To us and to many others, Succos is the most beautiful time of year to be in Israel. The hotels are maxed out with guests from abroad, shuttered apartments are opened, streets are bursting with locals and visitors. Little kids are selling Arba Minim on every corner and the line at Katzefet (Mehadrin ice cream) twists well into the sidewalks. 

Friday, Hoshana Raba, the city center of Yerushalayim was bustling with activity. Whether keeping one or two days, all were preparing for and looking forward to, Shemini Atzeres and Simchas Torah. Early afternoon my wife and I drove to Ramat Bet Shemesh to spend Shabbos and the remainder of the Chag with our son Tzvi and his family.

Shabbos/Simchas Torah morning I went to the Hashkama minyan across the street. After Shacharis the minyan moved outside to allow for the main minyan inside. Throughout the hakafos I heard loud booms. At first, I thought it came from planes training at supersonic speeds. A friend told me to look up. I saw in the skies the puffs of smoke resulting from the Iron Dome hitting incoming missiles. Apparently, others already knew (mostly from Filipino aids) that there was a war going on. 

When I went back to the house, our son and grandson had already left to another shul. No one else was up yet. Within minutes, I heard the first siren. Then within seconds, our daughter-in-law, granddaughter and a younger grandson ran down the stairs, in robes, to the room my wife and I slept in… the Maamad (secure) Room. So, it was me, the two women and a grandson who took cover under a bed.

My wife, Hali, who had gone to shul earlier with our son, came running into the house. When we thought the situation was calm, Hali, our 10 year old grandson and I  embarked on the 15 minute walk to the other shul where our son was to daven Musaf and Tefilas Geshem. Only 5 minutes into the walk there was a second siren We had been told, if you are outside, try to get into a building and wait in the stairwell. We ran into a French Sfardi shul, and the people literally grabbed us and led us to the stairwell where there were many others crowded together. They had been in the middle of leining and brought their big, beautiful, silver covered Sefer Torah with them. One little boy remarked to our grandson “Don’t worry. The Torah will protect all of us.”

All the while, cars were zooming past on a normally quiet street, particularly on Shabbos. You could see in each car young men and women, some already in uniform, that had been called up. When we arrived at the second shul, they were rushing through Hakafos, followed  by leining. Not all got a chance to dance with the Torah and not all, in this and other shuls even received an aliya. While in shul, there were an additional five sirens requiring us to interrupt the davening, go into the shelter or crowd together deep into the building. Several young men had to leave the Tefilla as there was now a “Tzav 8”, an emergency, widespread call, to the chayalim to report.

The Iron Dome activity continued throughout the morning into the early afternoon. We could hear and see jets and helicopters flying overhead all day. The streets below were uncharacteristically empty all afternoon, except for a few men scurrying out to Mincha and later Maariv.

After Havdalah, with tremendous anxiety and fear, we turned on our phones. At that time, the news was reporting at least 100 murdered by Hamas, 100’s injured and dozens captured. We were broken. The Israeli cabinet had declared war, something they have not done since the Yom Kippur War. In fact, some called it Yom Kippur War II.

B"H, we managed to drive back to our home in Yerushalayim. By the time we turned in for the night, the estimates of murdered victims had risen to 350. As of this writing, the number is at least 700, Hashem Yikom Damam.

On Sunday, we could see many visitors that were keeping two days. But other than them, the streets were empty, schools were closed, and many shops and restaurants did not open. Even Katzefet and the Bagel Café, both around the corner, and always open, were closed. Hali and I, foolishly or bravely, went for a walk. There was less traffic than what we see on Shabbos. Gan Sokker, though which we typically walk, was eerily empty, so we avoided it. Stores ran out of milk, eggs and other essentials because there were no or few deliveries. People have been told to “stock up” and prepare their Cheder Maamad with water and other provisions, just in case, R”L.

All the while, we wished, but could not, speak with our children in America. We assume that, even on Shabbos and Yom Tov, the news of the horrible events in Israel got around. We can only imagine how nervous and concerned they would be.

Many flights in and out of Tel Aviv have been cancelled. There will be hundreds, if not thousands, of “stranded” visitors who cannot get back home just yet. They are also looking for places to stay as many have rented apartments or hotel rooms and have to check-out Sunday evening or Monday.

I wish that somehow, the truth of the savagery, cruelty and inhumanity of Hamas and what they  did  to innocent men, women and children, would get out to the world, especially America. What they have done here, to thousands of murdered and injured is beyond comprehension and belief.

When there have been other terrible tragedies in Israel while we are here, I have often felt that in America it somehow sounds worse than it really is. People assume that it must be dangerous to walk out anywhere. No one is going to the Kosel, for example. That is rarely the case. However, this time, it may be the opposite. I don’t know if people abroad could appreciate the danger and somber mood that permeates the country right now. So many families have multiple children, men and women, that have been called up. The fear is palpable.

Is there a message here that Hashem is sending us? Of course!  We may never really know what the message is though. But perhaps the fact that this all began on Simchas Torah is  to remind us that we need to put more simcha in our Avodas Hashem. We need to feel the chashivus of being part of the Am Hanivchar, take pride in that and live our lives accordingly. Maybe we need to focus on instilling more simcha into our children and students so that they feel it is a privilege to be shomer Torah and Mitzvos and not a burden.

There is no question that we have to be mechazek ourselves in our Avodas Hashem and Tefillos. . Additionally, many of us are looking for ways we can help. Those connected to the soldiers are telling us that many left so fast, they don’t have basic necessities such as soap, toothbrushes, toothpaste, underwear and deodorant. They need battery packs for their cellphones. They want instant soups. If you wish to donate, please follow this link: https://www.keverrachelheritagefund.org and specify in the Notes section “for basic necessities for soldiers in combat.”

Personally, I think we should all write to our congressional representatives and urge them to provide strong, unwavering support for Israel.

Finally, it is now Monday morning, about 48 hours from the onset of the Hamas indiscriminate slaughter of Yidden. I went to the Netz minyan this morning at Khal Chasidim 3 blocks away. In the dark,  I saw a young married man, a real Ben Torah from a chashuv family, walking out of the shul building. I've seen him countless times in shul. But this time I saw him in uniform. He had been called up. He had a towel around his shoulder, and he had just come out of the mikveh that is in the shul building. This was his way of preparing himself for his Avodas Hakodesh of helping to defend, with Siyata Dishmaya, the people of Klal Yisroel.

For all of us who care for our fellow Yidden, we need to show our support to them in any and all ways possible. Most of all, we need to cry out to Hashem to end this brutal war quickly, that there be no more Jewish victims and that those held captive will be immediately released unharmed.

Besuros Tovos!

אַחֵֽינוּ כָּל בֵּית יִשְׂרָאֵל הַנְּ֒תוּנִים בַּצָּרָה וּבַשִּׁבְיָה הָעוֹמְ֒דִים בֵּין בַּיָּם וּבֵין בַּיַּבָּשָׁה הַמָּקוֹם יְרַחֵם עֲלֵיהֶם וְיוֹצִיאֵם מִצָּרָה לִרְ֒וָחָה וּמֵאֲפֵלָה לְאוֹרָה וּמִשִּׁעְבּוּד לִגְ֒אֻלָּה הַשְׁתָּא בַּעֲגָלָא וּבִזְמַן קָרִיב וְנֹאמַר אָמֵן

Chaim Gottesman

Yerushalayim

hegottesman@gmail.com