The delicacy of faith is more noticeable in times of crisis. We expect, or hope, that our beliefs will always survive life’s turbulence unscathed—that we are “strong enough” to survive unscathed. But when crisis strikes, things often play out differently.
October 7 and the ongoing war, trapped hostages, and active threats are some of the most, if not the most, severe existential crises this generation of Jews has faced. It was inevitable that it would impact our faith.
This reading list features several essays from Tradition’s Yom Kippur War series published just before October 7. Each one was selected in hopes of guiding, and perhaps comforting, those trying to carry their faith through these difficult times, no matter how difficult the carry might be.
“Faith, Responsibility, and Suffering: Rav Amital’s Response to the Yom Kippur War”
By Yehuda Mirsky
Rav Amital is driven to strive for truth “from his own searing encounters with the truths of his time, of his students’ lives, and their deaths.”
“Point-Blank Prayer: On Haim Sabato’s Adjusting Sights”
By Jeffrey Saks
Rabbi Haim Sabato’s literary masterpiece Adjusting Sights is a treatment for Israelis’ social and personal reality in a time of devastation.
“A Torah of Trauma: Rav Shagar and the Yom Kippur War”
By Zachary Truboff
Perhaps faith can make space for trauma and embrace a life of light with shades of darkness.
