Chief Ashkenazi Rabbi David Lau was mispallel at Kever Rochel accompanied by the mora d’asra of Alon Shvut, Rabbi Aaron Pearl and the head of the Gush Etzion Regional Council, David Pearl.
The rav explained he feels “happy and proud” as he started his day by affixing a mezuzah in Modi’in and then traveled to Kever Rochel. He added that while Rochel cries for her children, “today she has reason to be happy too since her children are returning home and settling the area, nachlas avos. He added that the area of the tziyun is “our land from the avos, and I am davening to HKBH that we should all be granted a Shana Tova accompanied with happiness, tranquility and of course the redemption.”
The rav made a point of giving his bracha to the commander of the border police at Kever Rochel and his troops, praising their mesirus nefesh and their always on call status to keep the holy site available and safe for mispallalim.
(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
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6 Responses
Based on this article, I assume Rav Lau supports the government’s decision to require all Chareidi bochurim to serve in the army or some alternative public service. Since he made a point of giving his bracha to the security forces at Kever Rochel and praised their mesirus nefesh to keep the site available and safe for mispallalim, it would be hypocritical to argue that such “mesirus nefesh” is appropriate for only frei yidden but Chareidim should be allowed to evade the draft and not accept the burdens of national defense.
Based on this article, Rav Lau is giving the bracha to those who cannot share the burden by learning Torah but serve the country by protecting it via arms.
Correction: The Mara d’asra of Alon Shvut is Rav *Gidon* Pearl. (Also the head of the Gush Etzion Regional Council is his son and is called ‘Davidi Pearl’)
Based on this article, I assume that Rabbi Lau has hakaras hatov for all of the soldiers who dedicate themselves to the physical elements of keeping Eretz Yisrael safe. This does not have any bearings on his attitude toward the many young men who are learning Torah which is how we spiritually safeguard ourselves from harm. For people who claim to keep the Torah and motzvos and to say shema every day, the ignorance regarding the shemira of Talmud Torah is incredible.
How does giving a bracha to people who risk their lives for fellow Jews indicate any opinion?
Kudos to Rav Lau for givimg blessings to the IDF. If only other rabbonim in the limelight would do the same, there’d be more unity among all factions.
Yes, Rachel Imeinu has reason to be happy that her children are coming home. Shana Tova.