The New Month of Adar
The new month of Adar has just begun and we are reminded by the rabbis that this is a time for rejoicing. As we prepare to celebrate this special time of joy, families in Demona, Israel will be grieving the loss of loved ones who were shopping in a mall when a suicide terrorist killed himself in order to injure and kill others. This is a small reminder of the thousands of Katushya Rockets that have fallen in Sderot and other municipalities in Israel. Another reminder are the children and adults who have died or been injured or driven from their homes that are in proximity of the Gaza Strip. Another reminder are the terrorist bombers who invaded the malls and market places in Israel. A reminder that pizza shops were not safe from these hate filled terrorists. A reminder that coffee houses were not safe for brides meeting their parents for coffee the night before their betrothal. A reminder that even shopping for a piece of fruit was an act of bravery because life was at risk in the marketplaces of Israel. So what are we to rejoice? Sixty years later the names have changed and boarders are different but the battle is the same. Early in the history of the modern State of Israel soldiers stood on battlefields with broom handles, pretending to have guns. Perhaps that is what we should rejoice: that our soldiers are well equipped with the best of weapons. Back in the War of Independence our armies were barely trained, but now we can rejoice that the young men and women we put in harm's way are the best trained army in the world. Truthfully, however, I doubt that Gilad Shalit's parents can rejoice by saying their son's training was the best in the world. They want Gilad home and then they will rejoice. ...
