of of of sense of purpose and Destiny and I must say as has been said never have we seen in our lifetimes the feeling of aus the feeling of the am as we do now right left no more labels no more sex only am Israel only the Jewish people have 165,000 return to their country in the first week of the war how could I not come back Thailand will wait only am Israel has members who dance and sing am Isel as they get ready for their future battles only am Israel have individuals who save whole communities and they sayum only am Isel could have families who make weddings for their sons while another son of theirs is missing his whereabouts unknown only am Isel could have non kosher restaurants and anti cering their kitchens send meals to the DTI soldiers one family one nation one God one people in this we as a nation are fulfilling D ruk acting as an am and not just and this is our greatest as has been quoted by many it's a medish it's also thei at the beginning of the days of a great right individuals they learned a lot of Torah but because they were fractured because they couldn't get along with each other they lost in the battlefield was no great but because they were one they fought and prevailed our greatest strength is in our Unity our Oneness our Focus not on personal pain and anxiety as natural and as hard as it is and we're human but realizing that this is about am Isel this isn't about me my family my community this is all about us and Hashem has promised that he will always be with us he will always watch over his arm he Lo Isel if we're having sleepless nights he's there with us despite the hardship the anxiety the sleepless nights I we feel a tremendous privilege and aakar for allowing us to be here in ER Israel Med Israel being able to take part in shaping our destiny and not just watching from the side lines I know there'll be people listening watching afterwards I say to a is and first of all thank you thank you for your support thank you for your love for your tremendous hugs but one thing that you could start thinking about and doing even more you could serious think about joining us here so many people have voed to me they're feeling distant lacking missing something yes it's a step removed so I say come use this moment as a shasa koser seriously consider and plan they took 1,400 of our Brethren let's bring 14,000 or more to show our love not just for Amel but for ER Israel join this amazing startup this miracle that is Medina Israel to dwell in the palace so let's learn from our boys learn from each other from RF cook we need to think of the larger picture We Are One we are let's mentally connect to the which then brings us to the and through [Applause] [Music] that [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] all