We are standing at the threshold of Chodesh Nissan, the month of our redemption. But let’s be honest—this year, the heart feels heavy. For over two years now, the sounds of war have become the background noise of our lives. What started as a massive shock that shook us to our core has, tragically, turned into something people are “getting used to.”

We are all busy now. We are scrubbing for Pesach, getting rid of chametz, and making our Seder plans. But in the middle of all this cleaning, a hard question comes up: Can we really just go on with life as usual? Can we act like everything is normal while our brothers and sisters are still deep in pain—living with loss, injuries, and scars that don’t seem to heal?

This isn’t just about being “emotional.” It goes to the very root of what it means to be a Jew. Is the pain of another person something we just “know” about, or is it something we actually feel?

There is a powerful lesson from Rav Chaim Shmuelevitz zt”l, the Rosh Yeshiva of Mir. He points to the Gemara in Masechet Sotah (11a) about the three advisors who stood before Pharaoh in Egypt: Bilaam, Iyov, and Yitro.

Balaam, who gave the advice to hurt the Jews, was killed. Yitro, who ran away in protest, saw his grandsons merit to sit in the Lishkat HaGazit. And Iyov? Iyov stayed silent. And for that silence, he was sentenced to a life of terrible........

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