Tonight at 8 pm local time the sirens will sound and Yom Hazikaron will commence. This day is set aside to commemorate the ultimate sacrifice of Israel's soldiers sailors and airmen in the defence of the people and Land of Israel and the victims of Arab terrorism. It is also a time to remember and pay respect to all those families who have lost dear ones and those in the armed services who were wounded and/or disabled and still have to cope with those injuries. It is also a specific time to remember our missing soldiers and pray for their speedy return.
I was recently reminded of a story. “A student in the Kol Torah Yeshiva in Jerusalem, approached his Rosh Yeshiva, Rav Shlomo Zalman Auerbach zt"l and asked him the question: May I leave my Torah studies in the yeshiva to go [for a short visit] and pray at the graves of tzadikim (righteous people,) in the Galil (Northern Israel?)
Rav Auerbach answered, “It is better to say in yeshiva, and study Torah”
The student replied, “Isn’t there a time I could go to visit the graves of tzadikim? Doesn’t Rav Auerbach go and pray by the graves of tzadikim?
Rav Auerbach answered, “In order to pray at the graves of tzadikim, one doesn’t have to travel up to the Galil. Whenever I feel the need to pray at the graves of tzadikim, I go to Mount Herzel, [the national cemetery for fallen IDF soliders in Jerusalem], to the graves of the soliders…who fell “Al Kiddush Hashem” for the sanctification of G-d.”
May their memory be for a blessing.
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