Rav Asher Weiss Was Moved To Tears By This Story From Gaza

JERUSALEM (VINnews) — Rav Asher Weiss related a story which happened recently during the IDF offensive in Gaza, a story which moved him to tears.

The story concerned a soldier fighting in Gaza whose son was due to have his Bris on Shabbos. The soldier knew that due to his position on the front line he would not be able to make it out before Shabbos and asked a rabbi whether he would be permitted to go out on Shabbos itself in order to attend the Bris.

The rabbi replied that there was no possible leniency which could allow Chilul Shabbos in order to reach a Bris even of one’s son. Even if his family would not forgive him, this would not allow him to desecrate Shabbos. However if as a soldier he feels that the furlough will give him renewed strength to fight in Gaza, this could allow him to leave the battlefield on Shabbos and go to attend the Bris.

Rabbi Weiss said that he was not discussing the Psak of the rabbi, but said that after a few minutes the soldier told the rabbi that he had thought about it and come to the conclusion that he did not require the furlough to continue fighting.

Rabbi Weiss said that “I was moved to tears- it would have been so easy for him to say that he needed the break, it’s the Bris of his son! But the soldier explained that ‘I hope that when my son grows up and hears why I didn’t attend his Bris, he will grow in Yiras Shamayim from this.’

Rabbi Weiss concluded “How easy it is to see the beauty and the charm of the soldiers of Israel.”