Beyond the Headlines: There Is Purpose and Direction

A weekly glimpse into the Israel you won’t read about in the news 

The sign at the entrance to the Old City

So many dramatic events, so much upheaval, where is all this heading?

When there are so many question marks, it’s worth remembering, even as we struggle, that there is one big exclamation point above them all: We have God. We have a people and a Torah. And we have eternal prophecies reminding us of the purpose and direction of this entire story.

In the weeks between Tisha B’Av and Rosh Hashanah, we read the ancient “Haftarot of Consolation” from the navi Yeshayahu. Last Shabbat, we read about the day when we will return to our land and to our faith, when the entire world will recognize the truth emerging from the Land of Israel, and when the complete redemption will come: “Violence shall no longer be heard in your land, nor devastation or destruction within your borders.”

“Violence, devastation, and destruction” refer to violent attacks and internal and external crises. All of these, so familiar to us, will come to an end. Not only Hamas as we know it, not only the murderers in suits sitting in Qatar will be destroyed, but all evil in the world and all the evil within us.

The prophecy continues: “You shall call your walls ‘Salvation’ and your gates ‘Praise’.” The Yeshayahu Hanavi tells us that we will be so strong and secure that we won’t need physical defenses. Salvation itself will be the wall protecting us, and our praise will be the gate guarding us. Faith in God, unity, and inner strength will protect Jerusalem, without the need for physical walls.

In confusing times, it’s worth remembering: generation after generation, our ancestors read these prophecies of consolation and drew strength and direction from them, and they are indeed coming to life before our eyes. May we merit not only to read them but to see them fulfilled completely, speedily in our days.

In Their Memory

On Sept. 8, six civilians were murdered in the terror attack at the Ramot junction in Jerusalem, and four soldiers fell in Gaza, may God avenge their blood. Ten families will now begin to recite Kaddish for their loved ones. In their memory, here are a few words about the Kaddish itself:

The Kaddish opens with the words: “May His great name be magnified and sanctified.” In his prayer, the mourner asks that God’s great name be magnified and sanctified. Further on, the words of the Kaddish describe a good and perfected world, asking for the presence of God to be increased in the world: “May He be blessed, praised, glorified, exalted, uplifted, honored, elevated, and lauded…”

Why is this what we ask for after precious souls have ascended to Heaven? Because every human being is created in the image of God. With each person who leaves this world, their unique reflection of the divine presence, expressed through their life and actions, also departs. Something sacred is now missing. That is why we ask for this divine light to be restored, to fill the void.

How despicable are our enemies, who cry “Allahu Akbar” (“God is great”) as they murder and diminish God’s presence in the world, and how much we must work to defeat them and fill the world once again with goodness and holiness.

And the Kaddish, it is never said alone. It requires the presence of ten people together, a minyan. This carries another comforting message for the mourners: you are not alone. Your loss belongs to the entire people of Israel.

Condolences to the families of the fallen. May the closing words of the Kaddish soon be fulfilled: “He Who makes peace in His heights, may He make peace upon us and upon all Israel, and say Amen.”

Where Will You Be for the Holiday Prayers?

Across Israel, preparations are underway for the Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur services. During this season in Israel, shuls overflow and many new prayer gatherings open—in kibbutzim, in city squares, and even in tents along the streets.

This week, Yonatan Levy, a hi-tech professional from Givat Shmuel, sent me the following story:

“For several years now, I have been joining the Yom Kippur prayers at Kibbutz Nir Oz in the Gaza periphery. The kibbutz members are joined by a group of religious Jews from Givat Shmuel and Jerusalem, together with alumni of the Hesder Yeshiva in Elon Moreh.

On erev Yom Kippur, dozens of kibbutz residents would come for Kol Nidrei, and the following day, at the fast’s conclusion, many would gather to hear Amotz, a kibbutz member, blow the shofar. The joy would peak when everyone, religious and secular, old-timers and youth, danced together and sang L’shana Haba’a B’Yerushalayim Habnuyah and Asher Bachar Banu Mikol Ha’amim. Even the children would come, wide-eyed, as the air filled with the sound of the shofar.

Each year, we tried to bring a kohen so that everyone could hear Birkat Kohanim. But on our last Yom Kippur there, in 5784 (2023), we couldn’t find one, until we suddenly remembered Ravid Katz, a local resident who came every year for the Ne’ilah prayer. We asked if he could come that year for Shacharit as well, to lift his hands and bless the congregation. Ravid hesitated at first but eventually agreed.

When he arrived in the morning, we understood his hesitation. It was the first time in his life he had ever been asked to give Birkat Kohanim. He turned to Binyamin, one of the organizers, and asked him to explain the order of the blessing.

The moment was moving beyond words: a simple, kind, humble man, standing there for the very first time, raising his hands to bless the congregation with the ancient words: “May the Lord bless you and protect you. May the Lord make His face shine upon you and be gracious to you. May the Lord turn His face toward you and grant you peace.” That moment is forever engraved in our hearts.

Only a week and a half later, on October 7th, Ravid fought heroically with the kibbutz emergency squad, and fell in battle. His body was taken to Gaza and later returned in a military operation. Ravid worked with at-risk youth, was a devoted father, and so much more could be said about his remarkable character.

When I went to comfort his family, they told me how deeply moved he had been on that Yom Kippur, just days before his murder, to deliver Birkat Kohanim. It was clear to me that this was no ordinary blessing but a final gift he left us all, a message of unity, a moment of holiness before his soul ascended to heaven.

This year, we are once again organizing a joint minyan with members of Kibbutz Nachal Oz, now based in Kiryat Gat. The ties have remained and even strengthened. This Yom Kippur, Birkat Kohanim will be dedicated to the memory of Ravid Katz, our kohen, who blessed us only once in his life.”

Ravid Katz

A ‘Date’ With God

Every year around this time in Jerusalem, they put up a sign at the entrance to the Old City advising visitors to avoid arriving by car and instead to use public transportation. This year they put the sign up early because of the huge crowds that have been coming since the first day of Selichot. 

Ephraim Oren, a teacher, saw this text and wrote: "There's depth here. Never come to Selichot as a private individual but as part of the public. This isn't a private matter, it's a connection to the entire community."

He's right. This is a national event. The photo that the Western Wall spokesman sent me after the first Selichot there looked unbelievable to me. I thought it was last year’s last night of Selichot, which is usually the most crowded, but in fact it was from this year; the plaza filled up like this on the first night, and every night has been breaking the record of the preceding one.

What brings so many men and women to the Kotel at midnight on a weeknight? This week there was a group of bank employees there, alongside Breslov Hasidim, as well as many teenagers and young adults, people you’d never expect to see together, getting along beautifully.

This week, content creator Eliasaf Ezra wrote about this on Instagram. He is using a “new language,” which is very different from the sectarian, political and media language we've become accustomed to: "The best thing you can do for yourselves right now is to travel to Selichot at the Western Wall. Choose an evening. Wear your nicest clothes. Listen to liturgical poems on the way. Fuel your soul with spirituality. Take a deep breath and fill your lungs with holiness. All the parties in the world, all the restaurants in the world, all the dates in the world, don't compare to this. No date compares to a date with God!"

Selichot in the City That Never Stops

I have been writing a lot about Selichot at the Kotel, but the story is so much bigger. Readers have written to tell me: Selichot is not just the Kotel. It’s in a community center in Hadera, in a parking lot in Gedera, on the beach in Eilat, and in synagogues from New York to LA.

And then there’s Tel Aviv, a city often in the headlines for religious-secular tensions. Yet when someone asked on a WhatsApp group if there was any place in Tel Aviv to say Selichot she received in response a beautifully designed flyer listing about fifty locations across the city! And this was not for the first or last night of Selichot, but for an ordinary evening in the middle of Elul! People everywhere are waking up, searching for connection—with Judaism, with God, with who we really are. May this awakening continue, and may all our prayers be answered.

Translated by Yehoshua Siskin and Janine Muller Sherr

Want to read more by Sivan Rahav Meir? Google The Daily Thought or visit sivanrahavmeir.com