A message from Morris (Moshe) Smith

by Morris Smith

I HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEND TODAY IN THE SOUTHERN PART OF ISRAEL WITH A GROUP OF VOLUNTEERS FROM YAD ELIEZER TO DISTRIBUTE 2000 FOOD PACKAGES TO OUR SOLDIERS IN VARIOUS BASES AND I WOULD LIKE TO SHARE A FEW THOUGHTS IF I MAY.

THE GROUP LEFT BET SHEMESH AT 9AM - A CONVOY OF A MASSIVE TRUCK WITH 4 OTHER CARS - AND WE HEADED SOUTH TO OUR VARIOUS DESTINATIONS. WE ARRIVED AT A LOGISTICS CENTER AROUND 10AM AND WERE EXTREMELY FORTUNATE THAT A 5 HOUR CEASE FIRE WENT INTO AFFECT WHICH MADE OUR TRIP TO THE 4 OTHER BASES AND GROUPS OF SOLDIERS LESS STRESSFUL. IN FACT, WE LEFT OUR LAST STOP AT 4PM AND WERE VERY LUCKY TO BE TRAVELLING ON THE ROADS WHICH REMAINED OPENED AS MANY OF THEM WERE BEING SHUT DUE TO MASSIVE ROCKET ATTACKS AFTER THE 5 HOUR HIATUS. I COULD SPEND AN ENORMOUS AMOUNT OF TIME DESCRIBING THE BASES WE VISITED, THE VARIOUS ACTIVITIES AND ARMAMENT WHICH WE WERE EXPOSED TO -BUT THAT IS NOT THE POINT IF THIS NOTE.

THERE ARE 2 STRONG POINTS I WANT TO EXPRESS WHICH I THINK WILL CLEARLY REFLECT OUR EXPERIENCES.

THE SOLDIERS- CHAYALIM- WERE OVERWHELMED BY THE GENEROSITY OF THE CONTRIBUTORS (CONGREGATION ETZ CHAIM OF LIVINGSTON,NEW JERSEY) AND THE VOLUNTEERS---THEY COULDN'T STOP THANKING US ENOUGH FOR TAKING THE TIME - AND MONEY- TO MAKE THEIR DAY SO MUCH MORE ENJOYABLE. THEY HAVE BEEN SERVING UNDER FIRE IN THE HOT DESERT SUN FOR OVER TWO WEEKS. MANY OF THE SOLDIERS WE MET WERE ON RESERVE DUTY AND HAD LEFT FAMILIES AND JOBS BEHIND TO DO THEIR SERVICE. THE TENSION AND UNCERTAINTY ARE QUITE OVERWHELMING AND THEY WERE JUST OVERJOYED TO ACCEPT OUR PACKAGES. WE HAD MANY INTERESTING ONE ON ONE CONVERSATIONS WITH THE TROOPS-- WHOSE BACKGROUND WERE VARIED AS ONE WOULD IMAGINE. THE RANGE OF AGES WERE 18- 50 IN MY ESTIMATION. SOME WERE VERY EXPERIENCED-SOME QUITE GREEN- BUT ALL OF THEM HAD A POSITIVE ATTITUDE . WE EXPRESSED OUR THANK YOU--AND THEY DID THE SAME. IT WAS QUITE MOVING.

THE SECOND POINT IS THAT ONE CANNOT WALK AWAY FROM THIS EXPERIENCE WITHOUT FEELING A TREMENDOUS FEELING OF TRUE BROTHERHOOD WITH OUR PEOPLE. EVERYONE IS REPRESENTED IN TZAHAL-YOU NAME THEM , WE SAW THEM--AND IT IS THE BEST EXAMPLE OF TRUE UNITY THAT ONE CAN IMAGINE. PEOPLE TALK ABOUT THE IRON DOME-KIPA HABARZEL- BUT I HAVE ABSOLUTELY NO DOUBT THAT THE OVERARCHING DOME OF PROTECTION IS PROVIDED BY THE L-RD. WHEN HE SEES THE JEWS UNITED - HIS WILL OR 'RATZON' PROTECTS US. I CANT THINK OF A MORE IMPORTANT MESSAGE FOR ALL OF US DURING THE 3 WEEKS.

I SPOKE TO A MEDIC- SOLDIER FROM RAANANA WHO TOLD ABOUT 2 MIRACULOUS STORIES OF PEOPLE BEING SAVED FROM MISSILES- ONE FROM AN RPG MISSILE THAT HIT A JEEP HEAD ON AND EXPLODED THE JEEP BUT THE 2 PASSENGERS WALKED AWAY -AND THE OTHER ABOUT A COUPLE WHO LITERALLY TURNED A CORNER AS A MISSILE LANDED RIGHT BEHIND THEM AND THEY WERE THROWN INTO THE AREA OF SAFETY BY THE IMPACT. THIS IS ONE SOLDIER- I AM SURE THERE ARE TENS IF NOT HUNDREDS STORIES THAT ARE SIMILAR.

NONE OF THIS IS TO SUGGEST THAT MIRACLES WILL CONTINUE--THAT PEOPLE WILL AVOID DEATH-- WE ALL KNOW THAT THE L-RD WILL DECIDE THOSE MATTERS. BUT I BELIEVE IT IS ABSOLUTELY INDISPUTABLE THAT SHALOM-PEACE-BETWEEN US WILL LEAD TO GREAT THINGS. WE CAN DISAGREE WITH EACH OTHER-- BUT WE CANNOT DISRESPECT EACH OTHER- AND A WONDERFUL FAMILY LEARNS TO LIVE WITH EACH OTHERS DIFFERENCES.

NO ONE HAS ASKED ME TO PUT IN THE FOLLOWING KUDOS - BUT I MUST PERSONALLY RECOMMEND THAT IF PEOPLE ARE INTERESTED IN HELPING OUR TROOPS AND FAMILIES LIVING IN THE SOUTH, I HIGHLY RECOMMEND DONATING TO THE AMERICAN FRIENDS OF YAD ELIEZER- AN ORGANIZATION THAT I HAVE SUPPORTED FOR MANY YEARS AND IS VERY TRANSPARENT IN THEIR FINANCIAL REPORTING--WHICH APPEALS TO ME GREATLY.

MAY WE ALL BE BLESSED TO SEE HAPPINESS AND TRUE PEACE AND THE COMING OF MOSHIACH DURING THE 3 WEEKS SO THAT THIS TISHA BAV CAN TRULY BE A MOED- A DAY OF HAPPINESS- FOR ALL.

MORRIS SMITH
LIVINGSTON NEW JERSEY

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