Last Motzash (Motzei Shabbat, a time for a traditional Malave Malka–accompanying the Queen as She returns to Her heavenly realm after joining us as we weekly celebrate Shabbat. A Melava Malka usually involves music, dessert-type food, sharing Torah insights, usually in a small, intimate group, extending the special energy of Shabbat, into the week for just a bit longer), I went with a friend to hear my current favorite musicians here in Jerusalem, Nigun Quartet.

It might seem strange, inappropriate even, to enjoy a concert while we’re in the middle of a war. While, thankfully (Baruch Hashem, Bless/Thank God), Jerusalem has remained relatively safe and secure, others haven’t been so fortunate–much of the rest of the country has endured almost endless air raids, many ending in actual rocket strikes, deaths and injuries. But outside the realm of military response, the best we, ordinary Jews (stam yidden) and citizens can do is to, as massively as possible, add to the positivity of the universe, and that was exactly both the stated intention of the band, (as it’s leader and bassist, Ophir Schneider) explicitly stated when welcoming the audience to the tiny, but intimate Jerusalem venue, Mazkeka, a converted water cistern behind the former main Post Office in the downtown area, and the message of their first song, Berditchiver Melody sings, “The Entire World Is A Very Narrow Bridge–But The Secret Is To Be Completely Unafraid”.

While Israel, the nation, is forced to defend itself with the latest and most powerful military technology it can invent, create and gather, Israel, the Spiritual Nation combats ultimate evil as it always has, by bringing the greatest light. With our music, our Torah insights, our paintings and our songs, with loving smiles including yesterday’s political or social rivals at our tables and feasts, marches and memorials, we increase God’s presence which banishes all evil and eventually transforms it to Light.

In this week’s parsha, Vayechi, after giving individual brachot to each of his sons, Yaakov dies in Egytian exile. The brothers, primarily Yoseph, fulfil their final promise to their father to redeem him from exile and bury him in Israel, in the cave with our ancestors Avraham, Sara, Yitzchak, Rivka and, awaiting Yaakov, his wife, Leah (Rachel, who died earlier, is buried alone a few miles north in Bet Lechem). After this final act of unity and love, all the brothers, the entirety of  Am Yisrael, The complete Nation of Israel, voluntarily return to Egypt, to a certain future of slavery. Reinforced by their unity and devotion, by their faith if the deeper words, spoken just beneath the superficial meanings of their father’s comments and promises, they are fearless and know they will not merely survive what will be a horrific future of slavery, stripped of all power and personal dignity, save what they save from their holy tradition, perhaps just their familal names and holy language, they will eventually be ready to become a true nation, bearers of Light, the eternal Light to the nations, able to battle every evil and disasters, even through today, with the total faith and confidence that we will not merely survive, but thrive, and after the greatest horrors will rededicate (remember, the recent war included the time frame we, even in war, celebrated Chanukah) the world to the greatest light.

B’Yachad NeNetzach,

Together we will be eternal, together will our light overcome all darkness