How Did Gedolim Respond to Wars and Tragedies in Eretz Yisrael?
A Call for Teshuvah — Not Military Pride
When Klal Yisrael faces tragedy—whether a war, a terrorist attack, or natural disaster—what do the Gedolei Yisrael tell us to do?
Do they call press conferences to boost morale? Wave flags? Praise the army’s strength?
No. The Gedolim, from all sectors—Litvish, Chassidish, and Sephardi—give one unified message:
“Return to Hashem.”
Because in the Torah’s view, every pain, every loss, every siren, and every tear has one clear purpose: to bring us closer to our Father in Heaven.
1. The Torah's Instruction Manual for Crisis
"צָרָה תַּחְתֶּיךָ, וְצָרוּךָ שָׂרֶיךָ; וְעוֹד עַל-כָּל-אֵלֶּה, לֹא חָטָאת אֵלַי, כִּי בְכָל-זֹאת לֹא שַׁבְתֶּם עָדַי"
“Though you are pressed by troubles, and rulers oppress you, still you have not sinned to Me—for despite all this, you have not returned to Me.”
— Yeshayahu 31:6¹
War, pain, loss — they’re all part of Hashem’s alarm system.
And when the alarm rings, Chazal teach us clearly:
"כְּשֶׁיֵּשׁ צָרָה בָּעוֹלָם, הִכָּנֵס בְּבֵית הַכְּנֶסֶת וּתְפַלֵּל"
“When there is trouble in the world, enter the shul and daven.”
— Midrash Tanchuma, Vayikra²
This isn’t symbolic. It’s not emotional comfort. It’s the halachic and spiritual response.
2. Rav Chaim Kanievsky zt”l: Every Siren is a Wake-Up Call
During the Gulf War, when Eretz Yisrael was struck by Iraqi missiles, someone asked the Steipler Gaon zt”l, “Should we move out of Bnei Brak for safety?”
The Steipler answered:
“You don’t run from missiles. You run from averios.”
His son, Rav Chaim Kanievsky zt”l, echoed this message during Operation Protective Edge (Tzuk Eitan) in 2014. He wrote in a public letter:
"מי שיש בידו למחות ואינו מוחה — נתפש בעוון של אותם החוטאים. ולזעוק ולצעוק לפני ה' שיחוס על עמו"
“Anyone who can protest sin and doesn’t—shares the guilt. We must cry out to Hashem to have mercy on His people.”³
He added that during times of danger, even minor sins must be corrected, such as speaking during davening or not being careful in lashon hara.
3. Rav Shach zt”l: Wars Are Hashem Calling Us Back
Rav Elazar Menachem Man Shach zt”l, Rosh Yeshiva of Ponovezh and leading Gadol for decades, spoke during the Yom Kippur War (1973) with tears:
“What do people say? ‘We were surprised. It was an intelligence failure.’ No! It was not a failure of intelligence. It was a failure of spiritual intelligence. Hashem wanted to wake us up.”⁴
Rav Shach added:
“How do we fight a war? With Torah. With tefillah. With kedushah. If we don’t learn this now, we will be forced to learn it with more suffering, chas v’shalom.”
4. Rav Aharon Leib Shteinman zt”l: Teshuvah Is Our True Iron Dome
In 2012, during Operation Pillar of Defense, a group of yeshiva bochurim asked Rav Aharon Leib Shteinman zt”l what to do during the sirens in Bnei Brak.
He responded:
“Every moment of learning Torah is more protective than a thousand Iron Domes. But only if it is accompanied by yiras Shamayim.”⁵
He also said that talking during davening, even at quiet parts, removes protection from Klal Yisrael. “Every extra pasuk of Tehillim, every kabbalah of Torah learning, is a shield.”
5. Rebbe Shlomo Halberstam zt”l (Bobov): Tragedy is a Megaphone for Teshuvah
After the Sbarro Pizza bombing in 2001, where many innocent Jews were murdered, the Bobover Rebbe zt”l addressed a massive crowd in Brooklyn:
“If we respond only with anger and hatred toward the enemy, we are missing the point. Hashem is calling out: ‘Return to Me.’ Every neshamah that left this world is a cry from Above: Wake up!”⁶
6. Chacham Ovadia Yosef zt”l: Tefillah and Teshuvah Bring Peace — Not Politics
During the Second Lebanon War (2006), Chacham Ovadia Yosef zt”l publicly urged the Sephardi community:
“Don’t waste time arguing on the news. Add Torah, tznius, and ahavas Yisrael. Peace will come not from tanks and politicians—but from Hashem, Who sees our hearts.”⁷
He also stressed the importance of saying Selichos even outside Elul during times of war.
7. Rav Shimshon Dovid Pincus zt”l: Hashem’s Messages Are Crystal Clear
Rav Pincus zt”l once said:
“When a missile falls, Hashem is not sending a message to the Arabs. He is speaking to us. And the louder the explosion, the more urgent the message.”
“There is no such thing as coincidence in Klal Yisrael. Every fear, every loss, is a custom-tailored note from Hashem, written in the language of love and longing.”⁸
8. Rav Yitzchak Hutner zt”l: Don’t Worship Military Power
In a powerful letter written in 1948, after the founding of the State, Rav Hutner zt”l warned against glorifying Jewish nationalism without Torah:
“Even if Jewish soldiers win victories, if those victories are credited to human power rather than Divine mercy, it is not salvation—it is dangerous pride.”⁹
So What Do Charedim Do During War?
We cry. We say Tehillim. We fast. We learn. We strengthen our homes. We guard our eyes and speech. We comfort the wounded and daven for the captives.
We don’t hold rallies. We don’t cheer on tanks. We cheer on teshuvah.
Because war is not a football game. It is a sign from Heaven.
Conclusion: The Call of the Hour is Always the Same
When war comes, the Gedolim are not confused. They don’t change their message.
“Shuvu eilai v’Ashuva aleichem.”
“Return to Me—and I will return to you.”
— Malachi 3:7¹⁰
And soon, when Klal Yisrael responds fully, the battles will end. The headlines will fade. And a new light will shine.
"הִנֵּה אָנֹכִי שׁוֹלֵחַ לָכֶם אֵת אֵלִיָּהוּ הַנָּבִיא... וְהֵשִׁיב לֵב אָבוֹת עַל-בָּנִים"
“Behold, I send you Eliyahu the prophet… and he will turn the heart of fathers back to children…”
— Malachi 3:23¹¹
Sources and Footnotes:
- Yeshayahu 31:6
- Midrash Tanchuma, Vayikra 9
- Rav Chaim Kanievsky, letter during Operation Protective Edge (2014)
- Rav Shach, Sichos Mussar (Yom Kippur War, 1973)
- Rav Aharon Leib Shteinman, from sefer Alei Shur and Toras Chaim interviews
- Bobover Rebbe zt”l, speech after Sbarro bombing (2001)
- Chacham Ovadia Yosef, Motzaei Shabbos speech (July 2006)
- Rav Shimshon Dovid Pincus, Nefesh Shimshon – Emunah
- Rav Yitzchak Hutner, Igros u’Kesavim (Letter 89, 1948)
- Malachi 3:7
- Malachi 3:23 (Artscroll: 4:5)