The Power Of Eight Over The Forces of Hate

Theological questions enduringly hang over 6- the six million and 7- October 7^th. We don’t have the answers, but we have the response – encapsulated in 8.

Having just returned from Israel where our first grandchild was born, I was called to the Torah in my own synagogue to celebrate the arrival of our grandson.

It was particularly powerful and poignant that on the same day – Shabbat Chanukah – our family has the custom of reciting the Kaddish memorial prayer for all our family members who perished in the Holocaust. In many cases the exact where and when of their demise remains unknown.

The confluence of events struck me as particularly meaningful. The celebration and the mourning seemed significantly intertwined as seems to be the case in terms of the unquestionably glorious but at once tortured history of the Jewish people.

For sure neither Hitler nor Hamas wanted generational increases of Jews. After eight days at the Brit Milah, we sealed the contract for our grandson to be the newest link in the eternal chain of our Jewish legacy and memory. Moreover, he is the first Sabra (Israeli born) offspring on both sides of the bloodline. Another Jewish and another Israeli generation – what a sweet victory! The power of eight over the forces of hate.

Additionally, as we conclude the eight days of Chanukah, we pray that the seasonal light we introduce into the world will eliminate the dark menacing shadows that still accompany us in the form of a seven-front war for Israel’s very being. The power of eight over the forces of hate will hopefully further manifest itself in the form of the swift and safe return of all our soldiers and hostages to their homes and to their families.

As much as our hopes for our grandson are centered around his ability and willingness to support his fellow Jew, his fellow man – we earnestly pray that in 18 years there will be peace and no need for an army.

May the power of eight always prevail over the forces of hate.

G-d bless you grandson.

G-d bless Israel. G-d bless the IDF. G-d bless our hostages.