A Bris Amidst the War
A Bris Amidst the War
It's different when the father was in Gaza
Last week I was privileged to attend the bris of a grandson of dear friends. It was extraordinarily moving - aside from the beauty of every bris, there were also prayers for the hostages and soldiers. This was a wartime bris, a simcha intimately connected to the challenges facing the nation. And this national crisis was something with which the new father, Avi Kahn, was intimately involved.
Avi is American, but went to Israel to learn in yeshivah and subsequently joined the IDF. He was mobilized on October 7th to Kfar Aza, where he witnessed untold horrors. Subsequently, he went to fight in Gaza, entering the fiercest battles in Khan Yunis.
Amidst the fighting, Avi received news that his wife was on the way to hospital to give birth and the IDF was working on a way to get him there. One of the guests at the bris, a secular soldier, works on logistics for Avi’s unit. He arranged for the Peten Unit, which extracts injured soldiers in Humvee convoys, to collect him. Avi climbed on to the Humvee, with his rifle pointed to the back to cover their rear, while the machine gunner laid down covering fire. They made it safely to the Israeli border. There, the IDF had another soldier in place - who also attended the bris - to drive Avi to Shaarei Tzedek. He also schlepped his bags to the 9th floor, along with Avi’s Israeli flag that he takes everywhere.
Avi wrote a full and riveting account in the Jerusalem Post. Here’s his concluding words:
Two months ago, on October 7, I was in Kfar Aza, a witness to the massacre of Jewish babies at the hands of monsters. Now I was standing in Jerusalem, the holy capital of Israel, having fought and killed those very monsters, and staring into the eyes of a beautiful Jewish baby that my wife and I helped bring into this world.
I feel unbelievably blessed to have played the small but meaningful role that I have in the Jewish people’s fight against the evil intent on destroying us.
I hope and pray that the future we are creating now is one where my son can live peacefully and safely; proud of his Jewish identity, proud of his parents’ contributions to his world, and proud of his own contributions that he, God-willing, will one day make to the Jewish people.
Amen. And ashrecha Yisrael that we have such young men.
I hate to see this blog becoming such a shit-show (pardon my language. I don't really have a better word to use). I understand that there are some Haredim who think that they are promoting God' work by commenting here, and maybe they feel like they are fighting a war with Rabbi Slifkin and his followers, but they don't see how sad they end up looking. I am not Haredi, but I truly understand them. I would've hoped coming here to see better representation. It ends up looking like we are only seeing the teenagers and young adults who actually have nothing better to do with their time.
There are people, who we are supposed to be looking at like brothers, who are dying protecting our other brothers. We should use this as a call for unity, Rabbi Slifkin included. Not be angry at a group we don't understand, or that we disagree with.
Meanwhile, my hope is that the two sides can join together and understand that we are not changing each other because each side has an entire worldview that it is entrenched in, and we can work together to appreciate each other's contributions.
That would include the Haredim appreciating the input of the army and its sacrifices, and appreciate that these sacrifices are coming solely through the other side. And for Rabbi Slifkin and his side to appreciate that there is a strong Mesorah for the way the Haredim are leading their lives, like it or not. Their side is also authentic Judaism, and we truly couldn't have survived as the nation of Torah without their single-minded focus, problems notwithstanding.
Once we do come together, perhaps we can be a model to the world of how two opposing sides of a political game, or of a war, can come to peace.
שלום לכל ישראל אמן
Here are all the comments in a rap, courtesy of ChatGPT
Yo, we scrolling through comments, a virtual stage,
Where folks drop opinions like they're all the rage,
Shemesh stepped in, said the blog's a bit wild,
Haredim and Slifkin, it's a comment section trial.
In the cybernetic dance, we're searching for peace,
But the keyboard warriors, they never cease,
A rap about comments, where opinions ignite,
Let's turn the hate into a vibe that's right.
Natan Slifkin chimed in, dropped a line,
Said there's a war, and the comments are a sign,
Yo Shemesh came back, said let's find common ground,
Build bridges, not walls, let the love resound.
BANana joined the party, throwing shade,
Talked about trolls and the mess they made,
Yo Shemesh shared a theory, we love the strife,
Maybe we secretly crave this virtual life.
Test rolled in, dropped a bombshell,
Said a bris can't compete when soldiers rebel,
Slifkin defended, said it strengthens the fight,
A clash of perspectives, a keyboard night.
So here we are, in the realm of text,
Where words collide and egos flex,
But maybe, just maybe, we can unite,
In the comment section, find some light.
Yo, let's break it down, take a look around,
Comments flying, arguments profound.
ChanaRachel's saying, "Yeshiva students, be devout,
Sleep on the floor, learn, and don't go out."
Shim jumps in, says, "Hold up, that's extreme,
Soldiers need rest, not just a dream.
They can't fight their best, on the ground they sleep,
Gotta find a balance, promises to keep."
Stanley Gluck, throwing shade with no remorse,
Calling out comments, using strong force.
Slinging words like "dumb," creating discord,
In the comment section, opinions are stored.
David Ilan enters with a Torah twist,
"Drink water by measure, eat bread, and persist.
Sit in the dust, learn Torah profound,
But where's the dust in the comments found?"
ChanaRachel returns, with a point well taken,
Says, "They should be learning, not time-forsaken.
Home visits rotating, families not forsaken,
Keep distractions low, keep the focus unshaken."
Stanley Gluck, back with the heat,
"Chana, that's dumb," he repeats.
Personal attacks, insults to share,
In this heated debate, no one seems to care.
David Ohsie intervenes, "Language, let's be clear,
If you've got an argument, make it appear."
Stanley dismisses, "Chana deserves no return,
Her point is 'dumb,' her arguments burn."
Chana's back, explaining her view,
Soldiers on the ground, it's nothing new.
Pikud Haoref, sleeping in a school,
For the greater cause, breaking the rule.
David Ohsie joins, "Let's not insult,
In this discourse, let's bring the result."
Chana stands firm, defends her claim,
In this comment rap, it's all in the game.
Ysteineinstein and Shulman join the chat,
Discussing points, and that is that.
Test with sarcasm, unclear thinking,
Chana seeks clarity, minds still sinking.
Test claims no requirement for the father's presence,
In war, a son's brit is not of essence.
David Ohsie challenges, points misunderstood,
Arguments shifting, not for the greater good.
Arguments fly, tempers rising,
In this comment thread, no compromising.
Nachum steps in, emotions laid bare,
Real-life stories, the weight they bear.
Shim persists, "Rabbi, you spread disdain,
Telling folks their efforts are in vain.
Open to differences, but the slander must cease,
Harmony, not hatred, let the discussion find peace."
Nachum responds, "Exhibit A, this strife,
Mirror reflects, it's a mirrored life."
Retort comes quick, "No, that was a mirror,
In this comment zone, emotions unclear."
Shim stands firm, "Your condescension won't sway,
Let's discuss, not insult, find a better way."
Stanley Gluck adds to the mix,
"If Slifkin would chill, no need for these tricks."
The rap unfolds, the comments persist,
A digital battleground, words do enlist.
In this online arena, where opinions clash,
Let's find common ground, let the tension pass.