Superheroes

There is a right and a wrong in this universe. And that distinction is not hard to make.
―Superman

A hero can be anyone.
―Batman

אחרי החגים יתחדש הכל יתחדשו וישובו ימי החול
 האוויר, העפר, המטר, והאש גם אתה, גם אתה
תתחדש.
After the holidays, everything will be renewed.
Ordinary days will return, be renewed.
The air, the earth, the rain and the fire -
Also you, you too, will be renewed.

―Naomi Shemer

הֵמָּה, כָּרְעוּ וְנָפָלוּ; וַאֲנַחְנוּ קַּמְנוּ, וַנִּתְעוֹדָד
They are bowed down and fallen; but we are risen and stand upright.
―Psalms 20:9

It is finally, officially acharei hachagim – after the holidays. 

The Jewish holidays of the Hebrew month of Tishrei are the cornerstone of our calendar year. 

And after the holidays is the time when the kids go back to school for a long stretch (two months until the next holiday of Chanuka!), a new semester of college/university starts, and after school activities such as judo and robotics get underway. Homeowners begin their renovations and redecorating projects that waited until the family and friends they hosted for three weeks went home, and many people take a much-needed vacation after the stress of the holiday season. Doctor appointments, job interviews, cleaning out the junk drawer or the space under the stairs are all tasks often postponed until after the holidays – acharei hachagim.

The holidays of Tishrei are structured so as to be inspiring, soul-searching, solemn, majestic.

They are meant to be joyful. 

Inspiring, soul-searching, solemn, majestic, are, as I said, built-in. 
This year, however, joyful was far more difficult to attain. 

Last year, Israel did not experience the acharei hachagim period. The kids did not go back to school. The universities did not begin a new semester. Home renovations were not begun. People did not leave on vacation and those who had already left rushed back home as fast as they could. Instead, teachers, college students, builders, lawyers, doctors, air conditioner repair-people, tour guides, barmen, and everyone in between donned their uniforms and superhero capes to defend their People and their Land.

A year ago, on the last day of the holiday period, Israel was attacked in a monstrous, brutal pogrom that took the lives of more than 1200 people, and wounded thousands of others. Over 250 men, women, children, and babies were dragged into the terror tunnels as hostages. Even as we were reeling from the savagery, we were not only attacked with missiles from both the north and south, but also by a thick wave of antisemitism emanating from campuses and newspapers and even governments across the globe.  

And every day, for the past year, we wake up dreading to hear the news, dreading to read the names, dreading the day. 

And yet. 

We have also been witnesses to acts of heroism, selflessness, bravery, altruism, and unity on a scale not witnessed in decades. 

People volunteer to pick fruit, to grill hamburgers, to do laundry, to babysit, to give lifts, to sort socks, to bake cookies; anything to help those who are struggling. 

We have watched couples marry, and babies born despite the hardships and the uncertainty. 

We have watched a nation rise up and step up to do everything it takes to help and to grow and to survive, notwithstanding the hatred and hostility flung at us from all corners. 

And in it, we find moments of joy: in a Eurovision song, in the latest medical miracle discoveries, in announcements by the lifeguard at the beach, in perfect holiday weather, in sipping coffee with friends, in the laughter of children.

We clutch at these moments to balance the anguish, and sometimes - in exquisite moments - even to override it. 

And this is our true superpower: our ability to dance while weeping, to laugh while mourning, our capacity – born of necessity – to simultaneously hold in one hand the joy and the love and the blessedness of our lives in our Land, and in the other hand to hold the sorrow and the anguish and the fear; to be able to banish some of the dark, even with the smallest of lights. 

And though the war rages on, and our losses and sorrow seem bottomless, though the hate is still heavy in the air, we will enter this year's acharei hachagim period with our capes on, as we simultaneously cry and dance, weep and sing, and go forward, growing, creating, loving, and maybe even cleaning out the stuff from under the stairs. 

Happy acharei hachagim to the Nation of Israel. 

Please take a moment to say a prayer for our Holy Land, our Holy soldiers and for our hostages, may they return home quickly and in health.

Our Father who is in heaven, Protector and Redeemer of Israel, bless the State of Israel, the dawn of our deliverance. Shield it beneath the wings of Your love; spread over it Your canopy of peace; send Your light and our truth to its leaders, officers, and counselors, and direct them with Your good counsel.
Strengthen the defenders of our Holy Land; grant them, our God, salvation and crown them with victory. Establish peace in the land, and everlasting joy for its inhabitants. Remember our brethren, the whole house of Israel, in all the lands of their dispersion. Speedily bring them to Zion, Your city, to Jerusalem Your dwelling-place, as it is written in the Torah of Your servant Moses. 
Even if you are dispersed in the uttermost parts of the world, from there the Lord your God will gather and fetch you. The Lord your God will bring you into the land which your ancestors possessed, and you shall possess it; and God will make you more prosperous and more numerous than your ancestors.
He Who blessed our forefathers Abraham, Isaac and Jacob — may He bless the fighters of the Israel Defense Forces, who stand guard over our land and the cities of our God, from the border of the Lebanon to the desert of Egypt, and from the Great Sea unto the approach of the Aravah, on the land, in the air, and on the sea. 

אָבִינוּ שֶׁבַּשָּׁמַיִם, צוּר יִשְׂרָאֵל וְגוֹאֲלוֹ, בָּרֵךְ אֶת מְדִינַת יִשְׂרָאֵל, רֵאשִׁית צְמִיחַת גְּאֻלָּתֵנוּ. הָגֵן עָלֶיהָ בְּאֶבְרַת חַסְדֶּךָ, וּפְרֹשׁ עָלֶיהָ סֻכַּת שְׁלוֹמֶךָ, וּשְׁלַח אוֹרְךָ וַאֲמִתְּךָ לְרָאשֶׁיהָ, שָׂרֶיהָ וְיוֹעֲצֶיהָ, וְתַקְּנֵם בְּעֵצָה טוֹבָה מִלְּפָנֶיךָ. חַזֵּק אֶת יְדֵי מְגִנֵּי אֶרֶץ קָדְשֵׁנוּ, וְהַנְחִילֵם אֱלֹהֵינוּ יְשׁוּעָה וַעֲטֶרֶת נִצָּחוֹן תְּעַטְּרֵם, וְנָתַתָּ שָׁלוֹם בָּאָרֶץ וְשִׂמְחַת עוֹלָם לְיוֹשְׁבֶיהָ.
וְאֶת אַחֵינוּ כָּל בֵּית יִשְׂרָאֵל פְּקָד-נָא בְּכָל אַרְצוֹת פְּזוּרֵיהֶם, וְתוֹלִיכֵם מְהֵרָה קוֹמְמִיּוּת לְצִיּוֹן עִירֶךָ וְלִירוּשָׁלַיִם מִשְׁכַּן שְׁמֶךָ, כַּכָּתוּב בְּתוֹרַת משֶׁה עַבְדֶּךָ: “אִם יִהְיֶה נִדַּחֲךָ בִּקְצֵה הַשָּׁמַיִם, מִשָּׁם יְקַבֶּצְךָ ה’ אֱלֹהֶיךָ וּמִשָּׁם יִקָּחֶךָ. וֶהֱבִיאֲךָ ה’ אֱלֹהֶיךָ אֶל הָאָרֶץ אֲשֶׁר יָרְשׁוּ אֲבֹתֶיךָ וִירִשְׁתָּהּ, וְהֵיטִבְךָ וְהִרְבְּךָ מֵאֲבֹתֶיךָ.
וְיַחֵד לְבָבֵנוּ לְאַהֲבָה וּלְיִרְאָה אֶת שְׁמֶךָ, וְלִשְׁמֹר אֶת כָּל דִּבְרֵי תּוֹרָתֶךָ. וּשְׁלַח לָנוּ מְהֵרָה בֶּן דָּוִד מְשִׁיחַ צִדְקֶךָ, לִפְדּות מְחַכֵּי קֵץ יְשׁוּעָתֶךָ. הוֹפַע בַּהֲדַר גְּאוֹן עֻזֶּךָ עַל כָּל יוֹשְׁבֵי תֵּבֵל אַרְצֶךָ, וְיֹאמַר כֹּל אֲשֶׁר נְשָׁמָה בְּאַפּוֹ: “ה’ אֱלֹהֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל מֶלֶךְ, וּמַלְכוּתו בַּכּל מָשָׁלָה”. אָמֵן סֶלָה.

  

May the Almighty cause the enemies who rise up against us to be struck down before them.
May the Holy One, Blessed is He, preserve and rescue our fighters from every trouble and distress and from every plague and illness, and may He send blessing and success in their every endeavor.
May He lead our enemies under our soldiers’ sway and may He grant them salvation and crown them with victory. And may there be fulfilled for them the verse: For it is the Lord your God, Who goes with you to battle your enemies for you to save you.

מִי שֶׁבֵּרַךְ אֲבוֹתֵינוּ אַבְרָהָם יִצְחָק וְיַעֲקֹב הוּא יְבָרֵךְ אֶת חַיָּלֵי צְבָא הֲגַנָּה לְיִשְׂרָאֵל, הָעוֹמְדִים עַל מִשְׁמַר אַרְצֵנוּ וְעָרֵי אֱלֹהֵינו מִגְּבוּל הַלְּבָנוֹן וְעַד מִדְבַּר מִצְרַיִם וּמִן הַיָּם הַגָּדוֹל עַד לְבוֹא הָעֲרָבָה בַּיַּבָּשָׁה בָּאֲוִיר וּבַיָּם. יִתֵּן ה’ אֶת אוֹיְבֵינוּ הַקָּמִים עָלֵינוּ נִגָּפִים לִפְנֵיהֶם. הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא יִשְׁמֹר וְיַצִּיל אֶת חַיָלֵינוּ מִכָּל צָרָה וְצוּקָה וּמִכָּל נֶגַע וּמַחֲלָה וְיִשְׁלַח בְּרָכָה וְהַצְלָחָה בְּכָל מַעֲשֵׂה יְדֵיהֶם. יַדְבֵּר שׂוֹנְאֵינוּ תַּחְתֵּיהֶם וִיעַטְרֵם בְּכֶתֶר יְשׁוּעָה וּבַעֲטֶרֶת נִצָּחון. וִיקֻיַּם בָּהֶם הַכָּתוּב: כִּי ה’ אֱלֹהֵיכֶם הַהֹלֵךְ עִמָּכֶם לְהִלָּחֵם לָכֶם עִם אֹיְבֵיכֶם לְהוֹשִׁיעַ אֶתְכֶם: וְנֹאמַר אָמֵן:

 

May it be the will of our Father in heaven,
Who brought His people Israel out from the suffering of Egypt
That He bless and save our abducted brothers and sisters.
Bound with iron chains,
May He strengthen their souls and faith,
Protect them from all harm and disease,
Have mercy on His sons and daughters awaiting His salvation.
Nullify all cruel decrees from upon them
In His great kindness, may He hasten their redemption,
And may they quickly emerge from darkness to light,
And from the pit of captivity to the freedom of the world.
And return in peace to their families and to their homes,
Please, plant brotherhood, peace and friendship in the hearts of all
Remove envy and baseless hatred,
And spread over us the Sukkah of Your peace
And may we merit to soon sing before You a ‘New Song.

יְהִי רָצוֹן מִלִּפְנֵי אָבִינוּ שֶׁבַּשָּׁמַיִם
אֲשֶׁר הוֹצִיא אֶת עַמּוֹ יִשְׂרָאֵל מִתַּחַת סִבְלוֹת מִצְרַיִם
הוּא יְבָרֵךְ וְיִנְצֹר אֶת אַחֵינוּ וְאַחְיוֹתֵינוּ
הַחֲטוּפִים הָאֲסוּרִים בְּכַבְלֵי בַּרְזֶל
,יְחַזֵּק נַפְשָׁם וֶאֱמוּנָתָם
,יִשְׁמְרֵם מִכָּל נֶגַע וּמַחֲלָה
,יַחְמֹל עַל בָּנָיו וּבְנוֹתָיו הַמְּצַפִּים לִישׁוּעָתוֹ
.יְבַטֵּל מֵעֲלֵיהֶם כָּל גְּזֵרוֹת אַכְזָרִיּוֹת
בְּחַסְדּוֹ הַגָּדוֹל יָחִישׁ פְּדוּתָם וְיֵצְאוּ מְהֵרָה מֵאֲפֵלָה לְאוֹרָה
וּמִבּוֹר הַשְּׁבִי לְחֵרוּת עוֹלָם וְיָשׁוּבוּ לְשָׁלוֹם אֶל מִשְׁפְּחוֹתֵיהֶם וְאֶל בָּתֵּיהֶם
,אָנָּא, נֶטַע אַחֲוָה שָׁלוֹם וְרֵעוּת בְּלֵב כֻּלָּם
הָסֵר קִנְאָה וְשִׂנְאַת חִנָּם וּפְרֹס עָלֵינוּ סֻכַּת שְׁלוֹמֶךָ
.וְנִזְכֶּה בְּקָרוֹב לוֹמַר לְפָנֶיךָ שִׁירָה חֲדָשָׁה