Rabbi Eliezer Simcha Weisz is a member of the Chief Rabbinate Council of the State of Israel.
We are living through a storm. Beyond the existential threats we face-from the ongoing conflict in the north to the broader campaign of Shaagat Ari (Operation Roaring Lion)-we are grappling with a heavy internal friction. In a time of war and national upheaval, it is easy to feel like strangers to one another. The sharp divides between religious and secular, political rivals, and clashing worldviews often lead to arrogance or contempt.
But in the raw, emotional whirlwind between the depth of loss on Yom HaZikaron and the celebration of Yom HaAtzmaut, there is a transformative truth in this week's Torah portion that must guide us.
The Debate Over Human Worth
In the portions read this week, Acharei Mot-Kedoshim, we find the ultimate command: "Love your neighbor as yourself." Rabbi Akiva famously called this a Klal Gadol BaTorah (a Great Foundation of the Torah).
To understand what this means during a war, we look to the Talmud (Bava Kamma 90a). The Sages discussed "shame"-the compensation paid for demeaning another. Some argued the payment should depend on status-that a "dignified" person deserves more compensation.
Rabbi Akiva disagreed: "Even the most impoverished people are seen as royalty who have lost their wealth, for they are the children of Avraham, Yitzhak, and Yaakov."
The Case of the Uncovered Head
The Talmud tells of a man who publicly shamed a woman by removing her head covering. When ordered to pay a massive fine, the man tricked the woman into uncovering her own head and then argued to the court: "She doesn't even respect her own dignity! Why should I pay?"
Rabbi Akiva did not budge. He taught that even if a person fails to treat themselves with dignity at a given moment, their essence remains royal. Dignity is inherent, not earned. There is a pure Neshama within every person that makes us all fundamentally equal.
From the Depth of Loss to Atzmaut
This truth hits home during this week’s whirlwind. On Yom HaZikaron, as we stand in the depth of loss, we see what Rabbi Akiva shouted: We are one family. The soldiers currently on the front lines and those who have fallen do not check who is "religious enough" or "political enough." They see us all as brothers. They sacrifice for the family.
The Torah commands in this week's Kriat HaTorah: "Do not hate your brother in your heart." A brother is a brother, even when the argument is fierce and the war is heavy. This recognition of the Neshama is the only reason we can stand as one when the siren wails.
Our Atzma'ut depends entirely on our ability to bring that same soul-deep respect into our daily lives. True freedom is the realization that we are an unbreakable unit, even under fire.
The Takeaway:
Unity isn't a cliché; it's our survival code. Rabbi Akiva says it is a Klal Gadol BaTorah-the essential glue of our nation. When we recognize that every one of us carries the same royal lineage and the same holy Neshama, we do more than just endure the storm.
It is this Klal of the Torah that defines our strength, and it is this path that we must proudly choose.