„When a person stands in prayer before the Holy One, and a serpent is…”
„When a person stands in prayer before the Holy One, and a serpent is coiled around his heel, the Gemara instructs (in the case where it is known that the serpent is not venomous) to continue and pray.”
When there are disturbances to the course of life, the Torah tries to teach us all to continue, to enlarge the spirit.
The best way to fight darkness is to increase light.
The continuation of prayer by a person around whose heel a serpent is coiled is not a lack of awareness of reality. Rather, it is a deep perception that in difficult hours and in hours of confusion one must do the utmost to enlarge the spirit. To increase strength.
We are now at war. Our soldiers are in battle in the southern sector while they are prepared for any scenario in all the other sectors. Venomous serpents are coiled around our heel from every direction.
Our soldiers must fight.
We, the citizens, must be a strong and steadfast home front. To increase light and strength. To give support to the wives of the reservists and the soldiers, to give strength from where we are to our soldiers. To pray. To increase good.
Let us all pray for the success of our soldiers, for the protection of us all, and for the elimination of the enemy.
Good tidings.
From the community archive of Mishpetei HaRav Kook — studying Rav Kook's teachings since 2011.