It feels like an emotional roller coaster: deep mourning for all those who were murdered; elation at the hostages who were released; gratitude for the miracle of the five buses that didn't explode because a massive attack failed, thank God; and the shock and outrage at the incomprehensible cruelty and manipulation of the enemy who delayed returning Shiri Bibas's body.
This upcoming Friday and Shabbat will be Rosh Chodesh Adar. We pray for a month of blessing, peace, Torah, and honor.
The month of Adar symbolizes joy – specifically after a great calamity. Haman (a descendant of Amalek) wanted to destroy the Jewish people. Through our proper conduct - God turned everything around for the good. Adar calls us to return to ourselves and our identity and, through this, merit joy and success.
What gave Sigi Cohen her strength?
Sigi Cohen is the mother of hostage Eliya Cohen, who was released last week from Hamas captivity. I first met her about a year ago, during one of the first Shabbatot that I spent with her and other families of hostages under the auspices of the Kesher Yehudi organization.
“Two years ago, I experienced a medical crisis that had me overwhelmed with worry and fear. One day, Eliya called me and said in a firm voice: ‘Ima, aren’t you a woman of faith? Don’t give up, God is running the show. You have strength. I won’t allow you to fall,’” Sigi said to me during an interview.
She continued, “I realized that he was right. Fear doesn’t help. From that time on, I was determined to get up. We all have deep reservoirs of strength and faith. That conversation with Eliya gave me strength that lasts to this day. I always hear his voice in my head lifting me up.”
Throughout the time that her son was held hostage in Gaza, Sigi did indeed get up and take action. She organized gatherings in Israel and around the world, dedicated to doing mitzvot and good deeds. She especially encouraged people to go to synagogue and participate in the recitation of Birkat Kohanim, the priestly blessing, since her son, who is a Kohen, was not able to recite the blessing during that time.
Back then, she told me that we needed to spread Eliya’s message to the entire Jewish people: “We all need to listen to that small voice deep inside that tells us that God believes in us. You have strength. Do not allow yourself to fall.”
Don’t let Hamas take our minds captive, too
Hamas took our dear brothers and sisters captive, and now, with the weekly hostage releases, Hamas is trying to take our minds captive as well. We have experienced extreme sadness at the return of those who were murdered, individuals whom we have come to know almost personally. We also feel extreme joy each time we welcome those who remained alive, whom we’ve also come to know almost personally.
This entire grotesque scenario is being staged by a terrorist organization of Islamo-Nazis that is torturing us all to the last second. Needless to say, they are overjoyed to be able to sow conflict among us, causing many of us to forget who the true enemy is.
I was privileged to get to know Shelly Shem Tov several days after her son Omer was taken captive. We met at a large prayer gathering that took place at the Western Wall. Since then, whenever she was interviewed, I noticed something astonishing: She refused to allow Hamas to take her mind captive.
She spoke only about unity and prayer, about our roots, about spiritual strength. Again and again, she returned to stories about Omer, who kept Shabbat even in captivity, and rebuked those who tried to weaken her stance. She asked only that we give her and Omer the strength to persist, and indeed, that strength was evident last week when, thank God, she finally welcomed Omer back home.
Let’s try to follow Shelly Shem Tov’s example as we replace the lying propaganda of our enemy with the clear words of truth that we read recently in the Torah portion, words spoken at Mount Sinai that continue to reverberate, reminding us of who we are: “And now if you will obey My voice and keep My covenant, you shall be My unique treasure from among all peoples... and you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.”
Building your own sanctuary
The accompanying photo shows the Chabad women emissaries gathered at their annual conference in New York. The NYPD closed off the road so that thousands of women who oversee huge organizations of Torah, education, and chesed— hubs of activity on behalf of the Jewish people— could pose for a group photo.
When the conference ended, each woman headed back to her post in Australia, Ukraine, Tel Aviv, Thailand, or wherever she was stationed across the globe.
This week’s Torah portion of Terumah describes the building of the Sanctuary, the nation of Israel’s spiritual center in the desert. God instructed the people, before they arrived in Israel, to construct a Sanctuary that would accompany them throughout their 40-year journey.
The Lubavitcher Rebbe zt”l understood this as God’s call to each one of us in every time and place: Wherever you go, build a sanctuary, act as an emissary, and add light to your surroundings. Don’t wait until you reach your final destination.
We are told to build a sanctuary specifically in the desert to teach us that regardless of our circumstances, wherever we are and whatever we are doing, it is our task to spread Torah and mitzvot, to draw people close and to strengthen them, and thus to find our mission in that particular place.
Thank you to all the exceptional Chabad emissaries for establishing “sanctuaries” throughout the world with so much love and devotion. And thank you for demonstrating that each one of us is an emissary responsible for impacting our environment and transforming our own home into a sanctuary. By doing so, we hasten the building of our Holy Temple and the coming of Mashiach.
Translated by Yehoshua Siskin, Janine Muller Sherr
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