Wednesday, June 27, 2007

Shabbos in Vietnam - Shabbat with Aish

re: from the book "Loyal Soldier," the story of Hank Webb: "...When I woke up on Shabbos morning, I had to make one of the most important decisions of my life. I could go to work as usual, or I could risk a court martial for "disobeying a lawful order of a superior officer" -- in a time of war! I felt that I was standing at a crossroads, and I didn't know which road to take. True, it was a time of war. But even so, there had been a lull for weeks, except for one major firefight. It was really a time of relative peace and quiet. /In the end, I resolutely decided to observe this Shabbos, come what may. At the time, I couldn't say from where that incredible resolve stemmed. In retrospect, I believe God gave me the special strength I needed. I became determined to stand firm and not yield to the wishes of the colonel. /"I came here to fight for freedom," I thought to myself, "including the freedom of religion. Well, I have rights, too, and shouldn't I be able to practice my own religion? If not, then what am I putting my life at risk for?"..."...

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