National Day of Mourning

A month after the events of 5689 (1929), in which the Jews of Hebron were slaughtered by their neighbors and "friends," Rav Kook wrote the essay "Shuvu LeVitzaron" (Return to the Stronghold). The pain is infinite. The difficulty has not ended. Even today, a year later, we continue to bury our dead, and we mourn those slain in sanctification of God's name, and bind the wounds of the broken. And alongside this, within the Rav's unending mourning (for these events, in these testimonies that were near to him, shortened his days), it was important to the Rav to sketch out the whole course. So that we would understand and internalize that the process in which we find ourselves continues with even greater force in these terrible days. That the light breaking forth out of the great losses is a light that enables life, and that the great breaking awakened and prevented, and will, God willing, prevent, breakings sevenfold greater. And it will be good. Be strong, be strong, and let us strengthen ourselves!