Nothing Short of a Miracle

On Passover Eve we had to make the decision to brave the roads to share our holiday with our family, or to stay home alone. We decided to have faith and go, even though I read that Iran was planning to carpet bomb Israel to destroy the holiday for the Jewish people. I fully expected to spend much of the holiday in the bomb shelter.

We sped down the highway, hoping to avoid bomb alerts on the relatively empty road, and arrived safely at my daughter’s house in Elkanah. The table was already beautifully set, and her children and grandchildren had arrived. About fifteen minutes later, the bomb alerts began, one after the other, three in a row. I wondered if we’d even be able to sit down for the Seder at all.

And then, miraculously, the bomb alerts stopped. There was not a single one the entire Seder or the entire following day, except for one at 2 AM. It was almost miraculous.

The Passover Haggadah, created in the 2-4^th century BCE, has had the same words for over a thousand years. But somehow, each year it is always relatable, because ever since the fall of our Temple this has been the condition of the Jewish people. “He has stood up for our forefathers and for us, because not one enemy has sought to destroy us, but in every generation they rise up to annihilate us, and our God, Blessed be His Name, saves us from their hands.”

Ever since October 7, even the most assimilated Jew has felt the truth of these ancient words. We are all in such a fragile emotional state, with the constant fear of the bombs and rockets from so many directions. Yet, we bond with each other, take joy in our infants and toddlers, and forget the outside world inside the cocoon of our ancient Jewish rituals which have sustained us through thousands of years of this kind of causeless hatred.

We have each other. I have only pity and contempt for those Jews who insist on distancing themselves from their own history and community in the desperate and foolish hope it will somehow give them a dispensation from Jew-hatred. As ever, disappointment and isolation will be their fate. This we know from history.

It is for that reason I was so grateful for President Trump’s Passover message this year: “To our wonderful Jewish American community, and to Jews celebrating in Israel and around the world this week, I want to wish you a very happy Passover. Over 3,000 years ago, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob delivered the ancient Israelites out of slavery, and brought them into the Promised Land. It was an amazing period of time, just like today we have an amazing period of time. The journey started with faith in God’s word, and it ended with a miraculous march through the Red Sea, and an astounding exodus out of Egypt. The world has never been the same. This week we recall this ancient proof of God’s faithfulness, and are reminded that with true faith, eternal hope, and the power of prayer, nothing can stop the people of God.

“As Jewish families and loved ones gather together for Seder dinner, we ask that God will continue to watch over the Jewish people, and that He may continue to preserve and protect the United States of America for generations to come.”

Thank you Mr. President!

Probably by now most of you have seen the hilarious video in which an enthusiastic member of the “No Kings” rally is asked how she feels about Trump wanting to save the Straits (which sounds like ‘straights’ when spoken) of Hormuz, leaving the “Gays” of Hormuz behind. The very articulate idiot responds with passion about this “unfairness,” her heart bleeding for the poor discriminated against Gays of Hormuz.

Funny, but also deeply worrying, as explained in this Instagram post by philosophyminis:

“It is said that debating an idiot is like playing chess with a pigeon. They’ll knock over the pieces, they’ll crap on the board and fly back to their flock and claim victory. According to theologian Deitrich Bonhoeffer stupidity is far more worrying than evil. The liars, cheaters, murderers and rapists are not the greatest threat. Because once something is known to be evil, the world can rally to fight against it.

Stupidity, though, is a different problem… because as a society we are much more tolerant of it and do not take it seriously. We do not attack somebody for not knowing a thing… Like a pigeon playing chess, a stupid person is not open to either reason or debate… Stupidity, is therefore, much more dangerous because it is a weapon that evil people can often use. Because evil people find it hard to take power themselves, they will need stupid people to do their work for them. A stupid person can be guided, steered and manipulated to do any number of things, and history teaches us that stupidity does not mean you cannot be powerful.

“Evil is a puppet master, and it loves nothing so much as a powerful idiot.”

Remember this when you see the hundreds and thousands rallying in the streets for causes they neither comprehend or believe in, in order to exert power over the rest of us.

Even with faith, and hope, and courage, these are difficult times.

A relative, a soldier, had his arm smashed by a Hezbollah rocket in Lebanon. My grandson and his wife returned from the hospital with a newborn and were prevented by constant bomb alerts from traveling to her parents for the Seder, instead spending it alone in their apartment. Fortunately, his Dad brought them food. Young parents, prevented from straying too far from bomb shelters in places like Jerusalem, are going stir crazy without respites in the playgrounds and parks.

But we are going through a tunnel. We have no place to get off and rest. And we are very, very proud of our soldiers who never fail to amaze us with their skill and courage. We are very proud that Israel was deeply involved in the rescue of the downed American pilot and navigator from deep inside Iran, a real Mission Impossible.

All of us wish for this to be over. For our dear soldiers to return home. For our little ones to be back in the parks and playgrounds.

The truth is, victory will be hard won. Iran still has half its missiles and launchers hidden deep within impenetrable granite mountains. It hides launchers under road tunnels. They are the stupidly evil who are the most dangerous foes of all.

Hezbollah continues to shoot a seemingly endless supply of rockets, putting our northern communities under constant threat. Our soldiers are forced to go house to house to find terrorists and weaponry… The end to this conflict seems like it will take nothing short of a miracle.

Luckily, I believe in the God of Israel. I believe in miracles.

Happy Passover!

---