Some people have seen their homes consumed by fire or shattered by bombs, their loved ones taken captive or fallen in battle as a “kapparah,” giving their lives up for all Israel.
Man is not required to do what is beyond his abilities, but he is also not exempt from doing what is possible for him – and the rest we leave to the creator of the world to accomplish.
When you look back on the Book of Esther, it is so easy to see divine providence pulling the strings of this farce.
Certainly, haredi enlistment can be promoted, and people can be convinced of its value, but coercion is doomed to fail from the outset.
In this moment, our challenge is to face the brokenness created by this war and to refashion ourselves and our society.
The prohibition of work on Shabbat for the construction of the Mishkan underscores the importance and elevation of Shabbat.