In a powerful display of gratitude to the Ribono Shel Olam for the miracles witnessed during the recent conflict with Iran, hundreds gathered this past Shabbos at Beis Medrash Mimizrach Shemesh in Beit Shemesh for a communal recitation of Nishmas Kol Chai, expressing thanks to Hashem for His protection and mercy.
The moving event took place following a halacha l’maaseh shiur delivered by the mara d’asra, Rav Dovid Cohen, which is regularly attended by hundreds of local residents each week. This time, even more community members joined to participate in the seudas hoda’ah for the miracles of the war.
In his remarks, Rav Cohen emphasized the magnitude of the hidden miracles that accompanied the war, many of which are still unknown to the broader public. “We witnessed hashgacha pratis in every step,” he said. “Hinei lo yanum velo yishan Shomer Yisrael.” He encouraged the tzibbur to not only express gratitude with words, but to make meaningful personal commitments—kabbolos tovos—as a gift of thanks to Hashem.
The emotional climax came when Rav Cohen opened the doors of the aron kodesh and the packed crowd, including a filled-to-capacity women’s section, stood united before the sifrei Torah. With deep feeling, the entire kehilla sang and recited every word of Nishmas Kol Chai aloud, voices lifted in song and thanksgiving.
Ahead of Shabbos, Deputy Minister and founder of Beis Medrash Mimizrach Shemesh Moshe Abutbul invited the community to attend the special gathering. He also shared a chilling anecdote that highlighted the depth of the miracle. Abutbul recounted testimony he had received from a rosh kollel in the city, who had taken his kollel on a trip to southern Israel just one day before the war broke out. During the trip, they witnessed 50 refrigerated trucks stationed by the IDF, prepared to hold up to 1,000 casualties in the event of mass fatalities. “In the end,” said Abutbul, “not a single truck was needed. That alone is a powerful window into the neis that occurred for Am Yisrael.”
“The miracle was immense,” he continued. “We must thank Hashem, the Gibor and Ish Milchamah. Others boast of their military success, but we, as maaminim bnei maaminim, know the truth: without Hashem’s mercy, this war could have ended in devastating loss. His chesed overwhelmed us, and we must respond with united hoda’ah and shevach.”
Abutbul also quoted the words of Rav Ovadiah Yosef zt”l on the verse in Tehillim (60:6), “Nasata lirei’echa nes lehisnoses—When Hashem performs a nes, and the recipient acknowledges it, he becomes worthy of more nissim in the future.”
{Matzav.com Israel}