Is it Permissible to Perform a Memorial Service for Druze Soldiers?

On the night of the 25th of Tevet, 5736 (1976), a memorial service was held for seven precious young men who were killed in Zion Square in Jerusalem, in an attack carried out by Arab murderers. At that event, Rabbi Ovadia Yosef spoke precious words, which are worthy of being remembered even now.

Our sages said: The passing of young men is as difficult as the destruction of the Holy Temple. All the more so, precious young men who properly observed Torah and mitzvot. I have no words of comfort for the bereaved families, as each of the fallen sons is an entire world! Only the healer of broken hearts and the binder of sorrows can comfort them. As it is said, "As one whom his mother comforts, so will I comfort you; and in Jerusalem, you shall be comforted." And it is said, "And I passed by you and saw you wallowing in your blood, and I said to you 'through your blood you shall live,' and I said to you 'through your blood you shall live.'" The reason these words are repeated twice, "through your blood you shall live - through your blood you shall live," is to allude to a life of building and creation, and to a life of Torah and knowledge. As it is said, "Had Your Torah not been my delight, I would have perished in my affliction."

It is written in the Book of Jeremiah, "Thus says Hashem: A voice is heard in Ramah, lamentation and bitter weeping, Rachel weeping for her children, refusing to be comforted for her children because they are no more. Thus says Hashem: Restrain your voice from weeping and your eyes from tears; for there is reward for your labor, says Hashem, and they shall return from the land of the enemy. And there is hope for your future, says Hashem, and your children shall return to their borders." We must explain, why are the words repeated twice, first saying "they shall return from the land of the enemy," and then saying "your children shall return to their borders," isn't it all the same matter? The explanation is that there will be two returns to Zion. The first return will be leaving the lands of the enemy, those Arabs who have persecuted us all our days, time after time, with riots, decrees, and forced conversions, in Iraq, Egypt, Syria, and everywhere, "I had no peace, no quiet, no rest, and trouble came." And now with the establishment of the state, they have added sorrow upon sorrow, with various murders and the killing of our precious young men, the fallen of Israel's battles.

The history behind us is stained with the blood of innocent, needy souls. Even in distant Yemen, the decrees against orphans and their cries rise to heaven, as they were forcibly taken and converted to Islam, and many similar sorrows and evils. About this, the prophet prophesied, "they shall return from the land of the enemy," that Israel will merit to ascend to the Land of Israel from the lands of their enemies. But this is still not everything, for you have not yet reached rest and heritage, and only after a spiritual return to Torah and mitzvot, a return to our sources, to our glorious tradition, only then "there is hope for your future, and your children shall return to their borders." For when Israel does the will of Hashem, they are called "children" (Kiddushin 36a), and about this it is said, "your children shall return to their borders."

Now, what our sages said, "The passing of young men is as difficult as the destruction of the Holy Temple," they innovated for us, because in the destruction of the Temple there was relief and salvation for Israel, as through the destruction of the Temple, Israel was saved, as it is said, "A psalm of Asaph: O God, nations have entered Your inheritance." The reason it is called a "psalm" is because it is praise to Hashem who poured His wrath on wood and stones and not on the children of Israel themselves. Thus, from the destruction of the Temple, salvation sprouted for Israel. Nevertheless, Hashem weeps and mourns for the Temple and Sanctuary that were burned, as Hashem said, "Woe to Me that I destroyed My house and burned My sanctuary." Similarly, in the passing of Israel's young men, particularly those under twenty years of age, about whom the holy Zohar says that those who die before the age of twenty are placed in the hands of angels, and every Shabbat and Rosh Chodesh they are elevated to Hashem's presence, and Hashem blesses them, and when trouble comes to the world, Hashem looks at these precious young men and has mercy on the world.

And this is the matter of comparing the death of Israel's young men to the destruction of the Holy Temple, that here too, their death was not, God forbid, without benefit, because due to them Hashem forgives iniquity and passes over transgression for the remnant of His heritage, and these young men atone for the entire generation, and through them Hashem has mercy on the whole world, and deals with them with kindness and compassion. Nevertheless, do not think that if so, the death of the young men is not difficult in the eyes of Hashem, rather "Precious in the sight of Hashem is the death of His pious ones," and Hashem, as it were, is in pain from their death. And He will comfort us and comfort all of Israel, with the complete redemption and the resurrection of the dead, speedily in our days, Amen.

Daily Halacha: It is permissible and appropriate to perform a "Hashkava" (memorial service) and to mention the souls of IDF fallen soldiers, even those who are not Jewish, such as Druze soldiers, especially those who risked their lives for the benefit of all Israel.