Avraham Avinu was a veteran

Today is Veterans Day.  We all owe a huge debt of gratitude to all of America’s veterans. 

Veterans Day on Friday allowed the Ramaz Lower School to honor and thank our veterans while celebrating their pre-Shabbat Oneg.  Veterans were invited to attend and participate.  It was a rocking, moving, and meaningful experience.

I was tasked with connecting Avraham Avinu (our patriarch Abraham) with Veterans Day.  Here is the message I shared.

Avraham was the first veteran.  He joined the battle of the five kings versus the four kings to rescue his nephew, Lot.  Avraham did not want to fight, but he felt the need to stand up and do battle for what was just and to protect his family.

The Torah says (Bereishit 14:14) that Avraham armed his “disciples,” and they went off to battle.  What is the significance of the Torah describing these soldiers as disciples? 

Avraham did not merely impart information to his students.  He did not just teach them information.  Avraham taught them to act.  His students didn’t just absorb lessons and values.  Avraham impressed upon them the need to fight for those values.

Students and young children are not the ones who go off to battle.  Most of us do not fight with weapons.  Each and every one of us, though, has a mission.  We have orders to follow and battles to win.  Our mission is to follow Avraham’s example and stand up for what is right.  Our battle is to fight for goodness and respect and kindness.  It is a battle to be a mensch, a good person and a good Jew.

We don’t have weapons with which to fight.  We have our smiles, our acts of kindness, and our commitment to do what is right.

On Veterans Day, we say thank you to those who served our country.  This Veterans Day, being so close to Parshat Lech Lecha, we also remember the Torah’s first veteran, Avraham.  We remember that he led his students to battle.  Each and every one of us is a student of Avraham.  Let’s do our best to win the battle for what is right.

The best part of the Oneg came a little while later.  Mr. Manny Gross, a Ramaz grandparent and one of the veterans in attendance, asked to say a few words.  He message was absolutely incredible and so powerful.  I strongly suggest you watch it!

Mr. Gross described his army experience.  He focused on how he maintained his Judaism throughout his time in the military.  He put on tefillin EVERY SINGLE DAY.  He described keeping kosher and how he would trade his rations with other soldiers for food that he could eat like crackers, jam, and tuna fish.  Mr. Gross is a military veteran as well as a veteran – and a victor – in the battle for Jewish identity and values.

We can learn a lot from our veterans.  We learn a lot from Avraham about what it means to stand up for our values.  We can all learn a lot from Mr. Gross about what it means to be dedicated and committed to maintaining our Judaism.

We pray to God that we are successful in all of our battles.