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Here in Eretz Yisrael, we are seeing many events unfold without fully understanding what we’re seeing—political messes (well, that’s not new), massive call-ups of reserves, and President Trump sending mixed messages about the war. Baruch Hashem, a hostage, Idan Alexander, was released by Hamas this week. We hope the rest will be released soon! And it happened… because President Trump waved his hand? What about the others? There is a lack of clarity in the situation; the picture is definitely unclear.

There’s a powerful connection between the beginning and end of our double parshah, Acharei Mos–Kedoshim. While they’re not always read together, even when separate, they remain deeply connected.

Imagine a teenager lying on a grassy field, gazing into the night sky. As he stares up at the stars, he thinks to himself, “Look at how enormous the universe is. The sky just expands endlessly... It must go on forever.” After sitting with that thought for a few moments, he becomes uncomfortable. “How can anything go on forever? Everything must stop eventually.”

In our previous article, we began exploring the nature of lashon hara and the unique nature of speech in general. Speech holds the power to create relationships, lift people up, expand people’s minds, and enable genuine communication and connection.

Last week, Israel celebrated the 77^th anniversary of its independence. Despite the many challenges we face, there is still cause to celebrate the miracles. However, our achievements came at a price. On the day before Yom HaAtzmaut – Independence Day – we observe Yom HaZikaron – Memorial Day. In Israel, it is a solemn occasion, where we remember those who have fallen to make the return of the Jewish people to the land G-d promised us possible. It is impossible to fully grasp the magnitude of our loss, but it helps to reflect on the lives of those who made the ultimate sacrifice for the people, the Torah, and the Land of Israel.

These parshios deal with the topic of tzara’as, leprosy. According to the Rambam, tzara’as was a spiritual leprosy, not the kind that exists today. It was a type with special halachos of tumah and taharah. In other words, it was miraculous, and it is important for us to notice and pay attention to Hashem’s great ways.