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Guardians of Judea:Serving on the Frontlines of Faith - Ari Abramowitz:The Land of Israel Fellowship
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Shalom friends uh as you can see I am in
the Army I snuck away to share this
message with you because we're in the
middle of training and we're at the
shooting range right now so there may be
shots heard behind me all as well um but
yes I'm in the Army I've been called up
to miluim to the idef reserves today is
my first day and it looks like from the
information that I've received I will be
in for the next two months uh but uh one
of the things that I've learned in the
Army is that no one knows anything I'm
in the Army everything's a rumor no one
knows anything only Hashem only Hashem
knows and so I'd start this I thought I
would start this fellowship with a with
a
prayer with a prayer with all of us
together Hashem here I am back in
uniform thank you for this opportunity
to protect the nation of Israel and the
land of Israel it's my greatest honor to
be serving in your army protecting your
people and your land Hashem bless us
bless us here with courage and strength
because all of our success comes from
you and you alone please bless my fellow
Soldiers with faith and trust to defend
all that is good and holy in the world
please Hashem bless and protect your
people and your heritage please bless my
holy friends in this fellowship please
bless them and their families wherever
they are in the world for they too are
fighting to bring your light and your
truth into the world and Hashem right
now we need your light please shine your
light and your blessing into your people
and into your land during these dark
times because we need it now like never
before
amen so I thought I'd start with I'd
share a little bit about how I ended up
here in this uniform right now and I
hope this is not being ruined by the
shots behind me um and I figur that
being that I'm in the Army right now and
time moves at a different pace
altogether I'd zoom out a little bit and
uh give a little bit more of a
background than I otherwise would not
too much because I could fill up at
least two back-to-back fellowships just
with army stories Alone um so I'm not
going to do that but as you know I was
born in Texas I'm a fourth generation
Texan and I was raised as an Ardent
Fierce Zionist uh you know growing up in
my family we weren't quite so observant
in some ways Zionism was more of our
religion than anything else we just
weren't so observant according to Jewish
law my family would support the IDF for
many generations many my grandfather for
example smuggled weapons to the hagana
before the foundation of the state and
there are many many examples of exactly
that but there really never was any
expectation any thought that I would
ever join but I did go to a very small
Private School in Houston called the
Hebrew Academy and there were I think
like nine 10 or 11 kids in my graduating
class I forget it was a while ago but
for my senior year in high school part
of the program is that I had the option
of spending that year studying in Israel
an opportunity which I seized without
any deliberations and after being in
Israel only a few weeks probably less I
realized that Israel was my final
destination right after breathing the
air of Jerusalem and learning the Torah
in the Holy Land itself I just realized
that this is where I would live and this
is where I would die and after finishing
a year of studies I decided that it was
time to join the Army it wasn't an
impulsive decision at all it was a dream
that of that had since I was a little
boy and I just wasn't sure i' ever be a
practical option for me and then I
learned that there was a program called
Mahal which uh stands
for which means volunteers from outside
of Israel from abroad and it was
essentially a pathway through uh through
which non-citizens could join the Army
it was founded by the famous Colonel
Mickey Marcus before the establishment
of the state they actually made a movie
about him which was one of my father's
favorite movies it was called Cast a
Giant Shadow and he was played by Kirk
Douglas I really think you should watch
it if you have a chance Cast a Giant
Shadow anyways I wasn't yet a citizen
and I so so badly wanted to serve so I
joined through that program and was
accepted into the prestigious Golani
infantry units well at least it's more
prestigious than givati where Jeremy
served and that's all that mattered to
me that's all that's ever mattered to me
is that it's more prestigious than where
Jeremy served I'm just kidding it's all
really the same thing it's just Army
rivalry anyways this was h a time before
there was a before this huge wave of
volunteers from abroad it was much more
of a rare thing back then and it was
challenging but in so many ways it's who
made it's what made me who I am today
and so after basic and Advanced Training
I had the Merit of serving in southern
Lebanon primarily the the FMA gate I was
in Hebron as well I was different places
in the country and it was during that
service that I really encountered the
nation and the land more than any other
time in my life and after being released
from my initial service I went to
University for a little bit in Israel
then whole story I ended up going back
to the states where I actually got my
degree um that's of course where the
famous stabbing story happened when I
got stabbed in the back not in Lebanon
or in Gaza or in Hebron but in New York
City um but that's a crazy story for
another time and after about a year and
a half studying in New York I got my
degree and immediately returned to
Israel and just a few months later I was
called up for reserves for the first
time and we were able to arrange at the
Jeremy and I were in the same unit with
him actually serving as my
commander for about I would say about 15
years he was my commander although the
entire ranking system and reserves is
really totally different but it was fun
and meaningful and we got to serve
together and that was great um here's
actually a little slideshow I put
together of uh some pictures not only of
my initial service in Golani but also
serving alongside Jeremy in reserves for
all those years
now you have to understand the Paramount
importance of reserves for the Safety
and Security of the state of Israel I
remember learning during my initial
service in Golani that the purpose of
the standing army of Israel is
essentially to buy time and protect the
country for the first 24 hours until
reserves are called up and really only
once I started actually serving in
reserves did I see how important they
are for the country and the importance
is not only about security it's not only
militarily reserves in Israel is also
critical for the social cohesion of the
country for the unity of the country for
the love of the country and within the
country
and the reason is because everybody is
mixed together everybody and whereas the
rest of your life as a civilian people
usually end up in their own communi
surrounded by people who share their
values and ideologies for the most part
and everybody else just becomes sort of
you know the other but in reserves when
you're on Long patrols together when
you're under Fire together the other
becomes your brother I think I just made
that up that we should make a bumper
stick or something like that but anyways
it's just a critical opportunity for
Transcendence of your own personal
interests to do something for the nation
as a whole there are just so many
benefits to it for the individual and
for the country anyway so Jeremy and I
served together in reserve SP for about
20 years appr approximately a month
every year on average now there are two
benchmarks in your life for which the
IDF retires you from reserves one is if
you have six kids and the other is when
you turn 40 years old and Jeremy was
retired for both of those reasons he
turned 40 and he had six kids and I was
retired for one of those reasons I
turned 40 I think at the time we only
had dasas I had not yet been blessed
with Shilo and morai shim anyways so we
were officially released our time had
come and so we reluctantly turned in our
uniforms and hand it over to younger
soldiers uh our our greens our uniforms
our supplies to give to them to take our
place just as we took the places of the
heroes who served before us and so we
were officially retired from reserves
just a few b a few years before the
horrific attacks on October 7th when you
know that fateful day arrived um
everything everything changed all of the
standing reserves were called up and
everybody showed up and we'd been
retired Jeremy and I were not called up
not officially but unofficially we
certainly were we were in action because
as you know Jeremy and I and our
partners we settled these breathtaking
mountains on the Southeastern tip of
settlement in the Judean Frontier it was
about 10 years ago it was just thorns
and thistles and now it's a Garden of
Eden like Oasis only with hashem's help
and blessings but that's that's what we
were that's where we've done and there's
just a few of us out here on the very
tip of the settlement and when the war
broke out Israel was taken by surprise
to put it lightly and you know just as a
nation we were humbled and the nearby
Village of ianal our dear friends and
neighbors were called up to the Army
leaving almost no one behind and the
families of Ian are mostly Young
families with almost all of the men
being active members of reserves until
between Lebanon and Gaza there were very
few left in the village I can only say
this now because enough time has passed
and it's not like a a real security
threat but the troops that were actually
left behind to actually defend the
villages in Judea were spread very very
thin and there were periods particularly
immediately after the war broke out when
our farm had very little of any
protection from the Army there was even
talk about evacuating us a proposal
which we didn't entertain at all but it
was a very trying time for us personally
for the farm for Judea and for all of
Israel and so being the Jeremy and I
were trained veteran soldiers we were
provided with all the necessary military
equipment and vests and ceramic and
everything we need we we really
deputized to defend our Mountains and
the entire area we were incorporated
into the official Guard and Patrol list
even though we weren't officially
enrolled and this was important because
our lack of being officially enrolled
yet serving and patrolling and
protecting nonetheless gave the nearby
Village two extra soldiers serving
during a uh very important time when
every Soldier mattered when every bullet
mattered right now every bullet matters
we only have a few bullets to actually
calibrate our weapons we're still
recovering from the shock of October 7th
and and just being so short on supplies
anyways during that time it was really a
tremendous asset to have and I serving
out there and patrolling without taking
up those two Soldier allocations and it
also gave us more freedom to do a lot of
the important things that we were doing
at the time and by the way I just want
to say now many of you were critical in
sustaining US during those days and
helping us acquire security systems not
only for our farm but for the nearby
settlement of iban nakal which really
needed it and with other needs during
those times to to all of you you really
share in the Merit of all the light we
were able to bring into the world to
protecting into sustaining us and the
nation of Israel and the people of Judea
all the protection you help provide we
can never thank you enough anyways it
was a very difficult time and for me
personally one of the biggest challenges
was not being in the Army in an official
capacity I was surrounded by friends and
neighbors getting called up to Gaza
Lebanon front lines of Judea and Samaria
men with wives and children who were
literally sacrificing their lives to
protect Israel and the Jewish people I
mean how many orphans how many widows
still now every week that goes by we
have more and more just this past
Shabbat we had the parents of a soldier
killed in Gaza uh come to the farm and
spend Shabbat with us every time the
father who was so strong and so much
faith in his heart every time he burst
out in tears I burst out in tears and we
all did I mean it was devastating it was
heartbreaking it's unfathomable I mean
it was just so fresh and so new it was
December 24th his son was killed in
Gaza anyways but throughout all of this
we were not officially called up and so
we were spending most of our time
guarding our mountains and guarding our
families and was important for Israel
but in my heart I always wanted to do
more and then about four months ago our
army unit sent out a message requesting
the vati hagdud the veterans the retired
Veterans of the unit us included to get
our medical tests done and returned to
the ranks of reserves to be available to
be called up should the need arise uh
which I did immediately of course and uh
you know if Jeremy wasn't so seriously
wounded being thrown from a horse I have
zero doubt knowing Jeremy that he would
be there too
and about uh two weeks ago my phone rang
and it was the Army and I was getting
called up fortunately uh my primary
region of service will be Southeastern
Judea which is very important to me as
it allows me to be in proximity of my
wife and my children if I was too far
away from them I'm not sure I would be
comfortable having them stay on the
mountain alone without me which is why
it was so important that we were there
during this period of time because if we
were not there if we were called up the
mountain would have had to be evacuated
and we could have lost the those
critical Mountains for the Safety and
Security of Southeastern Judea we were
holding them down and so that's been
important but anyways now I'm called up
and it looks like I'll be patrolling
Southeastern Judea uh the nearby
settlement uh also but but mostly in eal
um and um that's where I'll be from what
I understand and I'm just so grateful to
be protecting this holy land and these
holy people and I remember feeling the
same way I felt when I first put on this
uniform in August of 1999 I still feel
overwhelmingly honored and grateful to
be serving in the first Jewish Army
since the times of King David and that's
really the truth we are a we are the
Jewish Army but that's what I wanted to
talk about here why why are the Jewish
people called the Jewish people why not
Hebrews why not Israelites we've spoken
about this before that Mori was called
Mori the Jew because he was from Judea
that's the land we're from but on
another dimension there's something even
deeper I think part of the beauty of the
answer is from this week's Torah portion
this Torah portion we see the historic
encounter between Judah and Joseph right
Joseph is dressed as an Egyptian Viceroy
he recognizes his brother Judah who sold
him into slavery but Judah like the rest
of his brothers has no idea that it's
his brother Joseph who he stands before
putting his very life on the line he has
no idea that he standing before Joseph
that Joseph is the source of all this
torment that he and his brothers are
experiencing he has no idea that this
all powerful Egyptian dignitary is the
very brother he sold into slavery but in
this historic AR archetypal exchange
between Judah and Joseph we see not only
why the Kings of Israel are descended
from Judah but also why we the nation of
Israel are called Jews because as Rabbi
saak points out the words that emerg
from judah's mouth during this exchange
demonstrated beyond the shadow of a
doubt that he was a radically different
person than he was 22 years before when
he sold Joseph into slavery we remember
the story it's too painful to forget the
brothers were filled with so much rage
and jealousy of their brother Joseph
that when they saw him approaching from
a distance they decided to kill him that
is until Judah who they all yielded to
as a leader amongst them says what will
we gain if we kill our brother and cover
up his blood come let us sell him to the
ishmaelites and not lay our hands on him
after all he is our brother our own
flesh and blood and his brothers agreed
his argument really isn't heroic it's
pragmatic why kill him when you can sell
them and make money it's it really seems
like hardly the character of the
forebearer of the king Messiah but that
is who Judah was now however that his
Mis this mysterious Egyptian ruler has
been putting him and his brothers
through a really a divinely inspired
journey of confusion and torment
culminating in they being forced to
return with Benjamin their 12th brother
to prove the veracity of their stories
that they're not spies and every step of
the way they demonstrated that they are
indeed true penitence from confession of
their sin to regret of their sin to the
final manifestation of the entire
process which which culminated in Judah
himself when he stood before his brother
Joseph disguised in plain sight and
declared now then please let your
servant remain here as my Lord's slave
in place of the boy and let the boy
return with his brothers how can I go
back to my father if the boy is not with
me no do not let me see the misery that
would come on my father he's in the
exact same situation but this time his
course of action is diametrically
opposite he has every reason to Envy
Benjamin who his father clearly didn't
want to part with until Judah finally
offered his very own soul as collateral
Benjamin who just received five times
the portion that his brother did
Benjamin the last remaining son of their
mother's rival Rachel right but but
rather than turn his back and walk away
and have the same thing happen again
Judah offers himself as a slave for life
in exchange for Benjamin and offer that
if the Egyptian leader refuses our sages
say Judah was willing and ready to
attack Joseph and the entire Egyptian
monarchy bring them down until either he
was killed or they were destroyed that
is the power of Judah a fierce Warrior
but a man of Truth a true penitent a BAL
chuva a man of such honesty that he
would confess the truth even if it meant
his own demise and that's why we are
called Jews because you don't have to
look back at an ancient history where
the Jews would fall into idolatry again
and again and again to see our flaws and
our sins and our shortcomings October
7th the war we find ourselves in right
now was the clear result of pacts that
we made with evil in violation of the
Torah arrogance complacency and putting
our faith in Flesh and Blood rather than
in Hashem but we will rise up like the
Lions of Judah we will confess our
shortcomings before Hashem we will
repent and atone for them it's happening
right now and I'm grateful to be seeing
it happened from the front row from
Center Stage that is why we are called
Jews because we are a nation of Jud Dian
a nation from which Redemption itself
will Blossom may it be soon my friends
love you all pray for me and I will pray
for you and uh Shalom from the front
lines here in reserve duty in the hills
of Judea