A number of months ago, the following brief letter to the editor appeared in the Jerusalem Post:
“Sir – Please know that many, many patriots here in America favor and support Israel. I am an American military officer who, if not for my obligation to my country, would come and fight for Israel. You are all in our prayers.”
It was signed by a man named Sam from a small town in the state of Idaho.
What would motivate someone from Idaho to write such a letter? And to whom was he speaking?
I have learned from my revered teachers that one of the cornerstones of Judaism is the concept of hakarat hatov – expressing gratitude. Indeed, the Hebrew word for Jew, Yehudi, is based on the Hebrew language root that signifies thanks. In the Book of Genesis (30:35), the Matriarch Leah names her fourth son Yehudah (Judah). Rabbi Shimshon Rafael Hirsch, the towering 19th century Torah commentator, translates the verse, “And she conceived again and bare a son and she said: This time I thank G-d therefore she called his name Judah. And she left off bearing.”
It was obvious to me that Sam’s letter was addressed to the people of Israel. Shouldn’t someone in Israel respond to his expression of support?
I wrote Sam a brief letter in which I told him that his expression of support was very much appreciated by large numbers of Israelis. I enclosed a few picture postcards of the Holy Land.
Several weeks later, I received a beautiful picture postcard, dated March 17, 2003, of the Rocky Mountains of Idaho. Sam wrote: “…You have no idea how much we care for and support the nation of Israel. We pray for your prosperity and endurance in these difficult times. As war looms on the horizon, I fear for both our troops’ and your people’s safety…May the Lord Almighty keep you in His hands now and forever! Shalom! Sam.”
We began to correspond by e-mail. Sam is 46, the father of four and grandfather of one. He had been a police officer and an officer in the U.S. Air Force; his present occupation involves oversight of disaster responses in several northwestern states.
In response to the August 2003 Palestinian terrorist bombing of the Number 2 bus filled with worshipers returning from prayers at the Western Wall in Jerusalem, Sam wrote, “Every horrible event in Israel, my thoughts go to you and your family. How sad to see yet another life taken. You can’t negotiate with terrorists…There will never be peace as long as concessions are made to please them…I just know what my heart feels. It aches for Israel. Shalom, what can I, a U.S. citizen, do to help your nation?”
About two months ago, Sam wrote of his decision to volunteer to serve in Iraq: “I’ll be leaving for Baghdad…for a duration of roughly 15-18 months…I’ll be working as a captain with the U.S. Army.”
In his next message, he wrote, “I believe that I go off to war, not only for my country, but for yours…If it weren’t for my military commitment to my country, I’d gladly fight for yours. Your nation has had a vicious war in her heartland for such a long time. How your nation has suffered over the years. I can only pray that our military can finally do something to bring the battle to the enemy we both know is loose throughout the region. And in turn, defeat it…once and for all. In turn, maybe then, our two nations, as well as so many others, will finally be able to live in peace and liberty.”
And in a subsequent message, he expanded on his decision to volunteer for “this unique duty.” He wrote, “On Sept. 11, 2001, I heard our nation ‘groan.’ The sound of our nation in anguish is a sound that I, like many of you, can’t forget… But I don’t see the attack simply as an act of terrorism on our country and her people…I believe those responsible attacked us for something deeper. They attacked us for what we stand for. They attacked us for our God-given, Biblical moral beliefs, and our stand for liberty and freedom for those everywhere…And so, I’ll go for an opportunity to fight for freedom and liberty in place of those who can’t…I only ask that you pray for our country, the men and women in uniform currently serving here and abroad and for my unit. I treasure you all and love you very much. Thank you for your support.”
The postscript read, “MY FAVORITES: Psalms 91; and “Let every nation know, whether it wishes us well or ill, that we shall pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe to assure the survival and success of freedom.”
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