During the course of the current war in Lebanon, there have been many inspiring images from the front. Photos and videos abound of soldiers in Talis and Teffilin in all manner of circumstances. Just this evening on NBC there was an image of a young soldier sitting atop his tank wearing a pair of teffilin and Davening Shachris. There were many other images like this being broadcast all over the world almost daily: a single soldier Davening Shmoneh Erseh alone... photos of various army units Daveining Shachris with a Minyan of fellow soldiers. There was one of a group of soldiers Davening with a group of civilians on the other side of a fence. In virtually every circumstance that has been broadcast or photographed, you find a Kippah among the mix.
Young men serving their people putting their lives on the line for their fellow Jews… and all the while showing Bitachon in HaShem. It has been the same in every single Israeli war that I am old enough to remember: 67, 73, and 82. During her high school years my oldest daughter kept a poster in her room of soldiers from the six day war in full army fatigues out in the field somewhere doing Kriyas Hatorah . It is quite amazing sight to see; a real Kiddush HaShem. Mi K’Amcha Yisroel.
But these young Frum soldiers aren’t the only ones making a Kiddush HaShem. It is being made by every single soldier there. Everyone, no matter how secular,is doing the same thing. Fighting for Klal Yisroel.
I will never forget my first encounter with a Frum soldier. It was in Bnei Brak shortly after my parents made Aliyah in 1974. He was a fellow in army fatigues carrying a rifle over his shoulder and with a huge Black Kippah and long beard. I believe he was a Gerrer Chasid. I remember being very impressed that such a Frum looking person was serving in the army, How unusual I thought… and how impressive! I turned to my mother and said What a wonderful sight… seeing a Frum soldier like that. She said, yes it is, but she then said somewhat surprisingly to me that not only could she kiss this soldier, she could kiss any soldier.
Now, my mother was very Charedi by this time, living in Bnei Brak. But even though my during my formative years she was not at all Charedi she was never the less the most Tzanua woman I have ever known, without exaggeration. The idea of my mother kissing anyone other than immediate family was something completely foreign to her. Public displays of affection were totally abhorrent to her. Yet she said she could kiss any soldier, not only the Frum ones. She knew what they were all about. She knew the IDF was not about social engineering. She was a holocaust survivor. She knew that it was about defending the Jewish people. And that truly is what the Israeli army is all about: young people defending the Jewish people. That is the Ikkar. Anything else is the Taful. And no one should ever lose sight of that fact.
