Major Ohr Sahar is a company commander in the Artillery Corps. This is what he wrote to his soldiers this morning, and sent it to me as well:
"This week we read the longest Portion in the Torah. In it, the dedication of the Mizbeach (altar) is described with a repeating description of how every tribe brings gifts, in an identical pattern that repeats itself 12 times. Again, and again and again. The reason is clear. Indeed, there is great similarity in the actions of the tribes, but each tribe is unique, and the gifts that it brings, despite the similarities, are different in essence from those of other tribes. Each one is a wonder, a big wonder. It is amazing that the reason that the longest Portion in the Torah is so long is not due to a story plot, but due to the desire to give attention to human beings and to acknowledge each and everyone's place and presence.
"This is true in every junction in life, and these days I encounter this also in the military, when everyone wears the same uniform and carries the same weapon and still you must find the uniqueness of each and every soldier and treat him like a whole world of his own. You must remember his soul, and remember that behind him there are parents and friends and a whole life.
"These words are dedicated to the memory of Nechama Rivlin, who - despite her status as the First Lady, the President's wife, knew how to look at people around her as equals and see the wonder in each and every one of them."
