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Will there be an imminent and expanded war in Israel right now?

Thursday, August 15, 2024 - 5:19 PM

My family and I are scheduled to travel to Israel this month, but the other day my six-year-old son turned to me and said “I don’t want to go to Israel.” When I pressed him for a reason, he said, “Because there is a war going on there.”

I was so surprised. How does he know?!

For the last 10 days, every morning we wake up to the headlines:

“American intelligence indicates there will be an imminent attack from Iran and its proxies.”

“US intelligence estimates that Iran has shelved its attack.”

“Mossad says the attack is back on.”

“Attack coming, but limited.”

“Iran will attack through Hezbollah.”

“Attack on hold for hostage negotiations, US says.”

It’s nerve-wracking for us, how much more so for Israelis who are truly living on the edge! The constant back and forth, will there be an attack or no attack? When? What can we do? We can’t keep living like this! It’s exhausting.

A Major in the IDF once told me that only a fool will tell you “War is not imminent,” and only a fool will tell you “War is about to break out.”

Absolutely nobody knows what will happen—not the chief of staff, not the defense minister, and not the prime minister. Not even the Iranians or the ayatollahs! The Middle East is such a volatile place; things change so rapidly that we simply know nothing. Any tiny episode can ignite the region in flames in seconds.

So, how do we continue living in such anxiety-ridden times? As it is, we Jews are anxious people!

Although it may seem counterintuitive, it is precisely at times like these that we give ourselves over to the Almighty G-d and tell Him, “We don’t have the answers, we don’t know what will be, but You do and we place our trust and our lives in Your hands!”

The only One who knows precisely what will happen, when, and how, is G-d. The world runs according to his schedule precisely!

Facing such tremendous uncertainty, we turn to the only thing that is true and solid in this world: Torah and mitzvot. By studying Torah and committing to the mitzvot, we fortify ourselves the best way we know how.

So while we may not know whether there will be another war in Israel now, we do know—without a shadow of doubt—that G-d will protect us as He has done for so many years!

And so I responded to my six-year-old son: “Of course we are going to Israel. Israel is the safest place on planet Earth—G-d keeps His eyes on the Land year-round. Unless, of course, the airline cancels, in which case we won’t be able to fly.

Bar Mitzvah at the Amalfi Coast

Friday, August 9, 2024 - 9:41 AM

A couple of weeks ago, my wife and I embarked on a quick three-day getaway to the breathtakingly beautiful island of Capri, in the south of Italy. We spent one day touring the incredible Amalfi Coast, setting out on a hike that would take us to the famed “Path of God”—

an immensely popular mountain trail about 4.34 miles long, at the dizzying height of 2065ft above sea level. The views were indeed heavenly, but the heat was sweltering, with temperatures soaring to over 100 degrees.

As we hiked, I couldn't help but feel a sense of awe at Hashem's incredible creation. The scenery was like nothing I had ever seen before. Along the way, I met fellow hikers and asked them how much farther we had to go. Each person encouraged me, saying we still had hours to go, but the views would be well worth it. As we hiked, I started conversations with every passerby. We met tourists from every part of the world. Australians, Europeans, Americans, Africans, Asians—you name it, they were there. We had some great conversations, but alas, nobody was Jewish.

As I always do when traveling, I carried my tefillin in my backpack, along with water and other essentials. It's a habit I've developed over the years, because what could be greater than meeting a fellow Jew and doing a mitzvah together?

As we climbed higher, we met a fellow hiker named Mike. He told me he was from Italy, and when I asked if he was Jewish, he said no. Further probing uncovered that his mother was in fact Jewish and Ukrainian, making Mike Jewish too!

I couldn't believe the coincidence. I whipped out my tefillin and asked Mike if he had ever put them on before. He said no, so I offered to perform a belated bar mitzvah ceremony for him right there on the mountain! We recited the Shema together, and I wrapped the tefillin around his arm. He was so excited to perform this mitzvah in the sweltering heat amid stunning views! As we danced and took a selfie together, it was impossible to ignore the stunning Italian peninsula in the background.

Little did we know that this very place had a complex history. In 1541, the Jewish community was banished from the kingdom of Naples. Yet, here we were, two Jews, standing on the Path of God, performing a bar mitzvah ceremony, proudly and publicly celebrating our heritage in a place where Jews were once forbidden.

I found it ironic that the hike we were on was called the Path of God. Indeed it truly is the path of G-d—or rather, the path to G-d, where the spark of Judaism was ignited in Mike’s neshama.

The encounter with Mike taught me a valuable lesson: As Jews, it does not matter where we are from. Whether we’re Italian, French, Russian, Ukrainian, American, African or Asian, once we find the common connection of our souls we see that we are all brothers and sisters.

We are currently in the 9 days of mourning, when our main focus needs to be on uncovering the common denominator that we all share, to realize that at our core we share a deep soul connection.

As I reflect on my unforgettable experience, I realize that our chance encounter on the Path of God was more than just a coincidence. It was a reminder that our traditions and beliefs can bring us together in the most beautiful and unexpected ways. So, let us embrace our differences, celebrate our shared humanity, and never miss an opportunity to connect with others and make a positive impact on the world around us.

How Can We Help Israel?

Thursday, August 1, 2024 - 2:13 PM

Today is a tense day. Israel has shown remarkable courage by striking Yemen, Lebanon, and now the heart of Tehran, and our enemies are furious. Hezbollah has just announced that we have entered a new stage of the war. Hamas has called for a day of intense rage. Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has authorized a direct attack on Israel in response to Haniyeh's assassination. Intelligence indicators from Iran suggest they will launch hundreds of ballistic missiles and drones at Israel, a larger strike than the one they unleashed in April. Iran, Hezbollah, Iraqi militias, and Yemen will likely try to saturate the air defense and draw blood for Hamas. Israel and the US have been in ongoing talks throughout the day, planning for a possible multi-front attack.

The Chief Rabbis of Israel have issued special instructions for this coming Shabbat, such as what to do if a siren sounds during the Amidah, whether or not to go to shul for a minyan, and instructions for leaving a radio on in the background throughout Shabbat.

United, Delta, and other airlines have canceled their flights. The American embassy is warning against traveling to northern Israel.

Our enemies are more determined than ever to destroy us—not just in Israel, but all over the globe. In NY, London, Paris, Johannesburg, Sydney—everywhere there are Jews, tensions are heightened and displays of violent antisemitism have become bolder and louder. The National Security Council recommends reconsidering all travel abroad and avoiding outward displays of Jewish and Israeli identities, citing threats from Iran, Hamas, and Hezbollah.

So, what can we do?

The truth is that our enemies are stronger than us, more numerous, and better armed. We are a tiny nation, only 0.2 percent of the world’s population. Our enemies outnumber us by far!

But we have a secret weapon: our dear Father in Heaven, Almighty G-d. Hashem has been with us for 4,000 years, through threats and persecutions. We have not only survived, but flourished, and we are still here. That's why we have nothing to fear. G-d is in control, and we are His beloved children. So there is no reason to be nervous and absolutely no cause for panic! We should all remain calm and place our trust in Hashem.

What can we do practically? Do a good deed, help a neighbor, give charity, put on tefillin, light Shabbat candles, and keep kosher. Do it for yourself, your friend, and the world. The power of a mitzvah is infinite and reverberates throughout the universe. Your mitzvah today can destroy the weapons of our enemies!

L’chaim to a peaceful Shabbat!