“RABBI’S MUSINGS (& AMUSINGS)”
Erev Shabbos Kodesh parshas Emor
Avos perek 4 – 29th day of Omer – Pesach
Sheni
14 Iyar 5783/May 5, 2023
GUARD’S VIGILANCE
I have a colleague who is a beloved teacher and masterful storyteller. He
often recounts his experiences while serving in the IDF (Israel Defense Forces)
during the late 70s and early 80s.
He recently related the following story:
“In January 1979, during my years of service in the
IDF, on a very cold rainy January day I was part of a 6-man team manning
a machsom – a security check point.
“That day we were stationed outside the beautiful Muslim
city of Tulkarm in the West Bank, east of Netanya. We stopped each car to check
the driver’s IDs and license plates to ensure that they weren’t on any
terrorist lists. It was boring and tedious, especially on a cold day and we
were eager for our shift to end.
“One of the members of our team was a Druze named
Salach. The Druze are fiercely loyal to Medinas Yisroel and are highly
committed, disciplined soldiers. Salach was an outstanding soldier.
“At one point a black Mercedes station wagon pulled up
to the machsom. The driver of the elegant car was a stately elderly
Muslim man, wearing a sharp blue pinstriped suit. In the back were six young
children, ranging from about 2-8 years old. Each was holding a wrapped package
on his/her lap.
“Salach routinely approached the window and the driver
handed Salach his identification papers. The driver explained that he was
taking his grandchildren to a birthday party outside of Tulkarm. We checked his
license plate and ID, and everything looked good.
“I was about to wave him through when Salach suddenly thrust
the front of his gun into the driver’s jaw and in Arabic ordered the driver to
place his hands on the wheel and not dare take them off. While keeping the
index finger of his right hand firmly on the trigger of his gun, Salach
gingerly stuck his left hand into the car and pulled the car keys out of the
ignition. He then calmly told me to call the משטרה צבאית – the military police.
“The police arrived and investigated. It turned out that in
every one of the boxes on the laps of those children were two sticks of
dynamite, packed with gravel to amplify the damage, with a very primitive
windup device that easily could have gone off and blown up the car and the
people inside it.
“Afterwards I asked Salach איך ידעת – how did you know there was something suspicious?
“Salach replied, “Tell me, if you want to give your
friend a birthday present but don’t have the proper box for the gift, would you
place it in a shoebox?” I replied that you definitely could use a shoebox. But
what does that have to do with anything? He told me to be patient and
continued, “And if you didn’t have wrapping paper, might you use a paper bag,
taped down nicely?” I agreed again, still not knowing where he was going with
this. “What if you didn’t have ribbon, could you use regular string?” I nodded
again. “And if you didn’t have scotch tape, could you use duct tape or masking
tape? I nodded again. Salach then said, “But I’m sure you agree that you would
never use electrical tape to tape up a gift. Electrical tape is used for wires,
not for a birthday present. It just doesn’t look nice.”
“Salach then explained that while standing next to the
car, he noticed that in the corner of one of the packages the tape had become
slightly undone, and it was retaped with electrical tape. That tipped him off
that something was wrong.
“It is incredible that this evil man was willing to risk the lives of his
own grandchildren to perpetuate his evil.”
One of the points that impressed me about the story was Salach’s
vigilance. He was able to notice one small piece of tape in the corner of a box
on the lap of one of the children in the back and realize that there was
something strange about it.
Such is the responsibility of a guard. By definition, a guard cannot be
lackadaisical or nonchalant. At all times, he must be focused and
conscientious.
Those who are Shabbos observant are not referred to as Mekaimei
Shabbos – those who fulfill Shabbos, but rather as Shomrei
Shabbos – those who guard Shabbos. The Torah instructs us “V’shamru
b’nei Yisroel es hasShabbos – The Jewish people must guard the Shabbos,”
and we sing on Shabbos about “Hashomer Shabbos haben im habas – The one
who guards Shabbos – his son with his daughter – it is pleasing to Hashem like
a Mincha offering on a flat plan.”
Similarly, observant Jews are referred to as Shomrei Torah
uMitzvos – those who guard Torah and mitzvos. To be a Torah Jew
entails not only observance but also effort to upkeep, preserve and ensure
proper Torah observance. With so many laws and details to adhere to, one’s
observance cannot just be another facet of his personality. It requires
commitment that encapsulates his entire being and he must always be wary of
letting his guard down when in the line of duty.
In a similar vein, we refer to Hashem as Shomer Yisroel – the Guardian of
the Jewish People. During the Seder on Pesach, we bless Hashem who guarded His
promise to Yisroel – ברוך שומר הבטחתו לישראל. Hashem does not merely preserve the Jewish People; He is also
the guardian of the Jewish people. A parent not only provides for a child but
is constantly worried and concerned with his/her child’s welfare and growth.
That is how Hashem relates to us as well.
The Ba’al Shem Tov emphasized that Hashem relates to us with hashgacha
pratis – particular vigilance and affinity. That is indicative of His love
for us.
We guard His Torah and He guards His people.
Shabbat Shalom & Good Shabbos,
R’
Dani and Chani Staum