The war in Israel and the security situation: At the end of the weekת Rabbi Yoshiyahu Pinto, the leader of the Shuva Yisrael community, sent a recording to his students to encourage them at this worrisome time.
At the beginning of his remarks, Rabbi Pinto mentioned how Hamas's brutal surprise attack during Simchat Torah has not left him for a minute. "Since Simchat Torah, we have been gripped with the blood and anguish of the Jewish people and the sorrow of God’s Divine Presence. King David says in God’s Name: "I am with him in trouble" (Psalms 91:15 ). This means that God is with every Jew personally. He is by our side during every single tribulation.
Rabbi Pinto related: "It is said about Rabbi Yisrael of Ruzhin that when he was in prison, one of the guards saw him crying one day. This guard was used to Rabbi Yisrael of Rozhin being stoic, and didn’t understand what could have reduced him to tears. Rabbi Yisrael was a strong man with a royal bearing. He dressed and comported himself like a king. Yet, here he was in tears."
"The guard asked him: ‘Why are you crying? Despite being in the prison, you kept up your royal bearing. What could have brought you to tears?’ Rabbi Israel of Ruzhin told him: ‘It is written in the Torah, “I am with him in trouble.” The Almighty is with every Jew suffering a tribulation. Since I am in prison, the Holy One is here with me. I am weeping for the Divine Presence that is here in this despicable prison.’”
Rabbi Pinto referred to the hostages held by Hamas: "How many Jews are being held in this abominable place? Children who never sinned, little babies. Things that cannot be imagined or described. Inconceivable and indescribable cruelty. The Shechinah is crying, God is with every child, every mother, every father, and every Jew who is suffering."
He continued, "There is not a single Jew in the world who isn’t crying and hurting over the situation. The pain is terrible. The Divine Presence is crying with us, it is in dire sorrow. So many people have died, so many people whose fate is unknown. People who are being held brutally. The Divine Presence is in terrible sorrow."
Rabbi Pinto explained that each one of us has to strengthen his Jewish commitment: "We must ameliorate the strict judgment both for the sake of the Jewish people as a whole and for the sake of the Divine Presence. May G-d lift up His Divine Presence from the dust, from its place of great sorrow. These are extremely difficult times."
He further explained that we are in a period fraught with difficulty to obtain one’s sustenance: "This is also a year of ‘drought’, not necessarily a drought of rain but a drought of sustenance. The price of living has soared, and we see all the difficult manifestations that the Gemara in tractate Ta'anit brings about times when it is hard to make a living. A sustenance ‘drought’ is an extremely harrowing time."
He said: "Every day we see Jewish people who are living in great poverty and can’t make a living. How much misery we see - people who do not have food for Shabbat, people who have no way to provide for their children, who are suffering because of poverty... who don’t have a livelihood. There hasn't been a situation like this in years."
The leader of Shuva Israel declared: "Every Jew must engage with all his might and do every act he can to bring mercy from heaven down to this world. It starts with a small thing, like saying hello in the street to spread love and brotherhood. Let everyone forgive and become bygones to their fellow Jew, and try to perform more commandments to relieve the strict judgment. Another commandment and another chapter of psalms and another reciting of the Shema with full concentration."
"This is the time," Rabbi Pinto added, "that everyone should return to Jewish observance and break all the barriers, break all the partitions, to be loyal to God, to bring every Jew closer to the Holy Torah, to bring every Jew closer to observing the commandments. Every one should help his friend keep Shabbat. There are people who don't have food and don’t know how to observe Shabbat. Shabbat is coming and you know how to make Shabbat? Ask your friend if he has what he needs to make Shabbat."
"It is important that we know that there is an evil inclination and the Satan, Amalek, that comes to dampen the heart’s enthusiasm. Let us get rid of this Amalek and strengthen ourselves with devotion to God. With God's help we will all merit salvation, blessing, joy, success, heavenly assistance and all that is good," Rabbi Pinto concluded.
This article was written in cooperation with Shuva Israel