Rabbi Shlomo Aviner, accompanied by his aide Rabbi Mordechai Tzion, traveled on Monday to Tel Kudna, located within Syrian territory.
“The goal of the special visit to our holy soldiers at Tel Kudna in Syria was to strengthen their fighting spirits as reservists of the Military Rabbinate,” Rabbi Tzion explained to Arutz Sheva.
Rabbi Tzion shared the inspirational message Rabbi Aviner conveyed during the visit: “The rabbi said that it is not clear from the Torah that the location we were in is considered ‘Syria,’ but it is probably the land of Israel.
“The rabbi also explained the Midrash that says that Jerusalem would extend until the gates of Damascus, saying that our yeshiva, Ateret Yerushalaim, is in the center of Jerusalem and we were on the road to Damascus – it’s an allegory.”
In a conversation with Arutz Sheva one month after the outbreak of hostilities in Gaza, Rabbi Aviner reflected on how he had been visiting soldiers to uplift their morale, speaking to them about the religious importance of defending the land of Israel, a commandment that demands devotion and selflessness. He also emphasized the role of Divine will in all things, saying, “everything is from G-d and he is the one who decides when man will live and when he will die.”
“I tell them that it’s not called hardships. Hardships are what happened to me when I was a baby, and they had to hide me so I wouldn’t be brought to a death camp. These are no hardships, but now we have an army, and we are fighting back. We have to explain that the army requires sacrifice, and this is not a new thing.”
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