It is impossible not to feel the dramatic change that has taken place in the general public's affinity for Judaism. We see it at every step. Throughout the war, we saw the soldiers connected to the values of faith. Huge shipments of tzitzits were snatched from their hands and did not meet the demand. They sang songs of faith and prayer, and held Shabbat kabbalah and prayers even in the heart of hell.
This wind swept the masses of Beit Yisrael. A common sight today in the streets of cities is of boys wearing tzitzit, even though they are not wearing a kippah. Reports are being received from all over the country about a phenomenon that stood out this year during the High Holy Days – crowds of teenagers who came to prayers for the first time in their lives. They feel an inner need to connect to their sources, to their roots.
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There is no doubt that the hostages who returned from captivity gave a huge boost to this trend. We were all moved by the photo of the hostage Agam Berger who wrote on the helicopter the words "I chose through faith." Almost every one of the ransomed captives spoke of their faith growing stronger precisely in the dark tunnels of the murderers.
One of the most moving testimonies is from Omar Shem-Tov, who said that he was imprisoned in a small, completely dark room in a tunnel forty meters deep. "It was a difficult and depressing time," he described the period of captivity, "but the light never went out for me. Throughout the entire period of captivity, my faith grew stronger, and I would sit and talk to God. I always started with, 'Are you okay, father? How are you feeling?' And then the first thing I would say was, 'Father, thank you. Thank you for the fact that I am alive and breathing. Thank you for the food I have. Thank you for everything I have.'".
Unfortunately, many media people live in a bubble cut off from the public, and do not perceive the spirit of faith that is blowing among the people. Thus, we could hear a well-known broadcaster interviewing the mother of the kidnapped Bar Kuperstein and asking her: "What was the first thing Bar asked for?" The mother answers: "Tzitzit." But she, who was expecting an answer related to food, asks: "And to eat?"...
The shock that the Simchat Torah massacre aroused in the people, and all the events of the war, the great miracles and manifestations of faith – caused a real earthquake in connection with the values of faith and tradition. Everyone who came into contact with the general public felt the change and the thirst for Judaism.
Big responsibility
This reality requires us all to reach out to our brothers and sisters who are groping their way toward faith. If in the past we were afraid to start a conversation with a neighbor or a coworker, for fear of encountering a negative response, now we live in a completely different situation. People expect an invitation to the Shabbat table or to synagogue.
At the same time, we all have a great responsibility to beware of anything that could cause desecration of the Name and alienation of Jews from the community of observant Jews. Here too, there can be a bubble phenomenon, where people live within a certain group, perhaps enjoying some kind of provocation, and do not realize the harm it causes to the general public.
Let us all work to love the name of heaven above all else and to connect more closely with the Creator of the world and its Leader, and thus we will soon attain true and complete redemption.
