In a previous Dvar Torah, we dealt with an evil hero, Ahab, king of Israel (i.e., the northern kingdom, following the secession of ten tribes from the House of David), the thrice described most-evil of the kings of Israel, each of whom was evil. [I Kings16:30,33; 21:25]. Yet, our Sages teach [Babylonian Talmud, Moed Katan 28b; Sanhedrin 104b] that due to the one good thing he did, Ahab merited a place in the World to Come. In battle against Aram, Ahab was mortally wounded, yet he refused to be evacuated for medical treatment and stood fast in his chariot, literally bleeding to death to prevent demoralizing his soldiers.



What an amazing practical lesson our Sages teach: Ahab's love and devotion to the Land of Israel did not turn him into a righteous man, but they were factors which God took into consideration on his behalf and to his credit. Ultimately, these were the decisive factors in earning Ahab his place in the World to Come.



The contemporary message is blatant: there is no soldier in the Israel Defense Forces today who approaches the depths of King Ahab's spiritual level, even the most anti-religious and anti-Torah soldier. If the evil Ahab merited the World to Come by virtue of his love of and dedication to the Land of Israel, it is an absolute certainty that every soldier serving in the I.D.F. has secured his/her place in the World to Come. (David Magence)



Shabbat Shalom

The Va’ad