This is from the Office of Rabbi Kook, Rehovot and was forwarded to an e-mail list to which I belong. It read in part:
"To our dear fellow Jews,"
“With special emphasize to those who joined with us in praying to Hashem for the safe deliverance of all our fighters and refugees from the battlefront during the "three weeks" both in Lebanon and in Northern Israel.”
“Please accept our outpouring of emotion having seen how over thirty thousand undertook and prayed and accepted upon themselves to do more mitzvoth for the sake of all of Klal Yisroel and for specific individual souls of Klal Yisroel.”
It goes on to speak of the spiritual faith and belief displayed by so many, …to ask for divine assistance not for themselves but for unknown others… the rare and unusual display of solidarity and brotherhood… All well and good.
It ends with a request that we continue to pray for the welfare of world Jewry and in particular for those who find themselves in harms way. Especially for those injured during this war and those special three still in brutal uncivilized captivity and it is signed: The Admor of Boston and The Chief Rabbi of Rehovot.
Yes. Prayer helps. And few need it more than my own grandson, Reuven, and I am very gratified for all the many Teffilos he is getting. And YES! …we should continue to pray for the welfare of all in Klal Yisroel. But yet…
I can't help it.
I know I am supposed to feel good that so many people daven'd for the sake of all of Klal Yisroel during this war. And indeed at one level I am. That is as it should be.
But I can't help thinking that all the Tehillim in the world does not compensate for the mother and father who had a son killed or maimed while fighting the physical battle. It just doesn't sit well with me that some must put their lives in danger while others don't have to.
Not one Yeshiva student died or was injured on the battlefield. Not one.
After they cry our their hearts out, and I have no doubt that the vast majority of Yeshivaleit did just that, they get to go home to their wives and children and can look forward to many long, happy, and healthy lives. Barring any illness or accident, they will likely live on to see their children grown, get married and have children of their own. But to those who are killed or injured in battle that will not be the case. Those families whose fathers, husbands, or sons have been killed in battle will not be able to just get on with their lives. Those men will not be coming back to their families. And for those who are maimed, their lives and those of their loved ones will never be the same.
It just doesn't seem right that some are being forced to leave their families and go to the front while others are completely exempt... nay, ...FORBBIDEN... to fight! I can't help thinking that there is something wrong with this picture.
It is one thing to say that the spiritual warriors are as important as the physical ones. That is true. But the fact happens to be that the spiritual warriors are spared any harm in battle. Buckets of legitimate tears can be shed… and then they go home unscathed. And that simply is not fair, in my view.
This has nothing to do with being Charedi. It has to do with death and injury and who is and who is not being required to sacrifice life and limb.
I cannot get beyond this simple fact.
