BS'D
December 25, 2023 | 13 Tevet 5784
Dear Friends,
The Gemara in Masechet Sotah (21a) quotes the pasuk "ki ner mitzvah v'torah ohr," that a mitzvah is a candle, and Torah is a light. The Gemara says that a mitzvah is like a candle. It provides light, but only temporarily. Once the candle is extinguished, the light is gone. Torah, on the other hand, is an everlasting light. The Gemara says that the light the pasuk is referring to is physical shmirah, a protection from all kinds of harm. Many of our chayalim are currently unable to learn Torah, as they are involved in the mitzvah of protecting Am Yisrael, and the halacha is that haoseik b'mitzvah patur min hamitzvah, that one who is involved in a mitzvah is patur from other mitzvot. But we can learn Torah for them. We have the opportunity to act as their shlichim, to be their agents, and learn Torah on their behalf. I remember when the war first broke out, on the first Erev Shabbat of the war, a video went viral from one of our chayalim. He requested that those of us in Chutz La'aretz should act as shlichim for the chayalim when davening Kabbalat Shabbat. Our chayalim were not able to sing and dance and pray on Friday night, so he asked us to do it for them. He asked that even if we did not usually go to shul on Friday night, we should go to shul, and added that even if we usually went to shul, if we didn't sing, or if we didn't pray with much passion or excitement, we should provide extra energy for that Shabbat. This is the same opportunity that we have now. We can provide the Talmud Torah for our chayalim. Even if we are already learning for our chayalim, we can step it up a notch, both quantitatively and qualitatively. We can start listening to a shiur during our commute to work when we would normally be doing other things, or we can carve out an extra ten minutes for learning when we are home. We can also increase the intensity, excitement, and focus during the learning times that we already do have. Anything extra that we can give to our Talmud Torah should serve as a protection for our chayalim.
Today for Israel, we are going to increase our Talmud Torah.
Sincerely,
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