This week, 49 years ago, the Yom Kippur War broke out.\u00a0 A moment before the IDF forces went up to capture the Hermon Outpost, the Syrians made a surprising move surprising the commanders.\u00a0 Rabbi Grossman remembered that fateful day, saying:<\/p>\n
\u201cI stood facing the mountain, wearing a helmet.\u00a0 These were the days of the Yom Kippur War.\u00a0 The late Professor Zohar, a senior IDF commander,\u00a0 had approached me a few days earlier, and told me that a number of attempts had been made to take control of the Mount Hermon Outpost, but had yet to succeed.<\/p>\n
With the outbreak of the Yom Kippur War, the Golan Heights and Mount Hermon were captured by Syria.\u00a0 During the days of the war, the IDF succeeded in ousting Syria from all of the areas conquered at the beginning of the war, with the exception of the Hermon Outpost.<\/p>\n
At that time, the U.S. pressured Israel for a cease fire.\u00a0 It was clear that if they didn\u2019t recapture the mountain, it may remain in the hands of Syria, leaving Israel in a weak position.\u00a0 Consequently, the Government made a decision to recapture the Outpost and Zohar asked me to come to encourage the soldiers before they set off for battle.\u00a0 I agreed and came.<\/p>\n
This was on Sunday, the 25th<\/sup> of Tishrei, 5734, at nightfall.\u00a0 The soldiers were alert and tense.\u00a0 A makeshift stage was prepared for me, where I was supposed to say a few words.<\/p>\n However, something went wrong with the original plan:\u00a0 A group of entertainers who were making the rounds to raise the spirits of the soldiers, arrived. Zohar approached me and apologized, and asked my permission for them to perform before me, because they were in a hurry to continue on their way.\u00a0 I agreed and sat at the side.<\/p>\n The comedian, Gadi Yagil, came on stage and suddenly saw me in the audience.\u00a0 He turned to me to apologize and said to the thousands of soldiers:\u00a0 \u201cI can\u2019t begin.\u00a0 Rabbi Grossman is sitting here.\u00a0 I can\u2019t tell you my jokes in front of him,\u201d so he turned to me, took out a small book of Tehillim from his pocket and said:\u00a0 \u201cHonored Rabbi, please take my book of Tehillim and move to the side until I finish my work.\u00a0 I can\u2019t work like this.\u201d<\/p>\n I stood up and said to him:\u00a0 \u201cLet\u2019s work together.\u00a0 Yagil was shocked and invited me on stage.\u00a0 I went on stage and began to sing words that I made up on the spot in a well-known Israeli melody: \u201cOn Yom Kippur, the enemies entered and disturbed the prayer, this shall be an atonement for all of the Jewish People.\u201d<\/p>\n The soldiers were inspired and began to sing with me.\u00a0 I showed them they could be guided by their singing, against Syria:\u00a0 \u201cShall be an atonement, be an atonement, be an atonement, for all of the Jewish People.\u201d<\/p>\n I took advantage of these critical moments, which lasted longer than planned, and asked them a rhetorical question:\u00a0 What do you want to do at this moment \u2013 hear jokes, or shout Shema Yisrael?<\/p>\n This shout surrounded the entrances of Mount Hermon, and probably the Syrians who were on the mountain at that time heard as well.\u00a0 The soldiers shouted in unison:\u00a0 Shema Yisrael<\/em>.<\/p>\n Then everyone stood, and the soldiers covered their heads with their berets, and recited:\u00a0 Shema Yisrael, the Lord our God is one<\/em>; and God is the Lord<\/em> \u2013 just as we say at the end of the Neila service of Yom Kippur.\u201d<\/p>\n There was great excitement, we were not able to finish all the verses, and the signal was given to climb the mountain.\u00a0 The area immediately became a battlefield.\u00a0 The jeep that rescued me from there, extracted me from the fire and pillars of smoke.<\/p>\n 40 years later, I met with Mr. Shimon Shevas, the director of the late Prime Minister Yitzchak Rabin\u2019s Office, who told me:\u00a0 \u201cI am dedicating a chapter to you in my biography that I am currently writing.\u201d<\/p>\n