Judaism DIR
This story passed around yesterday in some Whatsapp groups I'm in. It was written by Rabbi Chaim Sabato, the Rosh Yeshiva of Yeshivat Birkat Moshe in Maaleh Adumim. Here's a translation:
My first Pesach Seder in the IDF:
I was a young soldier. It was my first year in the army. A soldier in the parachuted Nahal brigade. When I was a yeshiva student, I was sent three days prior to the holiday to kasher* for Pesach a post in the [Suez] Canal and to give over the Seder to the soldiers there. I arrived at the post that was by the banks of the Canal. There were some veteran soldiers there, a month before discharge. They had served through the whole War of Attrition. The moment they saw me, they filled their mouths with laughter and mockingly said: "Great, see who came now. A rookie, a kashrut supervisor. Finally we'll have someone to wash our dishes." Everyone laughed. I wanted to say: "No, no, I'm a combat soldier in the paratroopers, just like you!" But I knew I had no chance. I stayed silent. Immediately I was sent to the kitchen to wash all of the dishes - a huge pile in a plugged sink. Pots that hadn't been washed in three weeks. And I also had to peel an entire sack of potatoes. At night I was posted at a station opposite the Canal for 4 hours of guard duty from 2:00 to 6:00.**
I tried to explain why I had come. No one wanted to listen. A day before Erev Pesach, I walked up to the commander of the post, the company commander, and explained that the kitchen needs to be kashered. "No problem," He said. "But know that we eat Chametz until the very last moment possible. After supper you can go into the kitchen and kasher it. Work the whole night if you must, I don't care. At 8:00, breakfast must be kosher [for Pesach]."
Late at night, I entered the kitchen. I almost fainted. Everything was filled with Chametz. The stove was covered in thick layers of fat. No one helped me. First I placed a pot of water for Hagalah. I then went to the stove and washed and rubbed and cleaned and heated until shortly before dawn the kitchen was polished. 100% Kosher for Pesach. Tired but pleased, I went to daven morning prayers at sunrise and to rest before the Seder. On my way to bed, I passed by the company commander's bunker. Suddenly, before my eyes I saw, next to his bed, a box with 30 loaves of bread. I stood there in shock. I burst into tears. The commander asked: "Soldier, what's the matter? Why are you crying?" I pointed at the box of Chametz, unable to say anything. "What happened?" He asked. "It's not in the kitchen..." I mumbled in a choked voice: "For three thousand years the Nation of Israel has eaten Matzah," and again tears choked my throat. The commander looked at me and suddenly his expression softened, and he said: "Soldier, take the box and burn it with the Chametz. I won't break three thousand years."
At noon I set the table for twenty soldiers that didn't get leave [for the holiday]. I spread a plastic white tablecloth and set by every seat white kippahs sent by the Rabbinate and Haggadahs. I organized a Seder Plate with Matzahs, bitter herbs and horseradish. At night we all came for the Seder. One of the soldiers warned me: "We're in the army, we don't want any speeches or Torah ideas. We just want to eat supper." The commander asked that everyone be seated and said: "For three thousand years, the Nation of Israel has eaten Matzah. We shall hear an explanation from the rabbi." I realized he wanted to make it up to me.
I said: "We're all soldiers. We defend with our lives [our] liberty and freedom. But when did we become free? Three thousand years ago during the Exodus from Egypt. We left a house of slavery for an eternal freedom. So said Moshe to Pharaoh: "Let my people go." And since then that call has been heard by slaves and those enslaved all around the world. We became a symbol and a proof to generations of slaves that removed the burdens of their masters and are unwilling to be enslaved any further. And in the Sinai Desert we received the Torah...Yes, true, we were in exile and lived through many horrors. Nations ruled over us. But in our souls we were always free. Enemies have always only ever ruled over our bodies, never our spirits. That spirit is what brought us here, to this land. Jews the world over desired freedom, for themselves and for their people, and fought against every enslaver. Today we shall eat bitter herbs to remember the slavery, and Matzah to remember the freedom. This is the natural Matzah that doesn't have anything but flour and water. It did not leaven and did not boast like the risen Chametz that is proud at itself."
I was shocked to see that twenty soldiers who did not receive vacation for the holiday sat in silence. They listened. I raised the goblet of wine to begin the Kiddush. The soldiers said: "Rabbi, tell us more." I told them: "You are posted now by the banks of the Canal on the border with Egypt. I was five years old when I left Egypt after my father was arrested on account of Zionism. With the ship "Moledet" I made Aliyah from Egypt to the Land of Israel just like my forefathers." I told them about the Jews of Egypt and Pesach Seders where we would announce: "Next year in Jerusalem!" And so we read the Haggadah and explained more until the stage of the meal. After the food and the drinking of two cups of wine, we couldn't read anymore or explain further, but then everyone burst in song. "We were slaves in Egypt", "Why is this night different from all other nights", "Dayeinu", and other songs that they remembered from childhood, as well as songs of the Land of Israel.
At the end of the Seder, the commander came up to me and shook my hand wordlessly. Tears appeared in his eyes and he said: "Three thousand years. We haven't broken. We continue on. This was my first Seder. All thanks to you."
Happy Pesach!
* Make something kosher.
** Widely considered the worst watch someone can get for guard duty.
This story passed around yesterday in some Whatsapp groups I'm in. It was written by Rabbi Chaim Sabato, the Rosh Yeshiva of Yeshivat Birkat Moshe in Maaleh Adumim. Here's a translation:
My first Pesach Seder in the IDF:
I was a young soldier. It was my first year in the army. A soldier in the parachuted Nahal brigade. When I was a yeshiva student, I was sent three days prior to the holiday to kasher* for Pesach a post in the [Suez] Canal and to give over the Seder to the soldiers there. I arrived at the post that was by the banks of the Canal. There were some veteran soldiers there, a month before discharge. They had served through the whole War of Attrition. The moment they saw me, they filled their mouths with laughter and mockingly said: "Great, see who came now. A rookie, a kashrut supervisor. Finally we'll have someone to wash our dishes." Everyone laughed. I wanted to say: "No, no, I'm a combat soldier in the paratroopers, just like you!" But I knew I had no chance. I stayed silent. Immediately I was sent to the kitchen to wash all of the dishes - a huge pile in a plugged sink. Pots that hadn't been washed in three weeks. And I also had to peel an entire sack of potatoes. At night I was posted at a station opposite the Canal for 4 hours of guard duty from 2:00 to 6:00.**
I tried to explain why I had come. No one wanted to listen. A day before Erev Pesach, I walked up to the commander of the post, the company commander, and explained that the kitchen needs to be kashered. "No problem," He said. "But know that we eat Chametz until the very last moment possible. After supper you can go into the kitchen and kasher it. Work the whole night if you must, I don't care. At 8:00, breakfast must be kosher [for Pesach]."
Late at night, I entered the kitchen. I almost fainted. Everything was filled with Chametz. The stove was covered in thick layers of fat. No one helped me. First I placed a pot of water for Hagalah. I then went to the stove and washed and rubbed and cleaned and heated until shortly before dawn the kitchen was polished. 100% Kosher for Pesach. Tired but pleased, I went to daven morning prayers at sunrise and to rest before the Seder. On my way to bed, I passed by the company commander's bunker. Suddenly, before my eyes I saw, next to his bed, a box with 30 loaves of bread. I stood there in shock. I burst into tears. The commander asked: "Soldier, what's the matter? Why are you crying?" I pointed at the box of Chametz, unable to say anything. "What happened?" He asked. "It's not in the kitchen..." I mumbled in a choked voice: "For three thousand years the Nation of Israel has eaten Matzah," and again tears choked my throat. The commander looked at me and suddenly his expression softened, and he said: "Soldier, take the box and burn it with the Chametz. I won't break three thousand years."
At noon I set the table for twenty soldiers that didn't get leave [for the holiday]. I spread a plastic white tablecloth and set by every seat white kippahs sent by the Rabbinate and Haggadahs. I organized a Seder Plate with Matzahs, bitter herbs and horseradish. At night we all came for the Seder. One of the soldiers warned me: "We're in the army, we don't want any speeches or Torah ideas. We just want to eat supper." The commander asked that everyone be seated and said: "For three thousand years, the Nation of Israel has eaten Matzah. We shall hear an explanation from the rabbi." I realized he wanted to make it up to me.
I said: "We're all soldiers. We defend with our lives [our] liberty and freedom. But when did we become free? Three thousand years ago during the Exodus from Egypt. We left a house of slavery for an eternal freedom. So said Moshe to Pharaoh: "Let my people go." And since then that call has been heard by slaves and those enslaved all around the world. We became a symbol and a proof to generations of slaves that removed the burdens of their masters and are unwilling to be enslaved any further. And in the Sinai Desert we received the Torah...Yes, true, we were in exile and lived through many horrors. Nations ruled over us. But in our souls we were always free. Enemies have always only ever ruled over our bodies, never our spirits. That spirit is what brought us here, to this land. Jews the world over desired freedom, for themselves and for their people, and fought against every enslaver. Today we shall eat bitter herbs to remember the slavery, and Matzah to remember the freedom. This is the natural Matzah that doesn't have anything but flour and water. It did not leaven and did not boast like the risen Chametz that is proud at itself."
I was shocked to see that twenty soldiers who did not receive vacation for the holiday sat in silence. They listened. I raised the goblet of wine to begin the Kiddush. The soldiers said: "Rabbi, tell us more." I told them: "You are posted now by the banks of the Canal on the border with Egypt. I was five years old when I left Egypt after my father was arrested on account of Zionism. With the ship "Moledet" I made Aliyah from Egypt to the Land of Israel just like my forefathers." I told them about the Jews of Egypt and Pesach Seders where we would announce: "Next year in Jerusalem!" And so we read the Haggadah and explained more until the stage of the meal. After the food and the drinking of two cups of wine, we couldn't read anymore or explain further, but then everyone burst in song. "We were slaves in Egypt", "Why is this night different from all other nights", "Dayeinu", and other songs that they remembered from childhood, as well as songs of the Land of Israel.
At the end of the Seder, the commander came up to me and shook my hand wordlessly. Tears appeared in his eyes and he said: "Three thousand years. We haven't broken. We continue on. This was my first Seder. All thanks to you."
Happy Pesach!
* Make something kosher.
** Widely considered the worst watch someone can get for guard duty.
