Blessings, prayers, Torah learning and mitzvot, this has been amplified post Oct. 7. Why is that? Why do Jews feel the need to start wrapping tefillin, saying a chapter of Tehillim, making their restaurants kosher, giving blessings before battle or doing any act of kindness?
In Parshat Matot-Masei we are told that we should go to battle, take revenge for Hashem and Pinchas will lead us in this battle. As we saw in last week’s parsha, Pinchas understood why we are in this world. We are in this world to show godliness and spread Hashem’s words. Pinchas is the leader we need to take us into war. The war that we are told to fight is for Hashem and with the help of Pinchas, we will be able to recognize that whatever our enemies did toward us is not what we are taking revenge on. Hashem let them do what they did to us, but it is the fact that they tried going against Hashem that we must fight for.
This is why this war of Oct. 7 is like no other and is why the blessings, prayers, Torah learning and mitzvot have been amplified. People are starting to recognize that we are fighting a spiritual war for Hashem. We have to get up and fight, but know that we are avenging Hashem and how they are trying to destroy His nation, creation and Torah. Once we can all recognize and see that Hashem is in control and whatever happened, He allowed, then we can fight for the sake of Hashem. When we fight for His sake, this parsha continues to say that when you count all your troops who went to battle, you will see no one will be missing. Our troops, those who fight on the front lines, learn Torah, pray, do mitzvot, allow their loved ones to fight, and love and fear Hashem, none of them will be missing.
May we all see that everything is from Hashem and that the battle we are fighting is for Him. May we see no more deaths of the Jews and see all of Am Yisrael, our soldiers and hostages come home safely now.
Shira Sedek is a passionate educator at Ramaz Middle School in New York City who loves teaching Torah and inspiring her students.
