Praying at Night

A couple of weeks ago, I traveled on a solidarity mission to Israel. My goal was to bring supplies and strength from America. What struck me most was that while the supplies were in desperate need, the strength was not. The Israeli people have bonded together in unity and faith in an incredible way. Israelis know they are living in dangerous times, but they also know deep in their core with unwavering certainty that their cause is just, and they will ultimately prevail with God's help. As you walk around the country, despite the heavy toll of war, there is an overall sense of conviction. Therefore, in an ironic twist, I left my support mission drawing from their strength rather than the other way around. What I am particularly blown away by is that usually, in dark times, people experience crises of faith; they wonder where God is and how to connect to Him when we feel so physically and emotionally battered. And yet, it seems that those of us in the Diaspora on the proverbial "sidelines" are experiencing this rather than the "in the game." Why is this? In this week's Torah portion, our forefather Yaakov prepares to go down to Egypt. He never wanted to go down to Egypt and was somewhat frightened by the dangers of leaving the Holy Land of Israel. A strange detail is included in the ensuing episode where G-d speaks to Yaakov as he is on the journey to Egypt to offer him support and words of strength. The Torah deems it important to mention that this conversation happened "B'maarat Ha'lailah" (vision by night). Rabbi Meir Simcha of Dvinsk (the Meshech Chachmah), a fascinating Torah commentator from the pre-war era, explains that the specific mention that this was happening at night was meant to be an allusion to dark times. Yaakov, in general, often connects to God in the night, such as when he wrestles with an angel and has the dream of the heavenly ladder. Moreover, our sages tell us that Yaakov is the forefather who implemented Maariv, our nighttime service of praying to God. Therefore, in other words, the Mescech Chachma explains that what we are talking about here is not so much a "time" but a state of mind or even events. The night represents darkness, which further signifies when we don't see the hand of God so readily. When Yaakov was going to Egypt, Hashem told him that He would be with him even in the dark times. Furthermore, it is critical to note that Rashi points out that the reason God came to Yaakov at this juncture was because Yaakov was feeling "Meitzar" (constricted). Although this term denotes stress and anxiety, it also literally translates as "constricted" which is a direct allusion to where Yaakov was headed (Mitzraim). It is not a coincidence that Mitzraim comes from the word constriction, as it was a dark place devoid of G-d. Right now, we feel as if we are in a dark place on a national level. But we must remember that in every generation, there is a "Mitzraim," and despite those hard times, God is with us just as he was with our forefather Yaakov who was feeling "confined." When he was 15 and a prisoner at Auschwitz, Elie Wiesel watched as three Jewish scholars put God on trial for indifference to the suffering of his people — and found him guilty. After the verdict, Wiesel said, there was silence, and then the participants all sat down to evening prayers. As we find ourselves in unprecedented times with a whole host of challenges, it is once again time to pray at night. Have a Peaceful Shabbos, Rabbi Yaakov Fisch