An Emergency Call to Fast and Pray for all Endangered Jews

It is a time of danger. It is a time for action. It is a time when the mitzvah of �thou shalt not stand idly by thy brother�s blood� (Vayikra 19,16) stands dramatically before the Jewish community in America as both an opportunity and a critical necessity. The Torah is very clear that whenever and wherever a Jew is in either physical or spiritual danger, every other Jew is obligated to save him from that danger through any means at his disposal because that Jew is his brother. The cause of that danger, whether self-imposed or other-imposed is irrelevant. The source of that danger, whether Jew or non-Jew, is irrelevant. The mitzvah still applies.

 

There are two groups of Jews today who are in mortal danger, one in body and the other in soul. The first group is the Jews who live in Israel. Whether you agree with the impending Gaza disengagement or not, there is a great danger arising from it of a civil war, Jews killing Jews, chas v�shalam. In addition, there is always the ever present danger from the Palestinian terrorists who will stop at nothing to eliminate all Jewish presence in the Land of Israel. Finally, there is the creeping danger of a nuclear armed Iran directing warheads at an increasingly divided people. How do we make it stop? The second endangered group are the millions of Jews in America and the world who have assimilated and intermarried, lost Jewish souls. There are brothers and sisters who have exited the fold. How do we bring them back?

What can cause such a danger? Basically there are always two causes, one visible and minor, the other invisible and major. The visible cause is some physical agent, sometimes another person or living creature, sometimes a natural process (sickness, tsunami, etc.) This cause is minor because it is only the messenger of the other invisible cause and has no real power by itself. The invisible cause, the real power, is G-d demonstrating His attribute of justice or mercy. The immediate instrument and enforcer of these attributes is the Heavenly Court of Justice. This court is empowered to issue decrees, both good and bad, that ultimately give its messenger � physical agents, their power to operate. How does this court base its decisions? Since human existence is based on free will and personal choice, this heavenly court is continuously involved in a process of judicial analysis and assessment of these choices. This analysis involves the presentation of accusations and defenses for all people with regard to their choices. Nothing can happen to anyone in existence, whether good or bad, that has not been decreed by this heavenly court. It is this court representing G-d�s Will and Omnipotence that is the real cause of everything that we experience. It is summarized in the Biblical statement, �there is none other but G-d and His power�. (Devarim 4, 35)

The above truth tells us how to fulfill the mitzvah of not standing idly by on our brother�s blood. Since the danger to him has two causes, the obligation to defend must be initially directed, if possible, at both of them, the visible (physical) and the invisible (spiritual). Even when we cannot directly prevent the physical cause from acting, we are still obligated to focus on and try to indirectly prevent the spiritual cause from acting. How do we do this? Since the spiritual cause of our brother�s danger is always a heavenly decree we must find a way to divert or cancel it. The Torah tells us that the way is through charity, fasting, and prayer. We protect other endangered Jews by giving charity in their names, fasting and especially by praying for them. We need to give these threatened Jews increased merit and show G-d, our Father, that we care about our fellow Jews as we care for our own brothers and sisters.

Which group of Jews is most empowered to save other endangered Jews through their fasting and prayer? The answer is all those Jews who do not share in the danger of these other Jews. They are safe and are not in any imminent danger themselves. Why is their power greater? When endangered Jews fast and pray for their own salvation they are similar to defendants in a court that have just been found guilty and are threatened with punishment. Through their fasting and prayers they are throwing themselves at the mercy of the judge who is G-d, acting through the attribute of Justice (in this regard He is called our King.) Their position is therefore a weak one. However, when the non-endangered Jews pray and fast for those who are endangered their position is much stronger. They are not motivated by self-defense but rather by their caring for and love of their fellow Jews. It is this pure motive of brotherly love which has the power to awaken G-d�s attribute of mercy and to persuade Him, measure for measure (so to speak), to be merciful to those endangered Jews (in this regard He is called our Father). Endangered Jews pray to G-d, the Judge and King, for their own salvation. Non-endangered Jews pray to G-d, the Father, for the salvation of their brothers and sisters. Obviously, their prayers have a greater possibility of being heard and accepted.

The greatest sin of the Jewish people throughout their history, the one that has cause them more suffering than any other is their indifference and insensitivity to the suffering and danger of other Jews. This is the transgression of standing idly by on their brother�s blood. G-d, the Father, is infuriated by the callous indifference of one brother to another. In response, He becomes G-d the Judge and King and the Jews become vulnerable to terrible consequences. We must wake up and learn from our mistakes. We can not fail again.

It is a time of danger and a call to action. We can not stand idly by on the blood of the first group and the souls of the second group. G-d is testing our brotherly love and our belief in His absolute power. He is the answer to all those endangered Jews, as it says �there is no G-d beside Me; I kill and restore to life; I have inflicted wounds and I will heal; nothing can be snatched from My hand� (Devarim 32, 39)

Long ago in ancient Persia, the Jews faced a mortal crisis. Queen Esther told Mordechai to go and gather all the Jews in the land and pray and fast to avert the evil decree that could befall them. This was the formula for their salvation. The salvation of the Jewish people today requires a more expanded formula. It is not enough for the endangered Jews in Israel to fast and pray for themselves since their weakness is that they are addressing G-d, the Judge and King. It is critical that we, in America, assist them by fasting and praying for them, especially since we have the advantage of addressing G-d, the Father and awakening great mercy for them as we completely fulfill the mitzvah of not standing by our brother�s blood.

On the coming fast day of Tannis Esther this year, let us direct our fast and prayer for these two endangered groups of Jews. Let us show our Heavenly Father that we will not stand idly by and watch our brothers and sisters physically and spiritually disappear. Let us appeal to the Master of Existence that He is the power and the solution.

 

Purim

14 Adar II 5765
March 25, 2005
Daf Yomi: Berachos 25

Guest Rabbi:     
Rabbi Zvi Boruch Hollander
Young Israel of Venice, CA