Tuesday in Israel and a Call to Have Faith

It's Tuesday in my tiny, little country. Tonight we start the beginning of the end...of Pesach. It is unusual to have rain at this time and yet a steady, gentle rain falls outside my windows.

I can't say it is unusual to be at war anymore. The war began on October 7. For not a single day since then have we known peace. Even during the temporary ceasefires with Gaza, we were tortured by the knowledge that our hostages were still in Gaza, still suffering, still being tortured and starved.

All that could be brought home alive and all those who were murdered in Gaza (or murdered in Israel and pulled into Gaza), are home. October 7 ended, but the war did not.
Hezbollah and now Iran and the Houthis of Yemen continue to bombard us with missiles and attack drones, sometimes separately, often all together. Each is an attack against civilians. This morning, they managed to hit four places...cars and roads. The land is taking the impact, sparing our people who shelter in bomb shelters.

The media is portraying Trump as a military extremist threatening to wipe out Iran's nuclear and power plants and bridges. And Iran, Iran gets a free pass, though they are trying to wipe out my country.
We are the extremists breaking international law...morons....idiots... ignoramuses the likes of which we have rarely seen.

 
Look. For God's sake, open your eyes and look at what our TARGETS are. They have killed our civilians, we have taken out their top leadership - military, intelligence, religious madmen who preach death and martyrdom. What is wrong with YOU? Not them, YOU?
Why can't you see?

 
The truth, I no longer blame you. I have decided your stupidity is divinely inspired. There was a reason why God wanted Pharoah to hold the Israelites (do you see the name - Israelites...the people of Israel...the LAND of Israel?). It was part of God's plan and in hardening Pharoah's heart, what was accomplished? Well, yes, the Jews suffered a bit longer but both the Egyptians and the Israelites learned a lesson.

In their case, they learned, as Iran soon will, that hell will freeze over before you can claim victory. Your world will be destroyed before you harm God's people.

In our case, we learned to have faith. To walk blindly behind Hashem knowing, even if it takes 40 years, even if we are at war for more than two years, He will bring us home. And it taught us to be a people, to unite and walk through the wilderness together.

And so, tonight, we continue that journey. For those of us who do not use electricity on Israel's holy days, we will go blindly into the holiday. We will know if there is a siren; we will keep our telephones pointed to Israel's silent radio station and we can hear the call to go in and out of the shelters. But we will be blind to what is happening in Iran and even to other parts of Israel. That too is part of our trust.

When our enemies brutally attack us, with tears I tell you that I would rather live in a land that mourns the murder of a mother and her two daughters, or the death of a pregnant woman in labor, than be part of a nation, a people, a religion that glorifies death and hate.

I feel like standing on my balcony and soaking in the rain but I have to get back to cooking. Amidst all this insanity, my daughter and her beautiful family will come stay with us tonight. Most of her children will sleep in the bomb shelter. And tomorrow night...after more than 30 years in Israel, I will, OMG, be hosting my very first mimouna.

I'll explain what that is another time, or someone can explain in the comments. No, I have no idea how to make the things...mufleta? that need to be made...I offer my kitchen (are you insane???) to cook all that leavened stuff (I am insane).

Wishing you, my people, a chag samayah...even in these times, let it come in joy.

And to you, the world, the idiots, the morons and the ignoramuses, I wish you enlightenment. I wish you the ability to see that in this little tiny land we carry the blood and the strength of our ancient people. We will step blindly into the sea, knowing that we will emerge safe and dry and home.
Am Yisrael Chai.

(Picture courtesy of Chabad.org)