Channel 13 journalist Guy Lerer shared on Monday that he decided to recite Mizmor L’Todah every morning.
He wrote that he made the decision “after conversations with the mother of a hostage who is close to my heart” and despite the fact that he’s “a complete atheist.”
He added: “I’ll close my eyes tightly and act for a moment as if I am the most devout believer. Emunah, love, and intention are from the same family. Even one of them is enough to move worlds.”
He published a photo from his conversation with the mother – but didn’t identify her. She wrote to him: “This is what I decided. Say Mizmor L’Todah every morning.” She asked him to start saying it when her son returns, b’ezrat Hashem.
After a few minutes, she added: “You can even start from now because it really just takes a second.”
Lerer said to his followers: “You are welcome to join me. She’ll be happy to hear.”
(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)
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15 Responses
Israelis are a very confused group of people
They thank something that they don’t believe in (either that or they don’t know what an atheist is)
It’s easy for the atheists to say it. It’s just a second and it’s fun. Why not?
It’s the religious ppl who have a problem with it. For them, it’s not just a second and it’s not “fun”.
This is an attempt to mock believers, and to pull the carpet from under their feet, that Tehillim is merely spreading “love energy”. I plead to yeshiva world to take this down! It’s a Sakanah. This is classic modern atheism as recognized by those in the sugya. ה׳ ימלך לעולם ועד. והוא היה והוא הוה והוא יהיה בתפארה.
mi lashem- agreed
coffee addict:
The wicked Zionists shmad their citizens, which leads to confusion like this. As Rav Chaim Brisker recognized over a century ago, while people think that the Zionists shmad in order to get a State, the truth is that the Zionists need a State in order to shmad. That’s what the Zionists do.
From lo lishmah comes lishmah. Your scolding this person who is genuinely trying to share positively with the mother. Perhaps he will be inspired to go further if he is encouraged and praised?
I think his pintele yid was ignited but he can’t publicly reject the atheism that he has been talking about. But little by little it has to have an impact. How can you say הוא עשנו ולו אנחנו every day and not be impacted? I know many chiloni Israelis who in their hearts already know the truth but they feel they can’t do teshuva because of social conflicts or jobs
This is a beautiful story. In my own interactions with “chilonim” in E’Y, they may demand that they are atheists even though the “Baruch Hashem” slips in to their speech every so often and they speak of their love of all yidden. I heard a profound idea from a campus kiruv rabbi who once told an atheist. ” I don’t believe in the same god you don’t believe in.” Think about that and let it sink in for a bit. We need to up our game with our non observant brothers to teach them the beauty of Torah and closeness to Hashem. Not with condescension, but with true ahavah for every Yiddish neshama.
While I agree מי לה’ אלו is probably right,
Hashem will have the last laugh here, and what may have begun as a total שלא לשמה, might be a seed of hope פתחו לי פתח כחודו של מחט.
If we who know better daven for it to the ALMIGHTY ADDRESS he can show the world who’s boss. And may we all return to Him in complete teshuva.
Always the nay-sayers!
B”H another Yid saying a perek of Tehillim. Ashreinu
You never know the power of holy words. It’s a step in the right direction. See יד הקטנה הלכות תשובה on saying וידוי without any regret.
Incredible! The light of his neshama is cracking through the klippa of the ‘atheism’ he thinks he has… anachnu maaminim bnei maaminim!!
מי לה” אלי: Why do you see this as something negative? Mitoch lo lishma bah lishma! We should be thrilled for him – what a massive step closer to HKBH for him, even if he doesn’t yet realise it!
“with your true colors showing, will you still be going to the atheist convention in L.A.?”
They are not confused. They are atheists, and they know what that means. But they can’t help themselves, because a hidden love for Hashem is ingrained deep inside every Jew’s soul, ירושה לנו מאבותינו, and it crops up at the most inconvenient times. Try as they might, they can’t suppress it.
It’s true that the very words of Tehillim may spark a neshama even if they’re intended for an ulterior motive. However my point is, that specifically in this case the “ulterior motive” is a subtle and sly attack on our אמונה! (I repeat, this is the new method of modern atheists as recognized by those in the sugya). If you’re not feeling attacked, either because you can recognize the atheists’ motive, or because your emunah is simply invincible, or you just don’t care, than kol hakovod, go celebrate this story and hope for the best. But for everyone else, although internally we may laugh for we know the power of even the words of Tehillim, outwardly I feel it’s very important to point out that this is not a regular run-of-the-mill שלא לשמה״”. And because yeshiva world is a platform for outward expression, this is not a story that should be celebrated innocently.