Thank You for Your Protection

By Avraham Berkowitz

This morning as the sun rose over Jerusalem, my wife Leah
gave birth to a beautiful baby girl at the Hadassah Medical
center. A few hours later I drove to the southern Israeli
city of Kiryat Malachi where my wife's parents live.

After packing several personal items that my wife will need
for her hospital stay, I set out to drive back to Jerusalem.
As I passed the central bus station in Kiryat Malachi, I saw
an Israeli soldier waiting to get a ride. I rolled down the
window and asked him where he needed to go. He said his base
is near Jericho, but if I can take him to Jerusalem that
would be great help.

I was in a particularly upbeat mood today--after all, we
were blessed with our fourth child and third daughter--but
the reality around me in the holy land is down and
worrisome. Israel is being attacked by its neighbors and we
are fighting a war to defend ourselves.

As fighter jets from the nearby air force base roared
overhead, we cruised down the highway, and I get acquainted
with Shachaf Raviv of Beer Sheva. His story gives a face to
and direct association with the soldiers fighting for our
land and people today.

Shachaf, 21 years old, is a medic in the IDF. He tells me
that yesterday his senior officer sent him home for one
night to spend with his family because today he and his unit
will be leaving their base near Jericho and heading up north
to the battlefield on the border of Lebanon to be part of a
team of doctors and medics who will be giving critical first
aid to the wounded soldiers and civilians.

His officer said he will not have any weekend breaks for a
while and therefore sent him to bid farewell to his family.

Shachaf told me of the feeling in his house last night, "no
one slept, they surrounded me with love and care for hours.
My father immigrated to Israel from Portugal in the late
sixties and fought in the Yom Kippur War and my mother came
from Tunisia to the promised land around the same time. They
spoke of their dreams for themselves and our future.

"I am the third of four children and currently the only son
in the army. My parents named me Shachaf which means
"seagull" in Hebrew but this morning when my mother said
goodbye she held me for a long time and was crying, she kept
calling me Rachamim--the Jewish name they gave me at my Brit
ceremony, which in Hebrew means 'mercy' and 'compassion.'
She cried and said 'Rachamim today you will need G-d's
compassion and protection--We all need G-d's rachamim.'"

As we continued to drive I encouraged Shachaf and spoke to
him about the great role he has in protecting the land of
Israel and the Jewish people in Israel and ultimately Jews
all over the world.

At 12:00 PM I turned on the radio to the headline news.
"Eight troops from Golani's 51st Battalion," the announcer
said, "lost their lives on Wednesday during heavy fighting
with Hezbollah terrorists in the southern Lebanese village
of Bint Jbail. Another officer was killed in a clash at
Maron a-Ras. Over twenty soldiers are wounded..."

Shachaf asked me to turn the radio off and give him
spiritual inspiration instead before he heads to the front
lines.

I shared with him thoughts that I heard and learned from my
Rebbe and teacher, the Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem M.
Schneerson, of righteous memory. During past conflicts in
the Land of Israel, and during times of danger for the
Jewish people, the Rebbe made practical suggestions of good
deeds, mitzvot, that would elicit G-d's blessings and
protection. I quoted him from the Torah that speaks of G-d
protecting the land and we discussed the need for us to
understand the deeper truths as to why we have our permanent
homeland specifically in Israel, as promised to us in the
Torah.

Shachaf was very grateful to hear how Jews and non Jews all
over the world are praying for them and thinking of them
every day now and wishing for their success and G-d's
protection.

When we came to Jerusalem I opened my briefcase. I had a new
Mezuzuah in a plastic case and I gave it to Shachaf. I told
him, "I am giving this to you for protection, but you must
return it to me when you come back and I will go to Beer
Sheva and put it up in your bedroom."

Shachaf liked the idea. I said, "It says in the Torah
'Emissaries of a good deeds are not harmed.' You have a
Mezuza--it will protect you." Shachaf put the mezuza in his
front left pocket and promised me he would leave it there
until he comes back, he will also tell the story of our
meeting to his fellow medic soldiers and tell them they have
added protection.

I then pulled out an envelope with $500 that a member of my
community gave me yesterday to give to distressed Jews in
the north, and asked Shachaf to be my personal emissary to
distribute these funds to wounded soldiers and civilians.

At first he refused to take it, but after we exchanged
e-mail addresses and cell phone numbers he agreed and
promised to report to me exactly how he gave the funds to
people who really need it.

We only met an hour before, but we suddenly were deeply
connected to each other. We embraced, the Mezuzah protruding
from his pocket and his rifle strapped across his chest. I
looked at him with tears in my eyes and said, "Rachamim,
thank you for your protection"; and he looked me back in the
eye while placing his hand over the mezuzah I gave him, and
said "Avraham, thank you for your protection."

I am writing this article on my laptop while sitting in the
room at Hadassah Hospital while my wife rests. I look at the
beautiful face of our little newborn daughter and thank G-d
for His blessings and pray for His protection for my child
and all the rest of His children.

As the Jewish world will pray this Shabbat for the
protection of the soldiers of Israel, I will have in mind
Rachamim Raviv. Please think of him and thousands of more
like him who need G-d's rachamim, mercy, and full
protection.