VAYEYRA 5784

We Can Bring In The Light

I debated because of today’s unity Toco Hills Community Block Party Gala Kiddush this morning, whether to speak or not because we must leave early. I decided I will speak, but briefly, because with what we Jews are experiencing in our world today, how can I not?

In our Torah reading, we learn many of the continuing trials and tribulations of Abraham and Sarah. Our parsha is full of family conflict, sibling abuse, the banishment of Hagar and Ishmael, the destruction of Sodom and the fleeing of Lot to safety, and the near sacrifice of Isaac.

This is but a long, ongoing, series of crises. When will it end? When will Abraham and Sarah finally know peace and tranquility? The rabbis note that at the end of the parsha is a light at the end of the tunnel. The parsha ends with informing us that Abraham’s brother Nachor and his wife Milka started their family (Gen. 22:20): “Milkah also has borne sons to Nachor your brother.”

What is this telling us? It’s a message that challenges us to see beyond the heartache of life. Nachor’s son Betuel, the Torah tells us, will father Rebecca—the future wife of Isaac! There will be a future. There is a light at the end of the tunnel.

My friends, every life will have its dark periods. Challenges with fertility, child rearing, teenagers’ angst, spouses, siblings, financial setbacks, health fears … does the list ever end? Every road we travel in life will have its own bumps, flat tires, blown gaskets, and leaky radiators.

These past 4 weeks have been the worst for Jews since the Holocaust. And yet there is much to be inspired by in our people’s response. Considering how fractured the Jewish people were just a few weeks ago, we are now solidly unified—both here and in Israel.

In Israel, we have seen it in the amazing stories of devotion to our people. Here’s just 2 examples:

-A Bar Mitzvah boy leaving his reception hall with $10,000 worth of catered food and bringing it to hundreds of hungry soldiers!

-The mother who gave birth and named her son after the young soldier she never knew, but gave his life saving her cousin in the attack against her moshav.

Religious, not religious, politically left or right, it didn’t matter. In a crisis Jews help each other!

Our hearts are praying for our people in Israel. Shema Yisrael is our most important prayer, so let me conclude with 2 Shema Yisrael stories. Last week we heard from Traci Ellis who was in Eilat helping the Chabad of Eilat serve the survivors of Oct. 7^th who were sent there because it was far away from danger. Yesterday I saw an interview with Rebbetzin Chani Klein of Chabad Eilat, and I want to share with you 2 stories she mentioned:

         On October 7^th, there was a family whose home was entered by Hamas terrorists. Hamas set the house afire, but the family hid in their concrete safe room which was fireproof. 18 hours later the IDF came—can you imagine—they heard banging on the door and shouts of, “Tzahal, Tzahal (Israel Defense Forces). We came to save you.” But they didn’t know if they should believe them.

         The man inside the safe room, who was one of the founders of the Kibbutz said, “I’m going to say half a sentence and you complete it.”

         The soldier said, “What’s the sentence?”

         He said, “Shema Yisrael.”

         And the soldier said, “Hashem Elokeynu Hashem Echad!”

         He then opened the door because he knew he was united with Am Yisrael, his people.

The 2^nd story is of a soldier from a very elite army unit. Hamas targeted his home because they wanted to get intelligence—no doubt under torture. When the terrorists entered his home, he killed a couple of them, but he was wounded and forced to join his family in their saferoom. The terrorist then set the house on fire. Soon smoke was coming under the door into the saferoom. They were breathing in soot, but they decided to stay as long as they could.

         Finally, when they had to open the window, it was eerily quiet. An IDF vehicle came by yelling for survivors. They didn’t know what to do. As this elite soldier crawled out of the window to check it out, he saw 4 laser lights on him from gunsights. Apparently the IDF didn’t know if it was a terrorist climbing out the saferoom. Terrified, he cried out, Shema Yisrael Hashem Elokeynu Hashem Echad, and they were saved!

Shema Yisrael (Listen O Israel), there may be darkness in our world, but if we are Echad, One as a people, we will certainly be able to dispel much of that darkness and help bring Hashem’s light into the world. Amen!