Jerusalem – The leader of the non-hassidic haredi world Rabbi Aharon Leib Shteinman has called on the public to recite prayers and increase its observance of religious law because of the hostilities in Gaza, while numerous other haredi leaders have made similar comments.
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“Because of the severe situation prevailing in our holy land, I request from the Jewish people to increase their prayers for our brothers the people of Israel who need great mercy,” said Shteinman in a notice published on the front page of the Yated Ne’eman haredi daily newspaper.
“It is a time of distress for the Jewish people. We must strengthen ourselves in observance of the Sabbath, guarding against negative speech, and observe the laws of modesty.”
In Friday’s Yated edition, both Shteinman and Rabbi Haim Kanievsky, another of the most senior haredi leaders in the country, both called for special prayers to be said before Shabbat in synagogues and yeshiva study halls.
Although the notices do not explicitly mention IDF soldiers, the purpose of the prayers is for the well being of soldiers fighting in Gaza right now.
And hassidic leaders have also called on their communities to increase their prayers, including the grand rabbis of the Belz and Sanz hassidic dynasties.
Sephardi Chief Rabbi Yitzhak Yosef said that “each and every person is obligated to pray, recite psalms, and intend the merit of their good deeds for the success of the soldiers who are endangering themselves for the sake of defending the Jewish people.”
Shas spiritual leader Rabbi Shalom Cohen called specifically for prayers to be said for the safety of IDF soldiers, saying “the Jewish people must implore through prayer for the IDF soldiers who are going out in self-sacrifice in defense the nation that dwells in Zion against those that have risen up against it.
“May God be with them and return them in peace to their families,” the rabbi said.
The dean of the prestigious haredi Ponevezeh yeshiva in Bnei Brak Rabbi Baruch David Poborsky led prayers for his students in light of the security situation, while hassidic newspaper HaMevaser reported that the Grand Rabbi of the Boston hassidim and senior haredi figure Rabbi Simcha HaCohen Kook have initiated a program of prayers whereby individual members of the community recite prayers on behalf of a specific soldier by name.
At a mass prayer service on Saturday night at the Western Wall, former Sephardi Chief Rabbi Shlomo Amar led a large gathering of worshipers and spoke passionately about the situation.
“God has brought us this fierce blow, he wants us to call out to him from the depths of our hearts that we should feel the pain that the Jewish people finds itself in… they are firing thousands of rockets at the Jewish People, against women, children, and now against our soldiers who are in the most dangerous place amongst the most cruel people,” Amar said.
“Who does not feel their pain, everyone of them has children, and family waiting for him at home,” he continued. “We know that it is not with power or strength but You God are the savior of the Jewish people and that in a moment everything can be turned to the good. God should destroy the designs of the enemy and and save our people,” the rabbi concluded.
Of all their complaints, modesty is the biggest factor. We can not live in a society where egress of honor is common place. Give more to charity and recite tehillim in your home and on your way. This is not easy. If the rabbis can keep our voices in heaven, then we can keep faith that Hashem is always going to give Torah insights and hope to those who are connected to human feeling. Without insight, we live without blessings.
Blessings are keeping your eyes and hearts afraid of your own possible negative contribution. We can not be blessed if we ascribe no sovereignty to Torah law.
The edge of our communities are limited by that which befalls loss at the center.
Busier for the loss is not better for investing in Tomorrow.
Minds require skill.
The tefilla for the Chayalim should be recited in peacetime and in such nebech war times. If we stand together as one people, and feel each other’s pain, H”KBH will hear our prayers and “Ya’aseh Shalom Aleynu.”
We have to remember when everything quiets down.
But they still won’t let charedim help the IDF by even answering phones, cleaning offices or serving meals because of fear of mingling with the opposite sex!
to #1 - I’m sure that you are trying to say something and are using some kind of translation program. It really does not make sense. Please write in your own native language I’m sure that many readers will understand what you are saying a lot better.