The laws of war discussed in last week’s parsha, as well as this week, had been mostly theoretical for many generations. It is only with our return to our homeland and the independence of the State of Israel that the theoretical has become a reality.   

Almost one year after the atrocities of October 7 and the start of this terribly painful war, the verses of Parashat Shoftim and Ki Teitzei sadly speak to the relevance of Jewish law and practice.  The values of the Torah, embraced by the IDF have ensured what many call “the most moral army on earth.”

Here, far from the battlefield, the weather is changing. The nights are cooler and school has begun again.  The month of Elul has arrived and our thoughts turn to the High Holidays, which are less than a month away. 

Elul, our sages tell us, is a time of special Divine Mercy. The letters of Elul are an acronym alluding to the essence of the month “Ani l’dodi v’dodi Li”, “I am to My beloved and My beloved is to Me”.  Hashem yearns for closeness, for our introspection, our resolve to change and do better, our growth.  G-d’s Mercy is more easily accessible. 

In this week’s Parasha, Ki Teitzei, the Torah tells us, “When a camp goes against your enemies, you shall guard against anything evil.” (Deut/Devarim 23:10).   Rashi reminds us that we do not win wars through natural means.  The battle is not only external, with Hamas, Hezbollah, Iran and Jew haters everywhere, but also internal, with our yetzer hara, our problematic drives.  Our greatest weapon in both battles is our spiritual growth, our giving and goodness, our unity, which brings victory with the help of Hashem. 

Ohr HaChaim, (1696 – 1743) explains that whether the war is internal or against our enemies who seek to destroy us, we should never despair. Hashem is with us. In Egypt, the Jewish people had descended to the forty-ninth level of spiritual impurity.  Yet G-d elevated them to become His people at Sinai. So too, if we sincerely examine our deeds and resolve to do better, G-d helps us out. 

A Sephardic liturgical poem, “Achot Ketanah,” is read on Rosh Hashanah; its refrain repeats the words “May the year end, and with it, its curses.”  In the final stanza it adds the phrase “May the New Year begin, and with it, its blessings.” (In Hebrew, the words for “end” and “begin” are homonyms, similar sounding words that are spelled differently.) Today, this is a popular Hebrew phrase: “Tichleh Shana v’Kililoteha. Tachel Shana u’Virchoteha”; “May the year end and its curses, May the New Year begin with it’s blessings.”

May we use the opportunities in this month of Elul to search within and to grow.  In the merit of the spiritual striving of the Jewish People, may we see an end to the year and its curses, an end to the war; the safe return of the soldiers fighting on the front lines, the evacuees, and of course, the hostages.

Shabbat Shalom and Best Wishes for a Sweet New Year, Lauren