Yom HaZikaron

"There are two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle."

~Albert Einstein

 

Yom HaZikaron: The Jewish Holiday of "Remembering the Fallen Soldiers of Israel" is today. There were some fierce battles that were fought in Israel's history, and many brave young Jewish men and women who fought in these battles lost their lives.

In Israel today, a siren goes off at 8 PM when the day starts at sunset and again the next morning at 11 AM and when the siren goes off, all the people in Israel stop what they are doing, traffic comes to a halt. People stop and spend a moment of silence remembering and respecting the dead soldiers who gave their lives to ensure our freedoms and the survival of the State of Israel.

 

Yes, we won WWII and thank G-d we did not lose this war. But even after winning the war, we lost a great deal--6 million Jews died. But to think that if we had not won this war that Nazis could be controlling the world now. What a scary thought. It took the lives of young men and women to win this war and other wars in Israel and we need to acknowledge this.

 

Tomorrow is Yom HaAtzma'ut; Israel's Independence Day. The reason we have Yom HaZikaron the day before is to show us that without the bravery of these soldiers we would not have Israel at all. We would not have freedom, we would not be here today.

 

There is a poem titled: SILVER PLATTER by Natan Alterman that is traditionally read on this day of Yom HaZikaron. Here it is:

 

And the land grows still, the red eye of the sky  slowly dimming over smoking frontiers
As the nation arises, Torn at heart but breathing, To receive its miracle, the only miracle
As the ceremony draws near,  it will rise, standing erect in the moonlight in terror and joy
When across from it will step out a youth and a lass and slowly march toward the nation
Dressed in battle gear, dirty, Shoes heavy with grime, they ascend the path quietly
To change garb, to wipe their brow
They have not yet found time. Still bone weary from days and from nights in the field
Full of endless fatigue and unrested,
Yet the dew of their youth. Is still seen on their head

Thus they stand at attention, giving no sign of life or death
Then a nation in tears and amazement
will ask: "Who are you?"

And they will answer quietly, "We Are the silver platter on which the Jewish state was given."
Thus they will say and fall back in shadows
And the rest will be told In the chronicles of Israel.

 

This poem is so beautiful--yes, the moments of silence we can spend to respect the soldiers who are indeed the "silver platter on which the Jewish state of Israel was given" are moments heartfelt and well spent.