The Chief Rabbi of Israel, Rabbi Kalman Ber, has issued a special letter to the public, addressing the transition between Yom Hazikaron (the Day of Remembrance for the Fallen and Victims of Hostile Actions) and Yom Ha'atzmaut (the 78th Independence Day of the State of Israel.)
The Rabbi Ber began his remarks by addressing the complex security situation of the past year, while emphasizing the miracles experienced by the people of Israel. "Our enemies who rose up against us to destroy us were struck down ... We saw great and wonderful salvations with our own eyes."
The letter emphasizes the historical miracle of the establishment of the state out of the terrible destruction of European Jewry. Rabbi Ber noted that the State of Israel arose out of the "smoke of the furnaces," and out of that immense pain the people arose and returned to their land - a move that has no parallel in the history of nations.
He added that even after the establishment of the state, the suffering did not cease, but out of every struggle a united people of Israel arose.
Rabbi Ber defined the fallen IDF soldiers as saints whom "no person can stand in their place" and offered comfort to the families in the knowledge that their loved ones have received a high status in the eternal world. He emphasized the national duty to support the wounded in battle, those who bear the cost of war in body and soul. In addition, he expressed deep gratitude to the soldiers who dedicate their lives to the national purpose and prayed for their safe return to their homes.
Rabbi Ber concluded by reflecting on the good that we have already experienced - a prosperous country, the ingathering of the exiles, and the spiritual flourishing of seminaries and yeshivahs. He emphasized that the key to continued victory and redemption is social cohesion: "It is our duty to remember that our strength is in our unity... Together we are unbreakable, but divided we are easily broken. Even our victory in war depends on unity. We must increase love and brotherhood, and remember that we are brothers."
