Reflections for October 7

A year ago, things were very different.

A year ago, we spoke about “never again” in the abstract.  Many people in Israel spoke of peace deals and two state solutions.  


As a SoCal Jewish boy growing up in the 90’s, many of my friends grandparents were Holocaust survivors.  I couldn’t understand or even really believe how it could have happened.  The world was so kind and accepting of Jews.


Every year we read in the Passover Hagaddah, “In every generation, they rise up to destroy us, but G-d saves us from their hands” and I couldn’t help but tell myself that our generation was different and this verse didn’t apply today.


Now I understand.


Some people call it October 7th.




I call it the Simchas Torah massacre.


Just like we were attacked in 1973 on Yom Kippur, because it was Yom Kippur, in 2023 we were attacked on Simchas Torah, because it was Simchas Torah.


What is the Jewish response?


Elie Weisel, a famous author, professor and Holocaust survivor met the Rebbe and told him of his anger towards G-d and humanity.  He told the Rebbe that he didn’t want to get married or have children.  We can’t imagine the pain he endured in Aushwitz.


The Rebbe told him that the biggest revenge on the Nazi’s would be to get married and build a Jewish home.  And get married a build a Jewish home he did.


Please watch him speak of this story here.  


Besides for obvious self defense, our response to our enemies is not only to continue holding strong to our Torah (the tree of life), but to continue dancing.


When Elie Weisel asked the Rebbe to teach him to cry, the Rebbe responded, “I will teach you to sing”.


You can read more about his fascinating and inspiring meetings with the Rebbe here.


Such a tragedy happening on Simchas Torah, a day of joy, makes hard to cry, let alone dance.  But the way of the Jewish people is not to stay stuck in victimhood.  As we remember our past, we rise up, defeat our enemies and start dancing again.


And dance we will.

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