The IDF and the Death of Rabbi Akiva’s Students | Emor 5785

Reflecting from Mount Herzl – standing beside Daniel Perez’s grave – on a painful but powerful parallel: the 24,000 students of Rabbi Akiva who perished in the days of the Omer, and the 25,000 (approx.) modern-day soldiers and civilians who have given their lives in defense of Israel.

But some say it wasn’t a plague that took the lives of Rabbi Akiva’s students but that they were they warriors who fell in the Bar Kochba rebellion – fighting for Jewish sovereignty in their time, just as our soldiers do today. They were both scholars and soldiers.

In fact, the majority of Jews didn’t leave as a result of the destruction of the Beit HaMikdash, but after the failure of the Bar Kochba rebellion. After that, Hadrian changed the name of the land from Judea to Palestina to sever the tie between the Jewish people and the Land of Israel.

Instead of it being a time of counting towards Shavuot, the month of Iyar has become a time of tragedy. But, it is now being redeemed, as millions of Jews have returned today to the Land of Israel – with the days of Yom HaAtzmaut, Lag BaOmer and Yom Yerushalayim returning the month to its former glory.