This evening (Monday), a moving ceremony took place at the Western Wall with the participation of dozens of bereaved families and the ‘Together We Will Win’ association, during which 1,400 memorial candles were lit in memory of the victims of the October 7th / Simchat Torah massacre. The ceremony was attended by war cabinet member, Minister Benny Gantz.
Hundreds of worshippers from all across the country and various sectors of Israeli society joined the families in singing songs of comfort and consolation in memory of the victims, accompanied by singer Yaakov Shwekey.
Psalms for the deceased were recited during the event by Rabbi Eitan Eisman, the grandfather of Noam and Yishai Slotki z”l, who fell in battle in the south; Yossi Rivlin, the brother of Aviad and Gideon z”l, who were murdered in the terrorist attack on the party in Re’im; and Amichai Resler, the father of Dvir z”l, a soldier in the Golani Brigade who fell in battle. May Hashem avenge their blood.
The memorial prayer of Kaddish for the fallen and the victims was recited by Brigadier-General (res) Dedi Simhi, Israel Fire and Rescue Authority Commissioner, who lost his son Guy z”l, who fell in battle. Immediately afterward, Cantor Shai Abramson of the IDF recited the “El Maleh Rahamim” prayer.
The Rabbi of the Western Wall and Holy Sites, Rabbi Shmuel Rabinowitz, offered a prayer for the release of the captives and the missing, and afterwards, the Mayor of Jerusalem, Moshe Leon, recited a prayer for the well-being of the IDF soldiers and security forces.
The Rabbi of the Western Wall, Rabbi Rabinowitz, offered words of strength to the bereaved families:
“May God remember them for good, along with the rest of the righteous of the world. And may He avenge the spilled blood of His servants.”
Dear Families,
These past Shabbatot, we have been reading the portions from the book of Genesis. We began reading them on that fateful day of the horrific massacre when we did not yet comprehend the extent of the disaster. We read about the chaotic world, a world in need of creation, and about the initial Divine commandment that has accompanied us since then: “Let there be light.”
These same verses were read by Jews expelled from Jerusalem after the destruction. They were read by Jews who were persecuted throughout the world. They were read after the Crusades and after the travails of the Spanish Inquisition. They were also read after the pogroms in the ghettos in Europe. And even there, in the midst of the greatest darkness, when it seemed there was no hope and the entire world was closing in on the Jewish people, we returned again and again to those words.
“Let there be light.” To bring forth light from the deepest darkness. To believe that “the candle of G-d is the human soul.” Our soul is a source of light. It can shine in darkness, and even a small light can banish deep darkness.
Today, we are lighting 1,400 candles here at the Western Wall. Sadly, we are still counting our dead. But the 1,400 candles we light here are not only memorial candles for each and every victim of the Simchat Torah massacre. They are also a reminder for all of us that the lights that have been extinguished – we will light them anew. This is our eternal mission: to kindle a new light from an extinguished one, to bring light to the darkest places. To believe that as long as the candle is burning, we can mend.
One thousand and four hundred candles will be lit here in memory of lives that were and are no more. Each candle represents an entire world. And when the days of war come to an end, we will take all these candles and transform them into a great light – a new light.
“I will cleanse their blood that I have not cleansed and the Lord will dwell in Zion. And Judah shall sit for all time, and Jerusalem from generation to generation.”
Master of the Universe, Shine a new light upon Zion, and may we all together merit His light soon.
Photo credit: The Western Wall Heritage Foundation
