Yom Ha'atzmaut

Rabbi Berel Wein in his famous audio lecture declares that Yom Ha'atzmaut is a day that has to elicit a response and reaction, it must be either be seen as victory or as a tragedy. In short one must either rejoice or mourn.

I prepose a middle ground, a day of reflection and contemplation. Aside from the halachic issues of whether saying Hallel or Not (see Rabbi Jachter's article "Saying Hallel on Yom Ha'atmaut") this should be a day of "Cheshbon ha-Nefesh". It should be a day one gathers stock of his personal sucesses and failures in one's service of Hashem and how one has contributed to Am Yisrael.

Yom Ha'atzmaut falls on the 5 of Iyar, which this is the 20th day of the Omer. The Sefira for this day is Yesod ShebTiferet. Here is what R' Simon Jacobson (1) in his daily Omer message has to say about this day:

Day 20 - Yesod of Tiferet: Bonding in Compassion

For compassion to be fully realized, it needs bonding. It requires creating a channel between giver and receiver; a mutuality that extends beyond the moment of need. A bond that continues to live on. That is the most gratifying result of true compassion.

Do you bond with the one you have compassion for, or do you remain apart? Does your interaction achieve anything beyond a single act of sympathy?

Exercise for the day: Ensure that something eternal is built as a result of your compassion.

In short I sincerely hope that Yom Ha'atzmaut for you this year was a meaningful experience and was the source of inspiration for more chesed and Ahavat Yisrael. Medinat Yisrael will only succeed ALPITORAH, let us make it a reality.

(1) http://www.meaningfullife.com/ - Rabbi Simon Jacobson is a brilliant thinker and was one of the oral scribes for Lubavitcher Rebbe ZT"L. Please subscribe to his Daily Omer count for some practical down to earth advice on how to make the Omer count more meaningful. His weekly emails are also highly insightful and definitely worth a read.