
In a powerful display of gratitude to the Ribono Shel Olam for the miracles witnessed during the recent conflict with Iran, hundreds gathered this past Shabbos at Beis Medrash Mimizrach Shemesh in Beit Shemesh for a communal recitation of Nishmas Kol Chai, expressing thanks to Hashem for His protection and mercy.
The moving event took place following a halacha l’maaseh shiur delivered by the mara d’asra, Rav Dovid Cohen, which is regularly attended by hundreds of local residents each week. This time, even more community members joined to participate in the seudas hoda’ah for the miracles of the war.
In his remarks, Rav Cohen emphasized the magnitude of the hidden miracles that accompanied the war, many of which are still unknown to the broader public. “We witnessed hashgacha pratis in every step,” he said. “Hinei lo yanum velo yishan Shomer Yisrael.” He encouraged the tzibbur to not only express gratitude with words, but to make meaningful personal commitments—kabbolos tovos—as a gift of thanks to Hashem.
The emotional climax came when Rav Cohen opened the doors of the aron kodesh and the packed crowd, including a filled-to-capacity women’s section, stood united before the sifrei Torah. With deep feeling, the entire kehilla sang and recited every word of Nishmas Kol Chai aloud, voices lifted in song and thanksgiving.
Ahead of Shabbos, Deputy Minister and founder of Beis Medrash Mimizrach Shemesh Moshe Abutbul invited the community to attend the special gathering. He also shared a chilling anecdote that highlighted the depth of the miracle. Abutbul recounted testimony he had received from a rosh kollel in the city, who had taken his kollel on a trip to southern Israel just one day before the war broke out. During the trip, they witnessed 50 refrigerated trucks stationed by the IDF, prepared to hold up to 1,000 casualties in the event of mass fatalities. “In the end,” said Abutbul, “not a single truck was needed. That alone is a powerful window into the neis that occurred for Am Yisrael.”
“The miracle was immense,” he continued. “We must thank Hashem, the Gibor and Ish Milchamah. Others boast of their military success, but we, as maaminim bnei maaminim, know the truth: without Hashem’s mercy, this war could have ended in devastating loss. His chesed overwhelmed us, and we must respond with united hoda’ah and shevach.”
Abutbul also quoted the words of Rav Ovadiah Yosef zt”l on the verse in Tehillim (60:6), “Nasata lirei’echa nes lehisnoses—When Hashem performs a nes, and the recipient acknowledges it, he becomes worthy of more nissim in the future.”
{Matzav.com Israel}
Maiminim can’t also express hakoras hatov for the mesiras nefesh of our beautiful soldiers?
Do you also comment on Mizrachi websites why they don’t express hakoras hatov for the mesiras nefesh of our beautiful talmidei chachomim that made the miracles happen in the first place?
Please explain exactly what is the “mesiras nefesh” of our TC who sit comfortably in an air conditioned beis midrash learning the sweet words of the heiliger torah mit ah geshmak who go home every night to their wives and children
Compared to the soldiers who are away for weeks at a time in grueling battle zones with danger around every bend and corner in the steaming heat not knowing if they will see their loved ones again
puerile!
There is nothing beautiful about the shmad and all three of the gimmel chamuros that is the Zionist army, even if some of its inductees do happen to physically save some Jews (and others do damage to Jews on many levels).
Maaminim would certainly not do anything like that.
Ty mk for your negativity korach would be proud
It is disgusting to compare Korach to idolatrous Zionists. Korach was, of course, wrong, but he did have the Sanhedrin fooled. The pathetic idolatry and heresy that is Zionism, on the other hand, would never fool anyone in that generation.
I don’t frequent Mizrachi websites
This is my community. You need to know that Rav Chaim Shmulevitz said that someone who does not have hakoras hatov for the soldiers who help protect us are not welcome in his bais medrash.
He believed in the power of learning as much as all the critics of my question.