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There is a rumor that says that once,
when Napoleon Bonaparte was strolling in the streets of Vienna
he suddenly heard screams, shouts and crying coming out of the local Jewish synagogue.
Bonaparte came closer to the synagogue and saw the Jews sitting on the floor and crying.
"Why are you crying?" asked Bonaparte
"Our Temple was destroyed!" answered one of the Jews.
"When did this happen and how come I didn't' hear about it?" asked Bonaparte.
The Jew lifted his head to the sky and responded:
"about 2400 years ago, our first Temple was destroyed and the Jews were expelled out of Israel, by Nevouchanezer the King of Babel.
On our way to Babel near the River of Babylon there we sat and wiped
It was then that the Jews made an oath:
"If I forget thee, oh Jerusalem, let my right hand forget its cunning,
If I do not remember you let my tongue cling to the roof of my mouth
if I do not exalt Jerusalem above my chief joy".
Since then until today for over 2000 years, the Jewish nation is still obligated to this oath,
and a day did not pass that we have not remembered the memory of this destruction.
Bonaparte was extremely impressed and said:
"Only a nation that remembers its past...
has a future"
Indeed, without the past there is no future,
and if we don't remember where we came from,
how can we expect have a future?
My father always said to me that
moving forward (Kadima -- in Hebrew) , originated from the letters k.d.m = in Hebrew means past) , and in order to move forward into the future, its necessary to look back into the past.
If you understand what is the purpose of your life,
if you understand what you are fighting for,
then you understand why you are here.
All our generations before us prayed and hoped for Jerusalem,
and now when we arrive in Jerusalem we take it for granted.
As oppose to that, in the past, when Jerusalem was not in our hand,
people were willing to give up their lives only to try and reach Jerusalem.
They would talk about Jerusalem, dream about Jerusalem, and envision Jerusalem,
just like a far away lover.
Really just like that!
We need to appreciated the fact that we are here and to remember how far we've come
The past is the real motivation for us as soldiers.
Our strength comes from the fact that we know we are fighting to protect our homes!
We are protecting our fathers and mothers, our children, our wives, literally: our whole families.
This is what keeps us going.
You know that your Jewish identity,
your Israeli identity, is the reason for you being there.
That's why you are a solider,
that why you serve in the I.D.F.,
and that's why you have to remind yourself- everyday, every moment,
what the purpose of your past was, what the purpose of your state is,
and then understand that you are now fulfilling a long standing dream
, of your grad- father and grand-grand father and all those who came before them.
We, in this period [of three weeks prior to Tisha B'av],
need to stop, reflect and observe the past -
back to this period time 2000 years ago.
The destruction of the Temple does not only symbolize the physical breakdown of the building,
but moreover the loss of the spirit;
the unconditional love for one another,
the unity, and the uniqueness of the Jewish people.
We are a part of a long standing chain of generations,
that even in hard times held unto our heritage.
It is specifically the connection to our past,
which will give us the power, strengths and the ability to defeat our enemies.
May you have the strengths and the might, I.D.F. soldiers,
as you have been honored to play a significant role
in our continuous Jewish heritage.
[Jerusalem Of Gold - Ofra Haza]
Jewish consciousness, Golani [Thanks for Shoshan Moskovits and her mother for the Great subtitles]