* Translation by Yehoshua Siskin
Leading up to today’s Memorial Day, honoring those killed in battle and murdered in terrorist attacks, I received so many stories about those who fell, that it is impossible to encompass their scope.
Yet the following line from the Talmud is giving value to how we respond to any such loss:
“Tears shed for a worthy person are counted by God and stored in his treasury.”
Whoever weeps for our holy ones who perished must know that each tear is counted and preserved on high. There is value to our sadness and grief as they impact what goes on in heaven.
These are not tears of despair alone since they have lasting significance. Embedded in our souls, memories of the fallen spread light as we attach ourselves to their deeds and their character.
Our tears are not a sign of weakness but testify to the strength of our connection to what is good and what is holy. Our sadness obligates us to emerge from it with a commitment to illuminate the world with the memory of those who gave the ultimate sacrifice for our land, our nation, and our God.
In truth, the direction of our tears on Memorial Day is not downward, but upward.
