On a blistering hot August Shabbat morning, during the reading of Parshat Eikev, two shul members stood on the bimah. Joe (fictionalized), who was to receive the fourth aliyah, was over 90 years old. Ted (fictionalized), waiting for his turn for the fifth aliyah, was in his early 70s.

Along with the rabbi, they stood near the Holy Torah which was resting on the cloth covered altar. It was in this respectful setting, that the “battle on the bimah” took place.

Parshat Eikev from Deuteronomy is one of the 54 sections of the Torah read each year. The rabbi’s precise recitation would describe how Moses told the wandering, ancient Jews about their reward for fulfilling HaShem’s commandments. These soon to be Israelites were promised to prosper in Israel, the land they would soon conquer.

For many in the congregation, reference to Israel and its long-ago conquest, seemed all too contemporary as worries about the war that began after October 7th weighed heavily on their collective psyche. It was less than two years since this congregation had assembled for a joyous Simchat Torah celebration only to hear about the horrors taking place in southern Israel.

While Israel had achieved many victories since October 7th, the congregation ardently prayed for the rescue of the remaining hostages, the safety of the soldiers and the........

© The Times of Israel (Blogs)