Shomer Yisrael

Yesterday I had the honour to have shmira (guard duty)on our Yishuv for the first time since our arrival. The closest I had come to such work was being an usher at the BAYT. Shushing ardent talkers in shul I think is ultimately more dangerous work than guarding against terrorist infiltrations.
Several weeks ago the head of security on our yishuv took the new residents to a shooting range on a nearby army base to receive training on the use of an M16. After learning all about the various parts of the gun we each shot 10 rounds at a target located about 15 meters away from us (5 from a standing position and 5 from a kneeling position). While shooting it was difficult to see if and where you hit the target as the main thing you saw was puffs of dust going in the air from the dirt piles located directly behind the target. However we finished I was able to see that somehow almost all my shots were in a tight circle around the centre ring on the target. Maybe it was beginners luck. After having some time to reflect I felt a mixture of dread and empowerment knowing I now had the ability of taking a human life if, God forbid, the need arose. I also thought about the participants in the last mission to Israel from our shul in Toronto who went to the same shooting range to shoot rifles. To them it was just a fun activity to do between their visits to communities in Yesha but for me it was vital training necessary to defend my fellow residents.
Shortly after my training I received the monthly notification of my shmira duties. My first shmira was to be on Shabbat Chol Hamoed from 8:30 to 11am. My friend Yarden (with a Y) had the shift prior to mine but he was going to Efrat for Shabbat so I agreed to do his shift as well from 6am to 8:30am. Shmira can consist of 3 different duties -
1. Standing in the Boodka (the booth) located at the gate to the Yishuv and checking the people entering the yishuv including Arab workers.
2. Patroling the Yishuv which includes the perimeter and all the streets of the yishuv in the security vehicle. This duty is only done during the night (including Shabbat and Yom Tov) and is done together with another person.
3. Finally on Shabbat and Yom Tov a foot patrol is done in the yishuv during the daylight hours. From 8am until davening finishes this shomer stands outside the shul. This type of shmira is often done throughout shuls in Israel regardless of their location.
Now before I continue I will digress to talk about my views on the security situation in Israel. I have always believed that a person's death is not a function of their physical location but rather occurs at a time when God decides, regardless of where they live. Of course, prudence in conduct is necessary and under current conditions I would not go to Ramallah unescorted or jump out of an airplane without a parachute. I often tell the story of my trip to Israel in March 2003 immediately prior to the US invasion of Iraq. In Israel, all residents were given new gas masks but they were not yet issuing them to tourists upon their arrival at the airport. If they desired they could go to distribution centres to pick them up but I didn't bother as I was only going to be in Israel for a few days. As we now know, the masks were not needed Thank God , however upon my return to Toronto I was met with the sight of many Torontonians walking in the streets with masks on - due to the SARS outbreak.
Without diminishing the terrible pain that terrorism has caused to too many people in Israel and elsewhere, one of the "achievements" of terrorism is to create fear in society that outweighs the actual danger the society faces. Although far more people die from other causes (56 people were killed in Israel by terrorism in the last year) we worry much more about terrorism than other bad things that can happen to us. So despite the many tragedies in Israel over the course of the current intifada, we do not live in a state of continuous fear. We deeply mourn the loss of life by murderous evildoers but, far more importantly we celebrate life. Last night, a melave malka was held at the Tzomet (junction) where 3 precious young Jews were murdered on Sunday. Yonatan and I stopped there for a few minutes on our way to a movie in Jerusalem. There were hundreds of young people (and older ones) dancing and singing with joie de vivre and simchat Yom Tov on their faces.
but I digress,
I awake at 5:30am on Shabbat and the security Jeep stops in front of our house at 6am. They hand me a walkie-talkie and an M16 rifle. Although visitors to Israel quickly get used to seeing soldiers walking around with guns in the streets, for me it took longer to get used to seeing my neighbours walking around on Shabbat with these weapons. The incongruity between the peace of Shabbat and the beauty of the voices singing in prayer with the sight of the weapons of war was quite jarring. And here I was carrying these devices both of which one is not normally allowed to move on Shabbat. Yet regarding our obligation to perform mitzvot , the Torah states " we should live by them" , hence the dispensation to carry guns on Shabbat - to ensure our safety. Thank God, no enemy has ever attempted to enter our community, perhaps in part to their knowledge that we are willing and able to defend ourselves.
I spend most of the time outside the shul, greeting friends and neighbours as they arrive for shul, playfully asking some for their identity cards and patting them down for any concealed weapons. Although the gun is not too heavy, it does become a burden after a few hours. I am glad when it is time to pass the radio and gun on to the next person.
The task was not difficult but I do have a sense of pride in making a small contribution to the safety of Jews in Israel and, by extension, to Jews worldwide.