Friday, June
13, may be a turning point in history.
Nearly 20 years ago, I heard a respected Israeli analyst say, “This is the year Israel will attack Iran.” The wait is finally over. Israel doesn’t want war, but when an enemy like Iran threatens destruction – and is progressing in their ability to accomplish that, they must be taken at their word. And Israel is now responding.
National Security Adviser Tzachi Hanegbi specified that the goals of the ongoing operation against Iran are four-fold: striking Iran’s nuclear program; striking its ballistic missile capabilities; attacking its capacity to destroy Israel via a ground attack; and creating the conditions for the long-term thwarting of Iran’s nuclear program via diplomatic means.
My friend Matti Friedman, an amazing writer and thoughtful commentator, made a powerful point about what he, the State of Israel, and all of us experienced as Israel launched its attack.
“After waking up my children, hustling them blearily into the safe room, and checking my phone, I saw that the siren indicated not that we were being attacked — but that we were attacking. The army’s Home Front Command warned us to stay close to shelter. After a decade and a half of news reports that Israel was about to attack the Iranian nuclear program, after years of Iranian obfuscation, Israeli indecisiveness, and American fecklessness, the Israeli air force was actually striking in Natanz and Tehran.”
We have grown accustomed to the sirens in Israel warning of rockets from Gaza or Houthi missiles from Yemen. In the US, we get alerts about them on our phones, and Israelis, having grown all too familiar with them, need to be reminded to take them seriously and follow Home Front Command instructions. Now, the siren has a new message: a call to bold, purposeful, and, please God, effective action.
This week, we read about powerful sounds, the blasts of the chatzotztrot – the trumpets in the Mishkan.
וְכִי־תָבֹאוּ מִלְחָמָה בְּאַרְצְכֶם עַל־הַצַּר הַצֹּרֵר אֶתְכֶם וַהֲרֵעֹתֶם בַּחֲצֹצְרֹת וְנִזְכַּרְתֶּם לִפְנֵי ה' אֱ-לֹהֵיכֶם וְנוֹשַׁעְתֶּם מֵאֹיְבֵיכֶם. וּבְיוֹם שִׂמְחַתְכֶם וּבְמוֹעֲדֵיכֶם וּבְרָאשֵׁי חׇדְשֵׁיכֶם וּתְקַעְתֶּם בַּחֲצֹצְרֹת עַל עֹלֹתֵיכֶם וְעַל זִבְחֵי שַׁלְמֵיכֶם וְהָיוּ לָכֶם לְזִכָּרוֹן לִפְנֵי אֱ-לֹהֵיכֶם אֲנִי ה' אֱ-לֹהֵיכֶם׃
“When you are at war in your land against an aggressor who attacks you, you shall sound short blasts on the trumpets, that you may be remembered before the Lord your God and be delivered from your enemies. And on your joyous occasions - your fixed festivals and Rosh Chodesh days, you shall sound the trumpets over your burnt offerings and your sacrifices of well-being. They shall be a reminder of you before your God: I am the Lord, your God.” (Bamidbar 10:9-10)
These trumpets were sounded both in times of war and during times of joy. The same instrument and the same sound heralded two very different experiences. The common denominator is that, always, the Jews remain connected – to each other and to God.
These last 19 months have been horrific. At the same time, we have never seen the Jewish people display so much strength. Right now, we are experiencing fear and trepidation along with optimism and jubilation. We are hearing the same siren call out a new message. We hear the eternal reverberations of the chatzotzrot calling us to war while also encouraging us towards victory.
Rabbi Yosef Zvi Rimon, a Jewish hero, wrote the following message in advance of Shabbat in Israel:
“We are living through a time of war, a difficult time in which there have been many killed in action, wounded, and kidnapped hostages, who will, God willing, return soon. At the same time, we are also in a special and exalted time. For thousands of years, our enemies attacked us, and we could not respond. Thank God, we are now privileged to have a state, we are privileged to have an army, and we are privileged to be part of extraordinary people.
Thousands of years ago, our enemies wanted to harm us in Persia. By God's grace, we were granted the miracle of Purim in which the people of Israel gathered together and stood up for themselves. Now, thousands of years later, we find ourselves in a similar reality. Our enemies rise up against us to destroy us, but thank God, today we are in the Land of Israel and not in Persia. Today we have a state and an army. After so many years without any capability or agency, we have the privilege to wage a necessary war, a mitzvah, to attack a country that threatens the entire world. We are living in historic times, in a time of redemption.
Amidst the physical challenges we face, our parsha teaches us that we must pray, cry out, repent, and do good deeds…so that we will, please God, win the war and reach even greater heights in unity, faith, and the redemption of Israel.”
It feels a lot like Charles Dickens wrote, "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.”
As Israel faces yet another battle in a very fraught and challenging time for Jews everywhere, we have faith – and take actions – that we may be on the cusp of our finest hour.
What is our job? It need not be that complicated or dramatic. Pray, stay positive, help make someone else better, support Israel, assist IDF soldiers, and find ways to maintain Jewish solidarity.
Rachel Sharansky Danziger, an Israeli writer and educator, was on an airplane 10 minutes from landing in Israel when her flight was abruptly rerouted to Cypress. I think she accurately captures the sense of uncertainty coupled with strength, resilience, and hope that we all feel at this time.
“I have no idea how long I will be on this island. I miss my family, and I desperately want to be with them, to be home. But here in Cyprus, surrounded though I am by people who used to be strangers, none of us is an island. I am surrounded by my people, and they are family too. We are in it together, wherever we are. May we all be safe, and strong, and successful. Am Israel Chai.”
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