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Saturday, September 22, 2007

MOTZEH YOM KIPPUR - "I HAVE POURED OUT MY HEART...."

Yom Kippur services conclude with the repeated plaintive cry, "I have poured out my heart...." Although any one individual may or may not feel that they themselves have in fact poured out their heart, as all are one, and as there are those, who without a doubt have poured out their hearts almost to the point of expiration, it is not dishonest to say that in participating in a Yom Kippur service, one has poured out one's heart. And one may in fact have poured out one's heart in a non-traditional way. One may or may not have fasted, one may or may not have attended a formal service.

In June of 2006 Gilad Shalit, Ehud Goldwasser, and Eldad Regev were kidnapped into captivity by HAMAS and HEZBOLLAH. These Israeli soldiers are still in captivity, and their captivity is still fresh in our minds. Not quite so fresh are the memories of Zvi Feldman, Zachary Baumel, and Yehuda Katz, missing since the Battle of Sultan Yacoub in Lebanon in 1982. Missing as well is Ron Arad, since 1986, captured in Lebanon by AMAL, a Shiite Militia answering to IRAN. Missing too is Guy Hever, who mysteriously disappeared in 1987, last seen in the Golan at Katzabiya Junction near the Syrian-Israeli border.

This Yom Kippur we remembered all eight Israeli soldiers during our services. This BLOG will correct a sin of omission and will remember all eight from now on. It is more than a year since the most recent kidnappings occurred. These most recent kidnappings are no longer "fresh"; they are "rancid". The previous five captivities have lost their "scent" and yet they still stink, as the enemies of Israel do stink, who keep the nation of Israel in a state of alarm, making war on Israel every day, and personalizing this war of annihilation against Israel by artfully managing the power and secrecy of these captivities.

In a few days the seven day festival of SUKKOTH will commence, capped off by SHEMINI ATZERET and SIMCHATH TORAH. It is the custom of Israel to remember the USHPIZIN on SUKKOTH in fact entering the SUKKAH each day and performing the special BRUCHA "SEDER USHPIZIN", as each day we name all the USHPIZIN and each day, according to MINHAG, is specifically associated with one of the seven USHPIZIN. This year this writer will remember the eight captive Israeli soldiers, incorporating their remembrance into the SEDER USHPIZIN. [May these eight men be immediately released and therefore make such a remembrance unnecessary.]

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