On Tuesday night, October 1, Chazaq hosted an emergency T’hilim and chizuk virtual program for the situation in Eretz Yisrael. The program included three inspiring speakers and the reciting of T’hilim.
Charlie Harary, well-known speaker, said we experienced a clear lesson today after Hashem deflected all those missiles shot from Iran at Israel. On Erev Rosh HaShanah, 181 missiles entered Eretz Yisrael and not one Jewish person was hurt or killed. It was like the equivalent to the Plague of the Locusts. Nothing happened to Jews. You have to say it’s Hashem.
Iran attacked us and Hashem showed the world that not one missile would hurt us. The message is loud and clear. The Chasam Sofer taught that, when you see war, you daven for g’ulah. It means it’s the time before Mashiach. When anything major happens in the world, it is about g’ulah. We will always remember this Erev Rosh HaShanah.
He posed a question: If Nisan is when the world was created, then why do we celebrate Rosh HaShanah in Tishrei? He said because it entered G-d’s mind in Tishrei to create the world. The physical world comes alive in Nisan. The spiritual world was created in Tishrei. Hashem created a spiritual world filled with His light. That light gives the whole world life. He taught that ”Everything is Hashem.” The way the world operates, we think that we are separate from Hashem. On Rosh HaShanah, Hashem wants us to realize that we want connection to Him.
Rosh HaShanah is the beginning of the spiritual year. Every year on Rosh HaShanah, we choose that we want to be connected to Hashem. Hashem wants us to say that we don’t rely on anything but Him. We say to Hashem, “What I want is You. I want to feel You in my life.”
The world says that the stuff you get makes you happy. Rosh HaShanah teaches us that it’s Hashem who makes us happy. Hashem is saying that it’s time to wake up and say I choose You as King. He said to picture a ladder, and at the top is total k’dushah. Think to yourself: What is my next level for k’dushah? What is the thing I have to start doing or stop doing? Everyone knows for himself the specific thing he or she should do or not do. “Connect to do it for the Jewish people. Climb the ladder of k’dushah.”
He added that we are not scared of missiles because Hashem watches over us.
Next, Rabbi Paysach Krohn, well-known mohel, author, and speaker, said that when he first heard about the missiles flying over Yerushalayim, he worried about his grandchildren and great-grandchildren making it to shelters on time. It was so frightening for the people who had to run to the shelter.
He shared that Hashem can hear thousands of t’filos at once. There’s a mal’ach that is in charge of t’filos, and he takes each person’s prayer and makes it into a jewel and puts it on the crown of Hashem. We have to know that our prayer is a jewel and that Hashem is listening.
Rabbeinu Bachya taught that Hashem is “close to all who call Him, all who call with sincerity.”
Rabbi Krohn emphasized this teaching of Rabbeinu Bachya that anyone who commits to being a truthful person will have his t’filah heard.
Now is the time to make kabbalos to be a person of emes, to not give false flattery or say things that are untrue.
We are davening for the safety of Jews in Israel and all over the world. Rabbeinu Bachya taught that the first pasuk in the Torah contains every vowel except the shuruk, whose Hebrew letters are “shin,” “reish,” and “kuf.” When these Hebrew letters are rearranged, they spell “sheker,” The reason this vowel is omitted is that there can’t be any “sheker” or falsehood in the first pasuk, which is the foundation of the Torah. Also, the names of the Avos and Imahos do not contain a shuruk for the same reason.
David HaMelech had so many enemies, yet he never gave up. He always trusted in Hashem with emunah and bitachon, and that’s why we recite his T’hilim. No matter what we go through in life, Hashem is the only one Who can help us.
Today, in the world, there are so many ways to communicate, and still, we can feel lonely and isolated.
David HaMelech tells us in T’hilim that Hashem turns to the prayer of the lonely one.
When you connect to Hashem, you are not alone. You are talking to the One Who can change everything.
Whoever wants life should watch his lips and say the truth. As Rabbeinu Bachya taught, we need to make a resolution to be people of truth so Hashem will listen to our t’filos!
The Amidah prayer is all in the plural. We daven for each other and Hashem loves this.
Just as it’s great nachas for a parent when he sees his children care for one another, so too, for Hashem it brings Him great nachas when He sees we care for one another. Rabbi Krohn said we should think of people in shelters and displaced families, and the hostages and parents and families with husbands, sons, and daughters, and relatives at the front. There is so much to daven for. We need tremendous y’shuos. “Know that Hashem listens to every t’filah!”
Following this, Rav Noach Isaac Oelbaum, Rav of Khal Nachlas Yitzchok and well-known rav, author, and speaker, noted the display of local achdus and sharing our deep connection to am Yisrael and Eretz Yisrael. “We have come here to storm the Heavens and to ask Hashem to open the gates of Shamayim and to shower brachos on us.”
He shared that the October 7 Massacre is not over yet. So many people have died: babies, soldiers, civilians. We brought our korbanos in our long history. Now again, we lost hundreds who were butchered and murdered. People are sacrificing their lives to protect the Jewish people and Eretz Yisrael. We need to learn more and daven with all of our strength.
We draw on the Akeidas Yitzchak in the Rosh HaShanah davening. We have to sacrifice something. We need to show Hashem that we are ready to do something more. Everything you do takes effect. Don’t underestimate its importance. Hashem wants us to be close to Him and to talk to Him. He sends tragedies to get us to talk to Him. On Rosh HaShanah, Hashem decides war or peace.
Rav Levi Yitzchak of Berditchev taught that we say to Hashem that we blow 100 t’kios and You blow one for Mashiach.
Following this, Rabbi Krohn led everyone in reciting T’hilim.
The community is grateful to Chazaq for organizing this beautiful, inspiring event!
By Susie Garber
