There is a well-known anecdote that on Tisha B’Av, Napoleon Bonaparte once passed a synagogue and heard the sounds of weeping and mourning. Upon learning that the Jewish people were grieving the destruction of their Temple — an event that had occurred nearly 2,000 years earlier — he reportedly remarked, “A nation that cries and fasts for thousands of years for its land and Temple will surely be rewarded with both.”
I was reminded of his words just yesterday when I tuned in to a quiz on the Mishneh Torah, the monumental halachic work authored by Rabbi Moshe ben Maimon (Rambam/Maimonides), organized by a network of religious schools for girls across Israel.
Sixteen students had been selected as finalists in the competition, showcasing their mastery of complex laws codified by the Rambam nearly 900 years ago. As I watched these bright, dedicated young women engage in intense Torah scholarship — not as an academic requirement, but as a choice for their free time — I couldn’t help but reflect: A nation whose children voluntarily immerse themselves in the study of ancient laws and live by them is a nation destined to endure.
Am Yisrael Chai.
Faith Under Fire
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