Rabbi Benny Lau's Correction: "I Ask for Forgiveness from Those Whom I Hurt"

On Friday afternoon, I stood silently in front of the two graves of Moshe Ohayon and his son Eliad, hy"d. I saw the hundreds or thousands who came to participate in the funeral and mourn together.

The energy of Moshe and Eliad burst forth there with great intensity. I also had the privilege to eulogize them and weep for them. To mention the song that Moshe loved so much: "Take me, give me a hand. You are the one capable of revelation. Come, illuminate my days with a hidden, beautiful light for almost a million generations. And then I will be like the sun forever."

I assured the family and friends there that now, after the great light of Moshe and Eliad has dimmed, we will preserve the energy that has made our world better. We will strive to become better ourselves and work to bring the good out from within us.

We are in the midst of terrible days that require us to lift our gaze in faith towards the ultimate purpose of our lives here and to deepen our connection to the roots of our existence.

This week, I met with the families of soldiers who fell in battle, families of captives from the party in Re'im, and the families of fallen soldiers who are still waiting for the identification of their children. The mosaic of colors in the bleeding Israeli society is overwhelming. It's a time to strengthen the common roots and foundation of our existence.

There are such significant divisions among us, and in recent years, these divisions have eroded the foundations of our home and nearly uprooted us from our roots. We can go through this crisis better – not by giving up our opinions and disagreements but by changing something in our approach.

I also request to make an amendment in my way of engaging with people whose opinions are challenging for me and where there is deep division between us regarding the interpretation of the Torah and the vision of Jewish sovereignty in the Land of Israel. We need to contend with the substance of the issue rather than with the person.

If someone is leading a problematic and unacceptable path, I need to make an effort to contend with their ideas and influence, but they are not my enemy. They are part of my extended family, just as I am part of their family.

Now, at this very moment, my children are serving in the North and the South, alongside combatants who represent the broad spectrum of the Zionist movement, from the right and the left. The harsh indictment we went through in the past year condemned us and threatened to tear us apart. But we are a nation who struggles in faith for its home and its life.

I apologize to those whom I may have hurt in the name of the ideological dispute, and I seek to take upon myself, as part of heeding the legacy of Moshe and Eliad Ohayon hy"d, the commandment: "Love your neighbor as yourself."

We are at the beginning of a new month and on edge, praying for the success of the IDF and security forces, and praying that we, as citizens everywhere, will shine our faces and make an effort to be compassionate towards one another.