The titles of last week's two parshiyot and this week's sedra, as you may know, are often linked together and read in sequence: ?Acharei mot, kedoshim emor!? - After one is dead, they all say he was Holy! That is, sadly, we generally do not recognize the true greatness of a person until he is gone (case in point, Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach).
The tragic events of the last few weeks add a greater dimension to this concept. 29 brave soldiers of the IDF were killed, and many more wounded, in Operation Defensive Shield, rooting out terrorist killers from the holes into which they crawled. Each of these men were pure souls, achieving a level of kedusha - holiness - that no other Jew can easily attain. Now that the smoke has somewhat cleared, we can engage in emor and begin to tell the amazing stories of these champions of Jewish valor.
One such story:
An officer, commanding troops in Jenin, was informed that he had a phone call.
?Are you crazy?? he said sharply, ?I can't come to the phone; we're in the heat of battle!?
?But it's your mother!? he was told.
The officer's mother was 91 years old and he knew she would not call him unless it was an emergency. So he ran to the shelter and took the call.
His mother said: ?I have two things I want to tell you, my son: One, always take care of each and every one of your soldiers, and, two, remember that I am a survivor of the Shoah. You are fighting so that there will never be another Auschwitz.?
The officer thanked his mother and returned to the fight. He was a bit mystified by the call, but had a renewed sense of urgency. Then, an hour later, he was told he had yet another call.
?What is it this time?? he yelled.
The call was to inform him that his mother had just died. The officer found a replacement and ran to the funeral. Then, he immediately ran back to the battle in Jenin. IDF Chief of Staff Mofaz saw the ifficer - his uniform now torn by k'riah (the ritual tearing of the cloth done at a funeral) and told him to get a new uniform.
?No,? he explained, ?I'm just coming from my mother's funeral and I must wear this.?
Mofaz told him to return to the shiva, but he refused.
?I'm with my mother right now,? he said, ?we're fighting together for the future of Am Yisrael and that takes precedence.?
He led his troops to victory.
I have no doubt that our soldiers acted with unparalleled courage and human decency. Some even made a collection among themselves to pay for any damage done to civilians' homes. Others actually protected children who were caught in harm's way. Never mind what the ignorant, racist world says. Emor: Speak of the greatness and holiness of our beloved nation, each member of which is kadosh.
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Rabbi Weiss is Director of the Jewish Outreach Center in Ra?anana.
The tragic events of the last few weeks add a greater dimension to this concept. 29 brave soldiers of the IDF were killed, and many more wounded, in Operation Defensive Shield, rooting out terrorist killers from the holes into which they crawled. Each of these men were pure souls, achieving a level of kedusha - holiness - that no other Jew can easily attain. Now that the smoke has somewhat cleared, we can engage in emor and begin to tell the amazing stories of these champions of Jewish valor.
One such story:
An officer, commanding troops in Jenin, was informed that he had a phone call.
?Are you crazy?? he said sharply, ?I can't come to the phone; we're in the heat of battle!?
?But it's your mother!? he was told.
The officer's mother was 91 years old and he knew she would not call him unless it was an emergency. So he ran to the shelter and took the call.
His mother said: ?I have two things I want to tell you, my son: One, always take care of each and every one of your soldiers, and, two, remember that I am a survivor of the Shoah. You are fighting so that there will never be another Auschwitz.?
The officer thanked his mother and returned to the fight. He was a bit mystified by the call, but had a renewed sense of urgency. Then, an hour later, he was told he had yet another call.
?What is it this time?? he yelled.
The call was to inform him that his mother had just died. The officer found a replacement and ran to the funeral. Then, he immediately ran back to the battle in Jenin. IDF Chief of Staff Mofaz saw the ifficer - his uniform now torn by k'riah (the ritual tearing of the cloth done at a funeral) and told him to get a new uniform.
?No,? he explained, ?I'm just coming from my mother's funeral and I must wear this.?
Mofaz told him to return to the shiva, but he refused.
?I'm with my mother right now,? he said, ?we're fighting together for the future of Am Yisrael and that takes precedence.?
He led his troops to victory.
I have no doubt that our soldiers acted with unparalleled courage and human decency. Some even made a collection among themselves to pay for any damage done to civilians' homes. Others actually protected children who were caught in harm's way. Never mind what the ignorant, racist world says. Emor: Speak of the greatness and holiness of our beloved nation, each member of which is kadosh.
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Rabbi Weiss is Director of the Jewish Outreach Center in Ra?anana.