Sephardic Torah from the Holy Land

In this difficult “October 7^th” year, when our singular focus is the ongoing existential reality of war and the trauma that accompanies it, it is important to remember the larger vision of our Jewish identity and the State of Israel. Challenging as it may seem at the moment, the Torah and our tradition ask us to never forget who we really are. We are soldiers by necessity, and it is a great privilege to defend our land and people; but we are much more than that.

In his powerful description of God’s majesty and power, Moses reminds us of our greater purpose and mission as Jews:

“For your God is the greatest God, and the greatest Lord, the great, mighty, and fearful God…” (Deuteronomy 10:17).

If one were asked to fill in the blanks for the rest of the verse and the verse that follows, one might think that it should describe God’s powers during war and ability to crush enemies. However, here is the rest of the verse and what follows:

“…who shows no favors and takes no bribes. Who defends orphans and widows and loves the stranger by giving them food and clothing.”

The true power of the “great, mighty, and wonderful God” is defined by God’s care and love for the disadvantaged and vulnerable members of our society.

The Talmud teaches that we must “imitate God’s traits of charity and loving-kindness.”

For Rabbi Uziel, our greatest opportunity to “imitate God’s ways” is to define Israeli society in the very terms Moses describes God:

“Our national character must not be defined by power, arms and war, but rather by our ability to repair the world, improve the quality of life on earth and promote the values ​​of truth, justice, charity and ethics. The State of Israel is the Holy Land and as such is where the light of holiness is illuminated through our building a society based on peace and love, charity and justice, loving kindness and mercy.”

In these dark days of war, it is hard to see beyond the smoke screen of bombs and the threat of more attacks. Rabbi Uziel’s vision for Israeli society is our light beyond this darkness. He reminds us why we live here, giving us hope to rise above our enemies—not just as soldiers, but as warriors of light, charity, and justice.

Shabbat Shalom

Rabbi Daniel Bouskila is the international director of the Sephardic Educational Center.