I gave a sermon last Shabbat on the importance of remembering our soldiers in Afghanistan and Iraq and how their sacrifices embody what it means to love "with all your heart, all your soul, and all your might." (Deuteronomy 6:5) Please keep our soldiers in your prayers till, with God's help, they return home.
Remembering Our Soldiers in Afghanistan and Iraq
Last Saturday, a military helicopter was shot down over Afghanistan. 30 U.S. service members were killed from the Army and Navy. On Sunday, the papers reported that it was the largest single-day loss of life since hostilities began in Afghanistan nearly ten years ago. Many reporters mentioned that 17 Navy Seals were aboard, but none, they assured us, were involved in the raid on bin Laden’s compound three months before. If anyone wondered why this was relevant, or how this fact could in any way lessen the tragedy, no explanation was forthcoming. But then, Monday arrived. The morning bell tolled on Wall Street. Our media went back to talking about things like credit ratings, unemployment, and the declining market. The soldiers had been quickly forgotten.
In this week’s portion, V’etchanan, there is a recurring theme woven through the Parashah. The theme is ‘devotion to God’. The Parashah begins with Moses’ supplication to the Almighty, “I beseeched the Lord at that time…” (Deuteronomy 3:23). It ends with a warning “not to go astray”. (Deut. 7:4,11) Along the way, we have further warnings, “not to test the Lord” (6:16); “not to forget the Lord” (6:12). We have reminders “to fear God…and to serve Him.” (6:13) We have the oft-quoted phrase, “do what is right and good in the sight of the Lord” (6:18); as well the expression that’s become a bumper sticker in Israel. “There is none besides Him.” אֵין עוֹד, מִלְּבַדּוֹ (4:35)
And yet there is more. There is the repetition of the Ten Commandments. I am the Lord your God…you shall no other gods besides me. (5:6,7) More significantly, there is the articulation of what has become the central credo of the Jewish people: the Shema Yisrael prayer and the first paragraph of the Shema: “And you shall love the Lord your God, with all your heart, with all your soul, and all your might.” (6:4,5) וְאָהַבְתָּ, אֵת יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ, בְּכָל-לְבָבְךָ וּבְכָל-נַפְשְׁךָ, וּבְכָל-מְאֹדֶךָ
So the question is: why must this message be repeated again and again? For other commandments in the Torah, it suffices to tell us once or twice, sometimes even three times—like the commandment not to cook milk and meat together— why must we be told a dozen times: ‘fear the Lord,’ ‘serve the Lord,’ ‘cling to God,’ ‘love God’…? We get it.
The Italian commentator, R. Ovadiah Sforno makes an observation on verse in shema: וְדִבַּרְתָּ בָּם, בְּשִׁבְתְּךָ בְּבֵיתֶךָ וּבְלֶכְתְּךָ בַדֶּרֶךְ, וּבְשָׁכְבְּךָ וּבְקוּמֶךָ. “…You shall speak of them when sitting in your house, and when walking by the way; when you lie down (at night), and when you rise up (in the morning). (6:7) The Sforno comments: “Through this repetition, you’ll always remember them.” כִּי בְּזאת הַהַתְמָדָה תִּזְכְּרֵם תָּמִיד
Put simply: That which is repeated constantly, we remember, that which is not repeated constantly, we forget. Even something as important as God, we’d forget unless devotion was shown and articulated daily. Thus we are compelled to think of God each time we walk through a doorway and see a mezuzah; each time we eat a sandwich; before sleeping; upon arising.
In the third volume of his work, Gesher HaChaim, Rabbi Tuchazinski tells a very striking story that illustrates the capacity of humans to ignore and to forget. In 1918, a friend of his, a doctor, had returned from the War, settling again in Jerusalem. This doctor had ‘taken in part in some of the fiercest battles of World War I. He had lain in the trenches and saw many soldiers fall about him.’ Hearing this, R. Tuchazinski asked him: ‘What were you thinking as you lay in those trenches and those bullets flew overhead?’ The doctor responded that ‘the first time, he was so fearful he recited Vidui—confession—he was sure the end was near. The second time, somewhat less fearfully, he managed to throw himself in a trench. But by the third and fourth times, even though more casualties were falling than before, his fear had subsided, and he was able to survey the surrounding scene and fulfill his duties as a doctor.’
Such is the force of human nature…after a while, one can learn to ignore the savagery of war… after a while, one can learn to ignore the Creator of the Universe. It’s for this reason that we need constant reminders and refrains: Cling to God, Love God, Worship God, Keep God’s Commandments…
It should not surprise us that 30 soldiers can get killed, and within a day or two, they are quickly forgotten. We are nowhere near the front. We experience little of its savagery or violence. This war in Afghanistan has dragged on for nine years. And these soldiers are not the first to fall in combat. More than 1500 have died in Afghanistan; More than 4500 in Iraq—we’ve seen a lot of names added to the list. Names like Officer Louis J. Langlais, 44, of Santa Barbara, Calif., or Sgt. Andrew W. Harvell, 26, of Long Beach, Calif…
The irony of it is…if you want an example of what it means to love something “with all your heart, and all your soul, and all you might.” בְּכָל-לְבָבְךָ וּבְכָל-נַפְשְׁךָ וּבְכָל-מְאֹדֶךָ …Look no further than these soldiers. For love of country, they leave their jobs, they leave their families. They go a year or more without seeing spouses or children. They think of us constantly. How often do we think of them?
I want to end by mentioning a discussion in the Talmud that is based on the beginning of this morning’s portion. The question is asked how long should one pause between back-to-back prayer services—say the end shacharit—and the beginning of musaf? (Berachoth 30b)The answer offered: ‘One should pause long enough to enter a plea-ful frame of mind, based on the verse: I beseeched God... V’etchananon el Hashem. (Deuteronomy 3:23). Because at its heart that’s what prayer is about—beseeching God—asking for his intercession in our daily lives.
The Talmud Yerushalmi adds: How long should this take, minimally? Kedei Hiluch Dalet Amot. “The amount of time it takes to walk four cubits”—in other words, a few seconds.
If I can make a suggestion, the next time one reads or hears a piece of news about the fighting in Afghanistan or Iraq, take a moment or two to pause…long enough, at least, for a sense of supplication—a sense of pleading—to fill the heart; long enough, to ask God silently to intercede on behalf of our soldiers, to protect them from harm. It might be helpful to think of the verse: בְּכָל-לְבָבְךָ וּבְכָל-נַפְשְׁךָ וּבְכָל-מְאֹדֶךָ To reflect on what it means to sacrifice “with all your heart, all your soul, all your might.”
And perhaps if we do this each time we read the news, in the morning and at night…we’ll do something to make sure that these soldiers are not forgotten. In Sforno’s words: “Through repetition, you’ll remember them always.” הַהַתְמָדָה תִּזְכְּרֵם תָּמִיד כִּי בְּזאת Always.
Remembering Our Soldiers in Afghanistan and Iraq
Last Saturday, a military helicopter was shot down over Afghanistan. 30 U.S. service members were killed from the Army and Navy. On Sunday, the papers reported that it was the largest single-day loss of life since hostilities began in Afghanistan nearly ten years ago. Many reporters mentioned that 17 Navy Seals were aboard, but none, they assured us, were involved in the raid on bin Laden’s compound three months before. If anyone wondered why this was relevant, or how this fact could in any way lessen the tragedy, no explanation was forthcoming. But then, Monday arrived. The morning bell tolled on Wall Street. Our media went back to talking about things like credit ratings, unemployment, and the declining market. The soldiers had been quickly forgotten.
In this week’s portion, V’etchanan, there is a recurring theme woven through the Parashah. The theme is ‘devotion to God’. The Parashah begins with Moses’ supplication to the Almighty, “I beseeched the Lord at that time…” (Deuteronomy 3:23). It ends with a warning “not to go astray”. (Deut. 7:4,11) Along the way, we have further warnings, “not to test the Lord” (6:16); “not to forget the Lord” (6:12). We have reminders “to fear God…and to serve Him.” (6:13) We have the oft-quoted phrase, “do what is right and good in the sight of the Lord” (6:18); as well the expression that’s become a bumper sticker in Israel. “There is none besides Him.” אֵין עוֹד, מִלְּבַדּוֹ (4:35)
And yet there is more. There is the repetition of the Ten Commandments. I am the Lord your God…you shall no other gods besides me. (5:6,7) More significantly, there is the articulation of what has become the central credo of the Jewish people: the Shema Yisrael prayer and the first paragraph of the Shema: “And you shall love the Lord your God, with all your heart, with all your soul, and all your might.” (6:4,5) וְאָהַבְתָּ, אֵת יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ, בְּכָל-לְבָבְךָ וּבְכָל-נַפְשְׁךָ, וּבְכָל-מְאֹדֶךָ
So the question is: why must this message be repeated again and again? For other commandments in the Torah, it suffices to tell us once or twice, sometimes even three times—like the commandment not to cook milk and meat together— why must we be told a dozen times: ‘fear the Lord,’ ‘serve the Lord,’ ‘cling to God,’ ‘love God’…? We get it.
The Italian commentator, R. Ovadiah Sforno makes an observation on verse in shema: וְדִבַּרְתָּ בָּם, בְּשִׁבְתְּךָ בְּבֵיתֶךָ וּבְלֶכְתְּךָ בַדֶּרֶךְ, וּבְשָׁכְבְּךָ וּבְקוּמֶךָ. “…You shall speak of them when sitting in your house, and when walking by the way; when you lie down (at night), and when you rise up (in the morning). (6:7) The Sforno comments: “Through this repetition, you’ll always remember them.” כִּי בְּזאת הַהַתְמָדָה תִּזְכְּרֵם תָּמִיד
Put simply: That which is repeated constantly, we remember, that which is not repeated constantly, we forget. Even something as important as God, we’d forget unless devotion was shown and articulated daily. Thus we are compelled to think of God each time we walk through a doorway and see a mezuzah; each time we eat a sandwich; before sleeping; upon arising.
In the third volume of his work, Gesher HaChaim, Rabbi Tuchazinski tells a very striking story that illustrates the capacity of humans to ignore and to forget. In 1918, a friend of his, a doctor, had returned from the War, settling again in Jerusalem. This doctor had ‘taken in part in some of the fiercest battles of World War I. He had lain in the trenches and saw many soldiers fall about him.’ Hearing this, R. Tuchazinski asked him: ‘What were you thinking as you lay in those trenches and those bullets flew overhead?’ The doctor responded that ‘the first time, he was so fearful he recited Vidui—confession—he was sure the end was near. The second time, somewhat less fearfully, he managed to throw himself in a trench. But by the third and fourth times, even though more casualties were falling than before, his fear had subsided, and he was able to survey the surrounding scene and fulfill his duties as a doctor.’
Such is the force of human nature…after a while, one can learn to ignore the savagery of war… after a while, one can learn to ignore the Creator of the Universe. It’s for this reason that we need constant reminders and refrains: Cling to God, Love God, Worship God, Keep God’s Commandments…
It should not surprise us that 30 soldiers can get killed, and within a day or two, they are quickly forgotten. We are nowhere near the front. We experience little of its savagery or violence. This war in Afghanistan has dragged on for nine years. And these soldiers are not the first to fall in combat. More than 1500 have died in Afghanistan; More than 4500 in Iraq—we’ve seen a lot of names added to the list. Names like Officer Louis J. Langlais, 44, of Santa Barbara, Calif., or Sgt. Andrew W. Harvell, 26, of Long Beach, Calif…
The irony of it is…if you want an example of what it means to love something “with all your heart, and all your soul, and all you might.” בְּכָל-לְבָבְךָ וּבְכָל-נַפְשְׁךָ וּבְכָל-מְאֹדֶךָ …Look no further than these soldiers. For love of country, they leave their jobs, they leave their families. They go a year or more without seeing spouses or children. They think of us constantly. How often do we think of them?
I want to end by mentioning a discussion in the Talmud that is based on the beginning of this morning’s portion. The question is asked how long should one pause between back-to-back prayer services—say the end shacharit—and the beginning of musaf? (Berachoth 30b)The answer offered: ‘One should pause long enough to enter a plea-ful frame of mind, based on the verse: I beseeched God... V’etchananon el Hashem. (Deuteronomy 3:23). Because at its heart that’s what prayer is about—beseeching God—asking for his intercession in our daily lives.
The Talmud Yerushalmi adds: How long should this take, minimally? Kedei Hiluch Dalet Amot. “The amount of time it takes to walk four cubits”—in other words, a few seconds.
If I can make a suggestion, the next time one reads or hears a piece of news about the fighting in Afghanistan or Iraq, take a moment or two to pause…long enough, at least, for a sense of supplication—a sense of pleading—to fill the heart; long enough, to ask God silently to intercede on behalf of our soldiers, to protect them from harm. It might be helpful to think of the verse: בְּכָל-לְבָבְךָ וּבְכָל-נַפְשְׁךָ וּבְכָל-מְאֹדֶךָ To reflect on what it means to sacrifice “with all your heart, all your soul, all your might.”
And perhaps if we do this each time we read the news, in the morning and at night…we’ll do something to make sure that these soldiers are not forgotten. In Sforno’s words: “Through repetition, you’ll remember them always.” הַהַתְמָדָה תִּזְכְּרֵם תָּמִיד כִּי בְּזאת Always.
As such is the fate of these honorable naval and military men and women, it would be a comfort if government will do something for the bereaved families. These families will get the officer's benefit but will it be the same with the bereaved families of lower rank soldiers and navy? What will happen to the car that they availed through navy novated leases? Will it be confiscated? After these people prove the absence of fear for love of country, will their families be left alone without the country's love for them?
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