Go and Gather all the Jews

Go and Gather all the Jews

by Rabbi Leo Dee

It was not by chance that Hamas chose to attack Israel on October 7th, 2023. One of the captured terrorists said: “We saw that the Israeli people were divided and figured that this would be the best time to attack.”

These words are all too familiar to us from the Book of Esther, where Haman asks King Achashveros for permission to kill all the Jews, describing them as a people that are “scattered and divided” (Esther 3:8). Presumably Haman believed that division among the Jews in the Persian Empire would enable a swift and fruitful victory for him and the King.

We are now, once again, under attack from a Persian proxy who defined us as “divided”. What if anything can we learn from our Sages about the solution?

When Esther finally accepts upon herself the responsibility to take control of the situation, her first command to Mordechai is to “Go and assemble all the Jews… and fast for three days” (Esther 4:16).

The Maharal of Prague in the 16th century suggested that, just as all the Jews had assembled to feast in the King’s palace for six months at the beginning of the Megillah, the remedy should be to assemble in order to fast and repent for that previous indulgence.  Similarly, just as Israelis assembled on the streets during the flag marches of 2023 to emphasise the differences between the different sectors of our population,  on October 8th our brave reserve soldiers assembled in huge numbers, and all sectors of the population gathered to pack food and supplies for them and for those displaced and injured by the war.

We can also learn from Megillat Esther that we Jews are likely to become a little more observant during our troubled times than during our times of joy. The Maharal explains that Esther’s call for assembly was more than just a gathering, but actually a prayer fest, where Jews throughout the Persian Empire committed themselves to keeping more of the Torah and doing more acts of kindness. The Talmud (in Shabbat 88a) explains that the acceptance of the Torah at Mount Sinai may not have been binding  because it was compelled through a tangible revelation of Hashem which meant that the Jewish people could not refuse. However,  the acceptance of the Torah in the times of Esther (where Hashem was most hidden and not even mentioned once in the Megillah) became binding for future generations.

And we see this move towards greater observance in our generation. Remember how many thousands of sets of tzitzit and tefillin were sent to the battle front, and how many Tel Aviv restaurants koshered their kitchens to provide food for the IDF? Around the Jewish world, Rabbis have reported an increase in the number of Jews assembling in their synagogues, drawn together by the need to pray and to feel united.

One of the most startling and heartwarming outcomes of this war has been the assembly of the Jewish people in battle and in support of one another. When the reservists were first called up in the days following Simchat Torah, the IDF was anticipating a 60% turnout, due to the number who had threatened not to serve during the protests. In fact, the turnout was well over 120% because everyone who was called presented themselves for service, and another 20% came without being called up. Organisations that had been financed to rally against the government transformed themselves within 24 hours to become logistical supply factories for soldiers on the various fronts and to provide aid for families seeking refuge. Jewish communities around the world sent aid of all kinds and in overwhelming quantities, and continue to support Israel through mission visits, and through sending messages and treats for our soldiers and gifts for displaced families, keeping our economy functioning and boosting our morale.

We are a truly wonderful people – undivided, fully assembled, and ready to take on anything. Two and a half thousand years ago the Persian Empire and its proxies desired to perpetuate genocide against divided Jews, but we united, strengthened ourselves, fought back and won. If this is the model for success against today’s Iranian (Persian) proxies and their genocidal actions, then we are surely on the path to the greatest of victories. May this be His will. Amen.

Rabbi Leo Dee is an educator living in Efrat. His book “Transforming the World: The Jewish Impact on Modernity” has been republished in English and Hebrew in memory of his wife Lucy and daughters Maia and Rina, who were murdered by terrorists in April 2023.