While in Israel and the Mishaberach for Israeli Soldiers

"I was saying amen to a mishaberach that hashem should help the soldiers because the soliders were actually protecting me (i.e. me myself, my life, my body, etc), my family, my kids, my friends, my neighbors, and the entire state of Israel's existence. It wasn't something detached - it was something almost tangible."

I had a sort of any epiphany when I was in Israel a few months ago.

It was Shabbos morning and I was loving the davening. I was in some shul in Catamon, I loved receiving the bircat hacohanim by shacharit, and it was time for kriat hatorah.

After the baal kore finished leining, he stood up and said the mishaberach for the TZAHAL. This is the same mishaberach that I have listenened to for years in my chutz l'aretz shul. However, when I heard it in Israel, it was like a totally different mishaberach with a different meaning. I wasn't me just rotely responding amen while barely listening to the words while shmoozing with someone next to me in shul. It wasn't a rote affirmation that hashem should protect the soliders of Israel hundreds of miles away. Rather, it was a whole new Mishaberach that I wanted to to intently listen to and say amen with a lot of fervent kavana.

The reason why saying the mishaberach felt so different is that it is essentially a different misheberach when you listen to it in Israel. In Israel, I was saying amen that Hashem protect the Israeli solider so that they can continue on in their mission. Their mission is to protect every single Jewish soul currently residing in Israel, including me and my family who were in Israel. I was saying amen that hashem should help the soldiers because the soliders were actually protecting me (i.e. me myself, my life, my body, etc), my family, my kids, my friends, my neighbors, and the entire state of Israel's existence. It wasn't something detached - it was something almost tangible.

Gilad Shalit

Its amazing in Israel how the whole country is in touch with the state of Gilad Shalit in captivity. Gilad Shalit's captivity is so devastating because he represents soldiers in general and the holy mission that they go out to do on a daily basis, that is, protecting Jewish souls. His captivity should never be taken for granted by anyone anywhere, because if we become descensitized to his captivity, we become descensitized to the crucial role that Israeli soldiers are part of everyday.

The picture to the left is Gilad's parents who went to the Kotel to daven for Gilad's release. Hundreds of people joined them, in solidariy to daven that he should be released, including Rabbi Lau.