As we count the days from Pesach to Shavuos, we are not just marking time—we are preparing ourselves spiritually and emotionally to receive the Torah anew. This journey, known as Sefiras HaOmer, is meant to be one of growth and refinement. But it is also shadowed by the pain of the tragic deaths of 24,000 students of Rabbi Akiva, whose loss we commemorate during this period.

Chazal teach us that these students perished because they did not show proper respect for one another. This was not just a failure of etiquette—it was a failure of empathy. And all these years later, that message cries out to us today louder than ever before.

At Amudim, we hear the voices that too often go unheard. We see the pain of those who are struggling—victims of sexual abuse, individuals battling addiction, and those silently suffering with mental health challenges. These are our brothers and sisters, our children, our neighbors. And far too often, their cries are met not with support, but with silence.

The lesson of Rabbi Akiva’s students isn’t a relic of the past—it’s a living warning that is just as important today as it was centuries ago. When a community fails to care for one another with compassion and dignity, tragedy follows.

And yet despite Rabbi Akiva’s unfathomable loss, he didn’t give up. He started over—with just five students—and the entire transmission of Torah that we have today came from them. That’s resilience. That’s faith. And that’s the spirit we must channel this Shavuos.

Similarly, Matan Torah wasn’t just about receiving commandments—it was about becoming a nation defined by responsibility. The Torah tells us Vayichan sham Yisrael neged hahar —the people encamped at Har Sinai like one person with one heart. It was the unity and care for each other that made the Jewish nation worthy of receiving the Torah.

This Shavuos, let us recommit ourselves not just to Torah learning—but to living its values. To listening. To supporting. To standing up for the vulnerable. To ending the silence and stigma surrounding abuse, addiction, and mental health. Because when we fail to respect and care for one another, we repeat the mistakes of history. But when we come together, we can change the world—one person, one family, one soul at a time.

At Amudim, we believe that every person deserves to be seen, heard, and helped. That is our mission. That is our obligation. And that is our call to action this Yom Tov.

May this Shavuos be a time of healing, of unity, and of renewed purpose.
Chag Sameach.