This evening begins the Day of Remembrance in the State of Israel, established to remember the close to 22,000 IDF soldiers who were Moser Nefesh for K’lal Yisroel. Included in that number are the many innocent victims HY”D who were murdered at the hands of terrorists. K’lal Yisroel has various Ta’aneisim (fast days) established on which we remember those who have fallen, yet there are many who keep this day as an additional Yom Hazikaron. (YW respectfully asks that those who do not keep this day as a Yom Zikaron to please respect those who do.)
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May HaShem avenge the blood of ALL the Jewish victims of Terrorist actions!
We respectfully ask anyone who keeps this day, to respect everyone who does not.
AMEN
Yehi Ratzon that we all merit the true geula bimheira viyameinu, Amein.
Amen.
If anyone has a chance…..go to Mt. Herzl on this day in the morning. around 10:30 am. it is absolutely amazing (and painful) to see how many Israelis have been affected by the wars. there are literally, tens of thousands of people visiting the kvarim of loved ones who died in the wars.
until you see it yourself, it is hard to believe.
“(YW respectfully asks that those who do not keep this day as a Yom Zikaron to please respect those who do.)”
YW Editor,
I appreciate the last line. K’ish echad b’lev echad.
yid 613
well said!
Yes, this Golus should finally come to an end,,,,
*****PLEASE READ*****
All those submitting comments which are questioning the validity of this day, please be advised that they will not be published.
It was clearly written in the post “YW respectfully asks that those who do not keep this day as a Yom Zikaron to please respect those who do”.
It isn’t disrespectful to respectfully point out questions on the day’s validity.
The late Rabbi Yoel Teitelbaum of Satmar (1890-1979) wrote that in previous generations great rabbis would have declared an obligatory worldwide fast day for such a dark day as the Zionist Independence Day, the basis of which is every sin in the world, especially bloodshed and promiscuity. He even said that such rabbis of the greater previous generations would have declared hundreds of days of fasting such as the Ninth of the Month of Av (commemorating the destruction of the ancient Temple in Jerusalem). He also stated that G-d rejects the religious holiday observances of anyone observing the Zionist holiday. The sources for his inspirational statements in Hebrew can be found in many places among his writings such as Hiddushei Torah, 1955/56, p, 52; ibid., p. 109; ibid., Sukkoth, p. 110.
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Dear Editor,
As someone who lost a dear friend, I see no reason why we can not hold a respectful and sensitive debate concerning the validity of this day. If you feel it would be more appropriate to do so on a different day, than so be it.
To Qoudsh: Thanks for your opinion. That will not happen on this thread.
To Basmelech: Thanks for submitting that comment 30 minutes after YW clearly wrote that such comments would NOT be posted. It just amazes me…….It was clearly hinted in the original post NOT to submit comments such as yours.
For the record, your statement has nothing to do with Yom Hazikaron, but with Israeli Independence Day.
To Esrog: I’m glad you see no reason that the validity of this day can not be discussed. Please make an effort to discuss this all day long with all your friends at work.
While in principle you may be right, but the fact remains that there just happen to be many thousands of readers on this website who actually keep Yom Hazikaron – and YW felt it would be appropo if they were shown that respect.
If you feel that you can’t handle that, then don’t READ IT.
PS: There HAVE been many countless threads already regarding the validity of the State of Israel, and they have turned into one big “hate-fest” slithering with Sinas Chinom, filled with Lashon Hara, name calling, etc etc.
Perhaps, when people GROW UP it can be discussed.
Now, lets try this again: If you do not like comments which are pro Israel, IGNORE THEM. Get it? I-G-N-O-R-E- THEM. The comments which are submitted will be deleted.
Period.
In my area, the yeshivas mark the day with special chapters of tehillim and a speaker who is shakuel (griever/mourner) for a lost one either from battle or terror.
As a Yeshivishe Yid with strong Chassidishe background, I am very grateful to a religious Zionist Chaver who gave me the Sefer “Eim HaBanim Smeichah” by HaRav Yissachar Teichtal ZT”L (a Chassidishe Rebbe who was one of the Kedoshim in the Shoah, HASHEM Yinkom Es Damo). Having read this wonderful Sefer with its numerous citations from CHAZAL, I now understand how — in spite of its serious problems — the current Medinas Yisrael is the Ribono Shel Olam’s way of leading us to the Bias Goel Tzedek, BiMeheirah VeYameinu Amen. (For those who need it, an English translation of the original Lashon HaKodesh is available.)
YW Editor – As one of those that was heavily involved in the Yom HaShoah debate, let me compliment you on how you have handled this issue. By your acknowledging that there are those that disagree, you have definitely tempered any potential criticism. Also you choice of wording in the headline, is a great improvement over the last one, for those who picked up the nuances.
Additionally, as Anti-Zionist as I am, I cannot deny that the State of Israel has the right (and perhaps the duty) to have day to remember its soldiers. This is in contrast to Yom HaShoah, to which it is frankly offensive (among all the other reasons) for the State of Israel to dictate when and if there should be a day of remembrance.
YW, please don’t let us down tomorrow…
The point that we all have to remember is that these people were killed because they were Jewish. The enemy doesn’t care if we are chassidish, Litvash, Sefardi, modern orthodox, or not frum at all. We are all Jews and they want us all dead r’l. If we can’t get along within ourselves, how does that look to the enemy?
Rabbosai,
We are not discussing the medina here. We are discussing Yiddishe kinder who gave the lives to protect other Yidden. THEY DIED AL KIDDUSH HASHEM, because they were yidden, and for no other reason they deserve our respect and tefillos.
Whether they were frum, frei, Satmar, Chaabd, litvishe WHO CARES. 22,000 JEWS DIED BECAUSE THEY WERE JEWS.
HASEM YINKOM DAMAM!
It’s day we honor the kedoshim (including those from Hesder and Nachal Charedi- not that it should make a difference) who died al kidush hashem to make Eretz Yisrael safer to live and learn in. What ever one’s opinions may be on Medinat Yisrael we should have some hakaras hatov for the people who stand up and defend the land.
Beautifully said, y.w. editor. I have newfound respect.
Thank you YW Editor for being an example on how to respect other people’s shittos. Some people just don’t get it. For example, if we have Shitah A and Shitah B. Adherents of Shitah A will loudly proclaim how ahderents of Shitah B should show respect to Shitah A adherents. and will pompously proclaim that those who don’t, are obviously engaging in Sinas Chinam. At the same time they will ignore any and all ad hominen attacks from adherents of Shitah A on the other shitah. You can insert any ideological debate into this equation and you will see what I am talking about.
I would like to honour the memory of all those soldiers who were Moiser Nefesh their lives for others. I know someone who was a hostage at Entebee and makes aSeudos Hodaah every year. He is grateful to those who risked their lives to save him. Mr. Y. Netanyahu amongst them. With Hashem’s help in
sending the right shlichim, he was able to bring up abeautiful Torahdikkeh family.
To all those who are critical, please bear in mind that without Hashem’s blessing NOTHING succeeds whether you agree with it or not.
L’z all the soldiers who have fallen, all of the victims of terrorism dati & chiloni alike (frum and non frum) who all died al kiddush hashem. hy’d.
As others have been saying, the Ahavas Yisrael in your polite hint is wonderful.
re:
“The neshomas of all those who perished in the Holocaust and in defending Israel must appreciate your efforts to remember them.”
While making the anti-zionist stuff verboten, I think the pro-zionist stuff should be toned down, as well. I don’t know that those neshamos are appreciate the effort because in the Olam HaEmes, *IF* these Zionist-invented are kineged Toraseinu HeKedosha, because that would not be emes.
Personally, I feel that irrespective of one’s view on Zionism, Israel, as a country, has a right to an independence day and a memorial day just as we in America do. To attach religious significance to it is where I’d personally emphatically draw the line.
re: Avraham Says:
April 23rd, 2007 at 9:31 am
As a Yeshivishe Yid with strong Chassidishe background, I am very grateful to a religious Zionist Chaver who gave me the Sefer “Eim HaBanim Smeichah” by HaRav Yissachar Teichtal ZT”L
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An Israeli friend of mine gave me this sefer, as well. If you read the introduction, you’ll see that his son writes that to attribute his father’s thoughts to support any “ism” (obviously including Zionism, as well) is an insult to his father’s memory.
Keep that in mind, as well as the admission he makes in that same introduction that this was his father’s opinion in a specific time (WW II) in a specific place (the camp he was in).
Esrog says: I see no reason why we can not hold a respectful and sensitive debate concerning the validity of this day.
I guess you haven’t been coming here very often because many of the debates that go on here are neither respectful nor senstitive.
It was clearly stated in the headline of the post about this issue, and twice the YW editor had to submit further commnets in regards to it. And yet still, people felt it necessary to bang on their keyboards.
As a current resident in eretz hakodesh, and a reader of “Am Habanim” find it ironic how sons (or daughters) can know how to attribute their father’s thoughts better than the writer himself.
All our opinions are for a specific time in a specific place!?!
Everyone of us can remember the Meseirus Nefesh of those Kedoshim and apply it in our lives!!!
An interesting passage from Eim HaBanim Semeicha (p. 110-112, Urim Publications, translated by Moshe Lichtman):
The author writes ” In the year 5674 (1914), at the outbreak of World War I, the Rebbe (R. Yisachor Dov of Belz) fled..to the city of Rutzfort in Hungary…Once, there was a great assembly of wise men at his home…The greatest of men…were gathered before him. At their head was…our master, R. Moshe David Teitelbaum, av beit din of Madiar-Lapush in Zibanbergen, grandson and foremost disciple of our master, the author of Yitav Lev, z”l….he petitioned the Rebbe of Belz as follows, “The people of Israel are in dire straits throughout almost the entire world, and their afflictions are extremely intense and frequent. There is no remedy for the wounds of Israel, save an awakening to repentance by all of Israel as one. It is befitting that his honor…initiate this movement of awakening to repentance. …
For almost an hour, R. Teitelbaum petitioned the Rebbe of Belz. When he finished his plea, our master opened his holy mouth and answered him briefly and to the point: “O Rebbe of Lapush, have you concluded your petition? When Mashiach arrives, the Jews will repent. In the meantime, it is of utmost importance that Jews love one another. One must love even the lowliest Jew as himself. One must engender unity and keep far away from anything that causes disunity. The salvation of Israel during times of trouble rests on this.”
SO READERS OF THIS WEBSITE – LET’S GIVE THIS A TRY!!
for those who cannot stand reading this,ITS CALLED ADHD!!!!!!(ATTENTION DEFICIT HYPERACTIVITY DISORDER)
While I can hear the argument that Tishe B’av is a day for all Jewish morning Israel declared today a day of remembering. People may not agree with them and they are entitled to their own opinion. But we must remember the price that has to be paid for being a Jew. I hope that because of all the controversy over today (pro or against) people will see a different side of it. A price has been paid. Not just any price but a BIG price. No matter where Jews are in the world we have to remember that no matter how friendly non Jews they hate us. We have to be thankful for what we have and we should daven that more Jewish blood should not be spilled. It doesn’t matter if they are Dati or Chiloni. Mizrachi or Charedi. We are all Jewish we are one nation and we should realize that. Let us take what we can out of today and unite as one.
for those who need to rationalize having a yom hazikoron:
when we were in EY in 2002, when the attacks were coming every couple of days, it really came home to us how much the yidden are ein mishpocho. we were on a bus in T-A, the day after several people were killed going to a bas mitzva on motzi shabbos in geula. the driver turned up his radio when the announcer read the names of the deceased. all over the bus, people were crying, putting heads down, comforting one another. i don’t see that happening in america. not that americans wouldn’t feel for victims of terror, but that they wouldn’t feel free to show it in public. but for those of us on the bus in israel, it was our family, even if we didn’t know them personally.
we have days on which to remember our lost loved ones, yizkor days, yom kippur, etc. but we also have the yahrzeit for personal, individual remembrance. yom hazikoron, it seems to me, fulfills that purpose – since the losses are still recent, still happening. yes, there are other tzomos to mourn our kedoshim, but we the am are still the bereaved ourselves, still remember the fallen as individuals. much as this generation still needs a holocaust day (maybe it should be 20 Sivan, like the rhenish-germans had after the Crusades, instead of 27 Nisan, but that’s neither here nor there) even though tishebov commemorates all the kedoshim.
thanbo said: maybe it should be 20 Sivan, like the rhenish-germans had after the Crusades,
This date 20 sivan was also observed by all of Polish/Russian Jews as a day of mourning as this date was designated for gezieros of tach vtat (1648-1649) where hundreds of towns were obliterated and destroyed. The calamities that occurred on those years were observed religiously as a day like tisha b’av until almost 300 years later when even those terrible events were eclipsed by the holocaust.
But either way this point is not about Yom Hazikoron Israels memorial day for its soliders- but regarding Yom Hashoa which was designated as Yom Hashoa Vehagevurah etc. Please read the history as to the name and renaming and yes, again renaming of this day in the Knesset deliberations of this day in the early 1950s and you might question the political motivation behind Yom Hashoah. I am not even referring to the religious points but to the political points!
May we appreciate each other with respect decorum!!