Historic Moment

"Who knows 12? I know 12!" These words are from a rendition at the end of the Pesach Seder. The traditional response to this question is, "12 are the tribes of Israel." After the events of recent days, it appears that this question of "Who knows 12 ?" may have another answer. The most recent war that Israel waged with Iran is being called the "12-day war." There are so many layers and perspectives to unpack it's hard to know where to begin. The most severe consequence was the 28 fatalities as Iran fired about 550 missiles indiscriminately towards civilians in major population centers. They targeted a Soroka Hospital in Be'er Sheva, which sustained significant damage. Every life lost is a tragedy that will permanently affect all the families of the victims. That being said, it's important to note how much worse the consequences were predicted to be. Each missile carried a warhead of at least a few hundred pounds and upwards to nearly two thousand pounds. Most of the missiles were intercepted by Israeli and American air defenses at an interception rate of around 90 percent. At least 31 ballistic missile impacts were reported in populated areas or critical infrastructure sites, including a power station in southern Israel and an oil refinery in Haifa. It's important to note that each missile could have killed hundreds or even thousands of people. The protective shield over Israel was felt both in the physical and spiritual realms. More importantly, it appears that the nuclear threat from Iran has been severely downgraded. The notion of Iran possessing nuclear weapons, combined with their regime's repeated declaration to destroy the State of Israel, was an existential threat to the lives of over seven million Jews. There is a large public area in Tehran called Palestine Square that had a clock that was counting down the time to the destruction of Israel. (This clock was taken down in an airstrike by the Israeli Air Force.) This should reinforce the understanding that the nature of the threat was from the regime in Tehran. We are filled with gratitude to G-d for giving the IDF the strength, fortitude, and courage to significantly reduce, if not eliminate, coming from this menacing regime. We are also filled with gratitude to President Trump and the United States for the historic action of dropping multiple bunker-busting bombs on multiple nuclear facilities in Iran. It is not an exaggeration to state that this action may have very well prevented a future Holocaust. As a community of faith, we continue to be forever grateful to G-d for being the ultimate Guardian of Israel, protecting His people in the sacred territory on this planet. Have a Peaceful Shabbos, Rabbi Yaakov Fisch