Celebrating - Holy Blossom Temple

10
Sermon
Gilad Shalit: To Save a Life
If a non-Jewish citizen of the world is confused
by Israel’s exchange for Gilad Shalit, we’d
understand why. If a non-Jewish friend or
neighbour asks us to explain it, we only need
to remind them that Israel is The Jewish State;
and the mitzvah of redeeming captives, Pidyon
Shvuyim, is a sacred duty.
Literally from the very beginning, Jews have had
to strategize, act, and make painful concessions
to fill this mitzvah. Genesis tells how Abraham
raised up an army to free his kinsman, Lot,
who’d be kidnapped.
Maimonides teaches: “Mitzvah rabbah hi” -- “It
is a mitzvah of paramount importance.” This
statement has shaped Jewish law. For example,
a Torah scroll may be sold in order to raise
the necessary funds to redeem a captive. And
although an existing synagogue may not be sold
for this purpose, the monies set aside to build
a new one may be redirected in order to rescue
a captive.
I don’t think it’s an exaggeration to say that Jews
and Judaism are obsessed with life. Just look at
our liturgy. We pray on the High Holy Days:
“Remember us for life... inscribe us in the Book
of Life.” We pray on
the Festivals: “Save us
this day for life.” We
pray with each new
moon: “I shall not
die, but live and tell
the deeds of the
Eternal God.” We
mark each simcha
with Shehechiyanu:
“Praised are You, O
God… who has given
us life, sustained us,
and enabled us to
reach this moment!”
Rabbi Yael Splansky
Our Torah teaches us to embrace every Godgiven
moment of life. On Rosh HaShanah
we read the Akeydah, when the angel stops
the raised knife and lets the boy live. On Yom
Kippur we read God’s words: “I place before
you life and death. Choose life, so that you may
live!”
This season Israel has shown the world the
Jewish commitment to life. She has taken brave
risks and made heart-wrenching concessions in
order to bring Gilad home. Israel has acted upon
the Mishnaic dictum: “When one saves a single
life, it is as if, he has saved an entire world.”
And yet, I don’t think we can say there was any
justice in this exchange. One thin soldier for
1,027 prisoners, including terrorists who have
blood on their hands. It may not have even been
the “right” thing to do. However, most seem to
feel it was a “good” thing to do. Why? Simply
because Gilad is alive and the victims of terror
are dead. Gilad still has a chance at living a full
life and doing a lot of good in this world, while
those murdered by terrorists have “only” the
next life to live.
We are the people who raise a glass and
shout, “L’Chayim!” Toasting with “L’Chayim”
is not a simple custom of the Jews. It is a
deeply religious commitment. Years ago, on
a congregational trip to Eastern Europe, a
Holocaust Survivor had a notable response
when visiting the concentration camps and
mass graves. At each site, he took out a flask
and offered a L’Chayim. This act was not
a celebration, to be sure, but a triumphant
expression of gratitude for seeing life win out
over death. L’Chayim is a proclamation of the
Jewish intoxication with life itself. It is a
declaration of our faith in this God-given life.
It is a pledge to carry on with life no matter the
pain, no matter the cost. A simple “L’Chayim”
can be an act of defiance of death and praise for
the God of all life.
Holy Blossom Temple