“RABBI’S MUSINGS (& AMUSINGS)”
Erev Shabbos Kodesh Parshas Shoftim
3 Elul 5784/ September 6, 2024
Pirkei Avos – Perek 1-2
MAMA RACHEL CRY
It wasn’t the way we envisioned or hoped. We so wanted to see Hirsh
Goldberg-Polin reunited with his family. No family should have to suffer as
they did. Perhaps we, in America, identified more with them because they and
Hirsh are American, and because we heard Hirsh’s parents speak so many times.
Perhaps we felt it more because Rachel, Hirsh’s mother, tugged at our emotions,
by openly personifying the Jewish mother, who will stop at nothing for her
child. Hirsh’s parents traveled, spoke, begged, encouraged, and basically
didn’t leave a stone unturned in their tireless efforts to get Hirsh out of the
Gaza inferno. But to our chagrin and national pain, that’s not the way Hirsh
was reunited with his family.
Along with 5 other precious hostages who suffered together for 332 days,
Hirsh was murdered, just hours before the IDF was able to reach them. The 6
bodies were brought back to Israel for burial.
The poignant words of the Navi Yirmiyah that we read in the haftorah of
the second day of Rosh Hashanah came to mind: “A voice is heard on high, Rachel
is crying for her children. She refuses to be consoled for her children because
they are not here.”
Yet, in her incredible eulogy, Rachel expressed gratitude (!) for the
gift of her son:
“I am so grateful to G-d. And I want to do hakarat hatov
and thank G-d right now in front of all of you for giving me this magnificent
present of my Hirsch. For 23 years, I was privileged to have the most stunning
honor to be Hirsch's mama. I'll take it and say thank you. I just wish it had
been for longer.”
The six grieving families, along with every other shattered family since
October 7, have wittingly and unwittingly inspired us with their relentless
dedication and refusal to give up on their loved ones. Hope is very much a
Jewish trait. So is the ability to forge on in the face of adversity and untold
anguish.
In Parshas Vayera the Torah relates that after Hagar was banished from
the home of Avrohom and Sarah, Hagar’s young son Yishmael became fatally ill.
The pasuk relates that Hagar, “cast him under one of the shrubs, for she said I
will not see the death of the child.”
Rabbi Samson Rafael Hirsch comments:
“Hagar's whole behavior… typifies the unrefined Chamite nature. A Jewish
mother would never abandon her child, even if all she could do for him would be
to speak softly to him, to soothe him if only for a millionth part of a second.
One who abandons a child and does nothing because "she cannot bear to see
the child's misery" does not act out of compassion. Such conduct reflects
the cruel egotism of a brutish character. True humanity is marked by a sense of
duty that is capable of mastering even the strongest of emotions. A sense of
duty makes one forget his own painful feelings and enables him to extend help
and assistance, even if one can do no more than give the comfort of one's
compassionate presence…
“All of the foregoing shows that Hagar completely lost her head when
overcome with her own grief. A mother descending from Avraham would never
behave toward her child in such a manner.”
The inhumanity of our enemies is truly unbelievable. The only reason it’s
not downright shocking is because we are aware of similar terror subjected on
our people throughout our long and painful exile. We are shocked only because
we are naive in thinking it wouldn’t happen in 2024.
Rachel concluded her eulogy:
“Okay, sweet boy, go now on your journey. I hope it's as good as the
trips you dreamed about, because finally, my sweet boy, finally, finally,
finally, FINALLY!, you're free!
“I will love you, and I will miss you every single day for the rest of my
life. But you're right here. I know you're right here.
“I just have to teach myself how to feel you in a different way.
And, Hirsch, there's one last thing I need you to do for us. Now I
need you to help us stay strong. And I need you to help us survive.”
This week, I was reading “Stories from the Land of Israel” by Chanan
Morrison about Rabbi Avrohom Yitzchok HaKohain Kook zt”l, whose yahrtzeit is 3
Elul.
Six months after the 1929 Arab riot and massacre, Rav Kook spoke at a
memorial event in the Yeshurun Shul in Yerushalayim. In light of this week’s
tragic events, I found his words to be so applicable and encouraging:
The holy martyrs of Chevron do not need a memorial service. The Jewish
people can never forget the holy and pure souls who were slaughtered by
murderers and vile thugs.
Rather, we must remember and remind the Jewish people not to forget the
city of the Patriarchs. The people must know what Chevron means to us.
We have an ancient
tradition that "The actions of the fathers are signposts for their
descendants." When the weak-hearted spies arrived at Hebron, they were
frightened by the fierce nations who lived in the land. But "Calev quieted
the people for Moshe. He said, 'We must go forth and conquer the land. We can
do it.” (Bamidbar 13:30)
Despite the terrible tragedy that took place in Chevron, we announce to
the world, "Our strength is now like our strength was then." We will
not abandon our holy places and sacred aspirations. Chevron is the city of our
fathers, the city of the Machpeilah cave where our Patriarchs are buried. It is
the city of David, the cradle of our sovereign monarchy.
Those who discourage the ones trying to rebuild the Jewish community in
Chevron with arguments of political expedience; those who scorn and say, “What
are those wretched Jews doing?" Those who refuse to help rebuild Chevron –
they are attacking the very roots of our people. In the future, they will have
to give account for their actions. If ruffians and hooligans have repaid our
kindness with malice, we have only one eternal response: Jewish Chevron will
once again be built, in honor and glory!
The inner meaning of Chevron is to draw strength and galvanize ourselves
with the power of Netzach Yisrael, Eternal Israel.
That proud Jew, Calev, announced years later, “I am still strong... As my
strength was then, so is my strength now" (Joshua 14:11). We, too,
announce to the world: our strength now is as our strength was then. We shall
reestablish Chevron in even greater glory, with peace and security for every
Jew. With G-d’s help, we will merit to see Chevron completely rebuilt, speedily
in our days.
Our collective heart is broken and aches for the pain of the six
families. But our response will be as the Jewish people have always responded -
with greater conviction and dedication to our cause.
“Behold a people that rises like a lioness and raises itself like a lion.
It does not lie down until it eats its prey and drinks the blood of the slain.”
(Bamidbar 23:24)
Shabbat Shalom
& Good Shabbos,
R’ Dani and
Chani Staum