I wrote this article a number of years ago. Sadly, throughout this year, we find ourselves once again in a very painful and frightening period of time.

In 2014, the beginning of the summer turned into a time of mourning and fear for the Jewish people. The abduction and brutal murder of three innocent young boys in Israel plunged all of klal Yisrael into mourning. While the country was still reeling from the tragedy, the piercing wails of air raid sirens began to fill the air, leading to a military conflict and much loss of life. Is there any way we can find meaning in the suffering of thousands of Jews?

The Kli Yakar in Parshas Eikev (D’varim 8:1) provides us with an incredible insight: One of the reasons that Hashem inflicts painful suffering on the Jewish people is to bring to light the true greatness that lies within them, to show the world the level of greatness that klal Yisrael is capable of attaining. Thus, the Torah (ibid.) states that Hashem led us into the midbar and brought hardships on us “in order to afflict you and to test you, to know what is in your heart, whether you will observe His mitzvos or not.” This pasuk tells us that the purpose of those trials was “l’nasoscha – to test you,” a term that is derived from the word neis, “a banner,” which would cause the entire world “to know” what lies within a Jewish heart. (When the Torah says that the purpose of the challenges was “to know what is in your heart,” it does not mean that the intent was for Hashem to know, but rather for the entire world to know.) Thus, Hashem’s goal was to demonstrate klal Yisrael’s true essence to the entire world, like a banner that is raised for everyone to see. And in order to trigger a demonstration of the Jewish people’s true colors, He subjected them to many challenging and extremely trying situations.

The families of the three kidnaped boys in Eretz Yisrael were subjected to one of the most unimaginable torments known to man – the loss of their sons, who were found brutally murdered after days of anguished searching. The bereaved parents’ reactions to their ordeal may well have been the epitome of kiddush Hashem, an idea that was expressed by Prime Minister Netanyahu in his eulogy for the boys: “The nation understood immediately the depth of the roots and your strength of spirit. You taught us all a full lesson that we will not forget: a lesson in faith and determination, in unity and sensitivity, in Judaism and humanity.”

These families heroically used their personal tragedy to teach the entire nation the meaning of emunah p’shutah. In a clip shown on Israeli television before the bitter truth of the three boys’ deaths became known, Mrs. Fraenkel, one of the three mothe outcome of the situation was the Kosel to promise her that they would never lose faith, no matter what the outcome of the situation was. “Hashem is not our employee,” she told them. “He doesn’t always do what we want.”

And then came the invasion of Gaza, and with it all the anguish and pain and difficulties that are part and parcel of living in a country at war. And yet, in the midst of the darkness of wartime, so many unexpected points of light began to shine. Reports poured in from soldiers stationed in the south about the unexpected acts of kindness of complete strangers, about care packages laden with every possible item those soldiers might need being shipped down to the battle front, about letters filled with good will pouring in from all over the country.

During this conflict, even the commander of the IDF’s Givati Brigade, who is known as Israel’s foremost tactical expert in this type of ground assault, sent a written order to his soldiers before they went into battle, calling on them to pray to Hashem.

This eis tzarah, this time of danger and sorrow, brought to light so much of the goodness and compassion latent within the Jewish people. It showed the true essence of klal Yisrael, the depths of kindness and nobility of spirit of which the Jewish people are capable. But most of all, it lifted all of us to a new level, which will be an everlasting z’chus for those who gave their lives al kiddush Hashem.

By Rabbi Shraga Freedman