October 7th
There are tragic moments indelibly seared in our individual and collective memories. Those older than 30 very likely remember how/when/where they learned of the events of 9/11 (2001). Many in their late sixties or beyond vividly recall the assassination of John F. Kennedy (11/22/63). For most Jews of school age (certainly those who were attending a Jewish school) and above, October 7, 2023 is a date that, similarly, will not be forgotten.
One year later, 97 hostages seized by Hamas terrorists amid an onslaught in which 1200 people were murdered remain in captivity (some living, others dead), and nearly 70,000 Israelis remain displaced from their homes in the north because of unremitting Hezbollah strikes in support of Hamas. In the face of this unsustainable reality, the battle with Hezbollah intensified in recent weeks; its post-Nasrallah phase is now unfolding. The recent, direct Iranian missile assault on Israel underscores the severity of the security threat Israel faces.
As an outgrowth of the war perpetrated by Hamas, hundreds of Israelis have died in combat; thousands have been wounded, many of them with life altering injuries. Evidencing utter disregard for the wellbeing of Palestinians living in Gaza, Hamas’s resolute unwillingness to release the hostages seized during its devastating, all too well-organized invasion has resulted in the deaths of thousands of civilians and the displacement from their homes of the great majority of Gaza’s inhabitants as Israel seeks to degrade the power of Hamas and free those held captive. Hezbollah’s actions over the course of nearly a year, despite multinational diplomatic efforts to halt its “solidarity” (with Hamas) attacks on Israel, have led to the current escalation, with unfortunate consequences for the people of Lebanon.
Because of a leap year in the Hebrew calendar, October 7, this year, comes several weeks before Simchat Torah (the holiday celebrated in Israel, October 7, 2023, marking completion of the annual cycle of Torah study and beginning it, anew). Yet, because of the days of this year’s fall Jewish holidays, and the practice of reading the Torah on Monday and Thursday mornings, the closing Torah portion of the year – read in full on Simchat Torah – is previewed Monday morning, October 7, 2024. That Torah portion is known by its opening words, ve-zot ha-berakhah: “and this is the blessing.”
“The blessing” refers to the closing words Moses speaks to the Israelites as they prepare to enter the land of Israel. The entire book of Deuteronomy is a series of speeches that Moses delivers during the final weeks of his life, repeatedly emphasizing the importance of educating successive generations of Israelites in the teachings of Torah. At the close of those speeches the Torah comments: Torah tzivah lanu Moshe, morashah kehillat ya’akov. Moses commanded us (regarding) Torah, it (Torah) is the legacy of the congregation of Jacob.
What does this legacy teach us, as we mark October 7? The Torah, from the Book of Genesis through the Book of Deuteronomy, affirms the longstanding and enduring connection between the people Israel and the land of Israel. The Torah affirms the dignity of each human being and the sanctity of life. The Torah affirms the importance of community and living in covenantal relationship to advance positive purposes. The Torah affirms that people have a role to play in bettering the world and that, for the Jew, the Torah is an enduring pathway toward that end. This is the legacy of the congregation of Jacob throughout time and place.
We live at an extraordinary moment in history. Eighty-five percent of the world’s Jews live either in the sovereign State of Israel or in the United States of America. Today’s challenges are very real, but we approach them with strength, resilience, a deep sense of areivut (mutual responsibility), and the capacity to act individually and in partnership to address them. We are also — notwithstanding disappointment in many individuals and institutions from whom we would have expected more — not without allies whose support has been and remains vital.
We are blessed with the opportunity of taking action to help those who are imperiled. There is, among many American Jews, a heightened sense of Jewish consciousness and mutual responsibility, post October 7, 2023. As we continue to contribute resources, petition politicians and governments, seek to educate others, combat anti-Semitic tropes from the extreme left and right, and, of course, share with our children the heritage of which they are proud legatees and engage them in relating to contemporary challenges, we join, today, as generations of Jews before us, in praying that:
“Our brethren, the entire House of Israel who are in distress and captivity, whether on sea or on land, may God have compassion on them, and bring them from distress to relief, from darkness to light, from servitude to redemption, at this moment, speedily, very soon.” We pray as well for the safety of those serving in the IDF in defense of Israel and its inhabitants.
We can honor the memory of those killed one year ago and over the past 12 months by contributing, individually and collectively, to the realization of the vision of the world for which we yearn, recognizing — in the words of John F. Kennedy — “that here on earth God’s work must truly be our own.”
