HaGaon HaRav Bentzion Mutzafi was asked by one of his talmidim about the large number of IDF soldiers who have fallen in battle in the Gaza Strip.
The talmid asked: “Moreinu HaRav: Soldiers are killed every day. What will be?”
HaRav Mutzafi responded: “We and only we are guilty. Come let us take responsibility together. We’ll improve our good deeds.”
The Rav detailed his eitzos for what to be mechazeik in:
- We’ll wake up early for tefillah in the morning.
- The entire tefillah from beginning until the end.
- We won’t speak in shul.
- We’ll take advantage of every free minute to learn Torah from any Sefer Kodesh.
- We’ll guard our months, avoiding saying anything negative about any Jew. We won’t put anything in our mouths that isn’t 100% kosher.
- We’ll guard our eyes from looking at any pritzus, at the wealth of our friends.
- If we chalilah, stumble in any of the above, we’ll say vidui and have charatah.
HaRav Mutzafi added: “It’s very painful during the holy days of Chanukah to hear about soldiers falling in the war. The soldiers are being moser nefesh so we can live and be oisek in the Torah HaKedoshah.”
(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)
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9 Responses
HaRav Mutzafi is a true sincere holy
תלמיד חכם
Let me humbly add being frum doesn’t help here.
The Torah says the generation of king David was frum and fell in battle due to their enimity for one another.
In contrast
The generation of ahab was not frum but was unified and didn’t fall in battle.
Unity is the key to staying alive in war.
We are all loving brothers no matter where their from or where we-reading this newsletter-are from or what kind of yiddishkeit level we are each on the bottom line and truth is KOL YISROEL AREIVIM ZEH LAZEH we are all brothers and all responsible for each other and this terrible Israel-Hamas war going on relates to Jews in America also that it’s time for all of us brethren Yidden to gather together for serious Teshuva and Achdus like we did in the story of Purim and beg Hashem for the coming of Mashiach already bkarov. There’s only that much more time klal yisroel can handle this terrible Israel-Hamas war and tzaros going on in klal yisroel. So please let all wake up from living in denial and FACE REALITY and accept Hashems wake up call for serious Teshuva and Achdus together ASAP so Hashem can send Mashiach already bkarov.
Read what Rav Yisrael Elya Weintraub and others wrote about this. The Zionist soldiers are not what keep Jews safe; rather it is those learning Torah and keeping the Torah.
The Brisker Rav actually said the same thing many decades ago. Even if the Zionists would want to help Jews, they cannot; because the only thing that helps Jews – is Judaism, meaning learning and fulfilling the Torah.
We all need (including myself) to cry to Hashem for help ASAP.
Hakatan the Zionist soldiers need to do their hishtadlos and fight.
Since the Torah says if someone comes to kill you kill him first.
Hakatan:
סנהדרין מט:
אילמלא דוד לא עשה יואב מלחמה ואילמלא יואב לא עסק דוד בתורה
Were it not for David, who studied Torah, Joab would not have been able to wage war successfully, and were it not for the military acumen of Joab, David would not have been able to study Torah.
שלחן ערוך או”ח סי’ שכט ס”ו-ז:
עכו”ם שצרו על עיירות ישראל אם באו על עסק ממון אין מחללין עליהם את השבת באו על עסק נפשות ואפי’ סתם יוצאים עליהם בכלי זיין ומחללים עליהם את השבת ובעיר הסמוכה לספר אפילו לא באו אלא על עסקי תבן וקש מחללין עליהם את השבת: הגה ואפילו לא באו עדיין אלא רוצים לבא [א”ז]: יש מי שאומר שבזמן הזה אפי’ באו על עסקי ממון מחללין שאם לא יניחנו ישראל לשלול ולבוז ממונו יהרגנו והוי עסקי נפשות [ומ”מ הכל לפי הענין] (פסקי מהרי”א סי’ ק”כ):
6. Regarding non-Jews who besiege Jewish cities: if they come for money, we do not desecrate the Shabbat [to protect ourselves], but if they came to kill or come with no presented reason, we go out with weapons and desecrate the Shabbat. In a city that is near the border, even if they just come for straw or hay, we desecrate the Shabbat. Rem”a: Even if they haven’t come but they want to come (Or Zarua).
7. There is one who says that in our times, even if they come for money, we desecrate the Shabbat, because if we do not allow them to plunder the money, they will kill, and so it becomes a case of saving life. (In any event, everything is according to the situation(Piskei Mahara’i Chapter 156).)
kitov:
Rav Weintraub lived in Israel. He knew very well what is – and is not – hishtadlus.
@kitov,
like as if that’s why they are fighting?!
Because all of a sudden they have become pious halacha followers?!
come-on now…