Am Yisrael Chai!

As we approach one year of the devastating attack on Israel that killed so many of our brothers and sisters, a clear distinction seems to have formed between people who see us as just people here on earth and those who respect our nation and see each and every life as irreplaceable. 

The world is comprised of many individuals who look for the right person to share their life with. We build family structures, community forums and even create a sense of duty to our countries that we defend and protect with our own lives. But when the lives of others whom we have never met is taken, it may hurt us for a while but it fades away quicker since it does not hit home. We are compassionate human beings but our loyalties go towards our direct connections and relationships.

As Jews we are connected to each other on a higher level. When we proudly chant “Am Yisrael Chai,” what we are essentially proclaiming is that even when we find it hard to stick to our faith we can always trust that there are so many across the globe who are faithfully and dutifully executing their purpose here on earth. As we deal with our physical or spiritual struggles and it is hard for us to remain loyal to our Maker, we know and believe that there are scores of our people who are dealing with similar insurmountable pressures as us and they continue fighting for the belief our parents have instilled within us. It isn’t just about our direct siblings, it stretches far beyond our borders and even far before and beyond our time.

The pain in our hearts does not go out to the ones killed for we know that they have reached a place right by the throne. We are saddened for the families and for the nation as a whole who have to live with this pain. Here is where we find the drastic difference between the rest of the world and us, “We believe in the afterlife and look forward to what awaits us there, and for that reason we appreciate the gift of life. On the other hand, the ones who fear death the most have no desire to live.” We see what we can achieve here on earth and we know how much our hard work with moral behaviors adds to our eternal value, so we seek out every opportunity while alive to do more and more good. While those who have nothing to look forward to live empty and meaningless lives which leads them to waste their time and choose death instead.

It is an upside down world. You would think since we look forward to the afterlife we wouldn’t want life, and the others, since they don’t believe, would want to live forever. But it turns out to be just the opposite. Even more so, those who say that they don’t believe in God, work tirelessly to keep their consciousness here on earth since they fear for retribution if they are wrong. It’s like the story with the atheist and the Rabbi who argued if there is a God above. The Rabbi explained, “If you are right and I am wrong, at least I lived a life with purpose and meaning, but if I am right and you are wrong, I pity the wrath you’ll be facing.”

The world has seen our way of life and have tried, and in many areas succeeded, in creating such communal atmospheres. They’ve strengthened their beliefs in their own ways and their deeds are commendable. Their purpose has given them true meaning in life and has given them a moral compass that guides them throughout. The world has become a better place as they adopted our Judeo values and raised their families accordingly. 

But, there is none like the Jewish nation. Where else have you ever seen a people who have prospered in the face of death and destruction and still have never let go of their faith? Which other nation wouldn’t crack under the pressures of tyranny? Which religion is so strong that no matter where you go in the word you are welcomed in as a brother and sister? And which nation’s heart still breaks today for the millions who have been killed over centuries and millennia for their belief?

“Am Yisrael Chai” is a chant that will live on forever, as its people will. We trust in the will of our Creator and accept our fate at all times in each generation. We have gone from being killed in Spanish towns, to being decimated in European countries, and the threat still exists, but this time across the entire globe. As we regroup with our belief and build up the next generation, evil too, rises with its proxies and becomes more sophisticated. No longer are we under the rule of tyrants who try to have us forget our heritage, no longer are we disconnected from the rest of our brethren and don’t know their lot, we are now connected as never before and it seems pretty clear that this is our final frontier.

We know that evil won’t stop, but we are filled with hope. We are filled with the same undying hope our ancestors had when they were burned at the stake, we are filled with the same hope our grandparents muttered as they were driven on cattle carts to the gas chambers. We have been around forever and we will be around forever more, this is the promise of our nation and we’ve kept it strong forever. Have there been another people who haven’t gotten lost through time? Is there a nation who can retrace their direct lineage of over five thousand years? And most of all, can you find me a nation that remained loyal to the same belief even as they were scattered among the nations for so long?

October 7th, 2023 will never be forgotten. Poetry will be written, memorials will be kept and their memories will never fade. Their sacrifice will be remembered for all generations to come and our people will be proud that we still stand for the same truth we’ve stood for since Abraham. The world has moved on from our story but we never will. The pride we have nowadays is unmatched to the past. God has shown us by giving us back our land that we are inching closer to the day the Prophets prophesied about, and our resolve only gets stronger with every catastrophe that befalls our nations. We mourn the loss of our people and we pray for an end to this exile.

If one truly has a hard time believing in God, open the books of Leviticus 26:15 and Deuteronomy 28:15, see how all those curses have come upon our people. Notice how each and every one of those words have come to pass. Wonder to yourself, why would there be tyrants throughout each generation vying to kill the Jews? Is there another explanation? You can try to justify it with space lasers, weather manipulation and bank monopolies, but does that give you an answer for the deaths of millions over thousands of years? Did we have space lasers in the times of Nimrod? Ask yourself, “Do I blame the heart attack for killing man or do I attribute it to God’s plan? 

We believe in the highest power and we live to serve Him. But those who believe in their own strength, wisdom and might, die to serve themselves. I understand that you have a hard time facing the truth of the matter which would forcefully lead you to surrender to Him, but unless you want to be the next Pharaoh we sing about, I suggest you lay down your weapons and choose life over death. For our strength does not come from winning wars, but from the One above Who has promised to keep us around until the end of days.

David Lemmer is an Orthodox Jewish Authir and Hyonotherapist. Find his books on Amazon and his videos on YouTube. He can be reached at lemmerHypno@gmail.com