"This Is the Day G-d Has Made": A Moment of Gratitude, Joy, Strength, and Vision

“This is the day that G-d has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.”

— Psalms 118:24

For two long years, our people have faced an existential threat from an enemy determined to bring about our destruction. Throughout this time, our heroic soldiers have fought with courage and dignity, even as much of the world sought to undermine their efforts to defend our people and our land.

Today, we celebrate the miraculous homecoming of the remaining hostages and, for now, the end of the war.

Who could have imagined this day?

First and foremost, we remember and will never forget all those who gave their lives for the Jewish people. We honor the bravery of the men and women who fought in this war with unwavering resolve.

We express our gratitude to Israel’s leaders, who navigated a treacherous path that brought us to this moment, and to the United States of America—whose steadfast support and the courageous leadership of its president were instrumental in reaching this day.

Above all, we offer our deepest gratitude to G-d Almighty, Who has brought about this moment of deliverance.

Yet even as we celebrate, we must remain ever vigilant against the forces that threaten us—both from without and from within.

King David captured this truth with timeless clarity:

“G-d gives strength to His people; G-d blesses His people with peace.”

— Psalms 29:11

True peace is achieved only through strength. The Talmud teaches that “strength” refers to the Torah. It is through our alignment with the Torah’s eternal values—to choose life and the goodness that flows from it, even when others choose death and destruction—that we can secure lasting peace for the Jewish people and for all humanity.

Every human being is unique; no two minds think alike. Peace is sustained not by erasing our differences, but by transcending them through a shared value system—one that uplifts both our individuality and our collective purpose.

Shemini Atzeret | Simchat Torah is precisely such a moment: when we, as a people, rededicate ourselves to the Torah’s timeless values. As we dance with the Torah, we celebrate not only the source of our resilience but also the universal moral vision it embodies—one we are charged to share with all humankind.

As the prophet Isaiah proclaimed:

“For out of Zion shall go forth the Torah, and the word of G-d from Jerusalem.”

— Isaiah 2:3

This is the essential prelude to his next vision:

“And they shall beat their swords into plowshares,

and their spears into pruning hooks;

nation shall not lift sword against nation,

neither shall they learn war anymore.”

— Isaiah 2:4