What would be my Shabbos project? It has to be something that would make a difference. The world we live in,and the blame on Israel for defending itselves. This is not a new thing, as we all know when the western world fails terribly, they need someone to blame and who is better to blame then the Jews.
So many times Israel got attacked with thousands rockets being fired on our land is not a new thing. But somehow this time it was different, while the sirens went off, Hamas forced themselves through the barrier fencing into southern Israel. Not much later there was a massacre early in the morning on October 7th. While people were still sleeping and brutally being dragged out of their beds and homes and being murdered, tortured, decapitated, raped and burnt. Often in front of parents or children and grandparents. Children and babies all died an horrofic death, like the many people who were at the festival and who were running in sheer panic for their lives, women being raped, bones broken and paraded in the streets of Gaza. And Hundreds taken into Gaza and held hostage. Man, women and Children, these are the so called enemies of Hamas, their fate is still uncertain.
This atrocity was clearly not enough, to win public support the story changes and all of the sudden it was a Gaza story, were the terrorists and butchers are the victims and Israel the purpetrator. From bad to worse the Hamas leaders were calling for a worldwide Intifada and mass demostration in almost every major city around the world " Gaza free from the river to the see" is nothing more then the elimination of all Jews. There is so much more going on, the pain that we all feel which cuts deep into our souls, is something that doesn't heal overnight and while we trying to deal with the biggest atrocity since the Holocaust, leftist politians and people blame Israel of genocide. In what war between other countries in the world, with thousands to millions of civilians being killed this ever happend?
The world calls for a ceasefire, the very one Hamas broke on October the 7th. Israel can only fight until Hamas is erdicated.
This war is not only a war that we fight physically, it is also a spiritual war. While the IDF is fighting the physical war, we can fight the spiritual war. This is also a war within ourselves, not to let the yetzer hara get the better of us. We are living in the final generation of the coming of the Moshiach, many prophecies unfolding pointing in that direction. The Talmud tells us that every Jew should do Teshuvah and its now more important then ever, while there is still time. Through Teshuvah we stand before HaShem and confess all our sins and trangressions. HaShem knows everything and sees everything, and eventhough He knows our regrets, He wants us to say it out loud before Him. When we repent and we are sincere about it and promis never to do that sin again, we strengthen our connection with HaShem. Zohar tells us we can bring the Moshiach and make a Tzaddikim do Teshuvah.
Study Torah which is equivalent to all Mitzvos, is the ultimate connection to HaShem. Lighting the Shabbos candles is so powerful and brings so much light unto the world, which pushes away darkness.
Together with Tefila and reading Tehillim, we can win the spiritual war within ourselves and the war against good and evil, our part in fixing the world and bringing the Moshiach.
All of this will strengthen our Emunah and Bitachon HaShem.
Please keep on praying for our people who are held hostage in Gaza, our people in Israel and all Jews everywhere else in the world. And Remember the Chayalim in our prayers.