Omer Shem-Tov's Gaza Captivity Offers Rosh Hashanah Lessons

Rabbi Lior Lavi draws parallels between his reserve duty experience and the insights from Omer Shem-Tov's new book, "Meeting Myself in Hell," to explore themes relevant to Rosh Hashanah. Lavi reflects on the difficult transition back to civilian life after military service, noting that adapting to change takes time. He finds Shem-Tov's account of his captivity in Gaza particularly resonant in this context, offering a powerful perspective for the new year.

Shem-Tov's book begins with a comparison between a Tibetan Buddhist dark retreat and the "Omer period" between Passover and Shavuot. While Tibetan monks seek to escape the world, the Hebrew tradition emphasizes living a divine life within the world. Shem-Tov then describes the profound darkness and disorientation he experienced in the Gaza tunnels, losing his sense of time and questioning his own reality.

During his captivity, Shem-Tov recounts a pivotal moment where he surrendered himself to God, after which he felt a sense of warmth and light. He felt connected to his mother's prayers, reading the same Psalms she was reciting back home. This experience of finding light within darkness is a central theme he explores.

Rabbi Lavi connects Shem-Tov's story to a Midrash stating that Joseph was freed from prison on Rosh Hashanah, referencing Psalm 81 which links the shofar's call to Rosh Hashanah with Joseph's release. The blowing of the shofar on Rosh Hashanah, a "day of shouting," is understood by comparing it to the Jubilee year's "blast of the shofar," signifying freedom. The ultimate meaning of the shofar, according to Rabbi Uziel Kalkheim, is not musical but a call to return to one's true self through repentance and purification.

Shem-Tov's journey into the "hell" of the Gaza tunnels and his subsequent emergence with his fellow captives demonstrate that there is "light at the end of the tunnel," offering a message of hope and redemption for the new year.