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Impossible Situation

It started with a terrorist attack on Shmini Atzeres—which, in Israel, is also Simchas Torah. Israel was caught off guard. Over 1,300 Jews were killed and over 150 taken hostage. When it regained its balance, Netanyahu announced that Israel would invade Gaza, get the hostages back and wipe out Hamas completely, once and for all.

When thinking it through it was realized that this not so simple for two reasons:

• The civilian population of Gaza, about 2 million people, had to be removed so that they could not be used as human shields by Hamas who would try to hide among them and even disguise themselves as civilians—standard practice by Hamas.
• There are tunnels underground covering about 300 miles where the terrorists hide and operate out of and where the hostages could be held. How can we find them?

Israel was aware of all this and kept saying that it would be an extremely difficult war. They started by bombing military locations in Gaza from the air, targeting Hamas leaders. Meanwhile the terrorists in Lebanon shot missiles from Lebanon into northern Israel from time to time…

The analysts and commentators began considering what would happen if this developed into a 3-front war with Hezbollah and Syria joining in…and Iran threatened that it would “get involved” if Israel entered Gaza. The Analysts suggested that it could lead to World War III.

It was an impossible situation for Israel.

But this was not the first time that the Jewish people were faced with an impossible situation. A similar thing happened around 3500 years ago. It was announced that the time of the Geulah had arrived, a series of miracles and wonders followed and on 15 Nisan the Geulah happened (celebrated every year as the Pesach holiday). For several days the Jews marched happily towards the Red Sea. Suddenly, when they reached the Red Sea, they realized that the entire Egyptian army had caught up with them. They were trapped between the Red Sea and the Egyptian army! There was no way out. It was an impossible situation! Some of the Jew wanted to give up—go back to Egypt and become slaves again, or even kill themselves by jumping into the sea.

What was their leader’s response to their fear? Moshe Rabbeinu said to them: “Don’t be afraid. Just watch how Hashem is going to save you…Hashem will fight the war for you, and you stay quiet.” And Hashem’s response to Moshe? “Tell the Children of Israel to just keep going.” You know what happened next—one of the biggest miracles of all time. Nachshon walked right into the sea until the water was up to his nostrils—and the Red Sea split.

We are in the same position now. The Rebbe Melech HaMoshiach told us that the time of the Geulah has arrived. Many miracles have happened. Now we are faced with an impossible situation… But Moshe Rebbeinu’s instruction, recorded in the Torah for all time, remains the same: “Hashem will fight the war for you, and you stay quiet.”

The prophets have promised us that “As in the days of your Exodus from Egypt, I will show you wonders.” Now is the time for Hashem to show us these wonders, including the miraculous victory of this war in Gaza and the release of the hostages in good health.

Impossible Reaction?

[While I was davening this morning, I sat down next to someone who asked me, “Any signs of Moshiach in this war?” I couldn’t talk so I had to think. This is my response.]

Let’s shift gears for a moment and ask: Is there any alternative other than going to war? Before we answer this question, we have to distinguish between two kinds of war. The war between Hamas and Israel is not like any of the wars between the nations of the world. It is not a war over land or a war for independence or for any political issue. Hamas (and similarly Hezbollah…leading all the way back to Iran) is fighting Israel because they are Jews. They hate Jews and their goal is to drive all the Jews out of the entire region “from the river to the sea.” They say so explicitly in their charter. They have no interest in reaching any kind of agreement with Israel.

So, it’s not a political war; it’s a spiritual war. It goes back to the fact that Eretz Yisroel is the Holy Land. It’s for the Jews and the Arabs have no home there. They cannot possibly “settle in” to any part of Israel. It’s not the place for them.

So when the Rebbe MHM said the Swords into Plowshares sicha (Mishpatim 5752/1992), he was talking about the nations of the world. The whole prophecy of Isaiah is about the nations of the world, not about the Arabs and the Israelis.

(That’s why in all my writing about Swords into Plowshares since the 1990s I don’t talk about the Arab-Israeli conflict, and I don’t mention it in my forthcoming book Swords into Plowshares—It’s Happening Now!)

[It’s interesting to note that in the sicha of Chayei Sara 5752, the Rebbe mentioned briefly how within the signs of the Redemption taking place now of “nations provoking one another,” it is taking place especially in the Arab states. And the Rebbe added this statement: “Including what we saw in recent days, that at the so-called ‘peace conference,’ [=the Madrid Conference of 1992] they announced they are willing to give up everything for the sake of “peace” supposedly, when in actuality “it was neither bears nor forest!”

Perhaps this war is another Heavenly-sent chance to finally win Moshiach’s “Wars of G-d” to ensure security for the Jews in the Holy Land. – Ed.]

But the nations of the world made a declaration against warfare at the UN back in 1992, and it held up pretty well for a while. But as we have seen in recent times, they are having trouble sticking to it. So is there any possible solution for them? When the nations of the world have a conflict over something, is there any possible reaction other than going to war? There must be—that’s what Swords into Plowshares is all about!

Ideally, the nations in conflict will come before Melech HaMoshiach and he will resolve it, as the Radak (in his commentary to Isaiah) says, “…there will be no war between one nation and another because he will make peace between them.” Unfortunately, this has not been possible recently. However, there is something else that is possible even now. In the sicha, the Rebbe MHM speaks of the nations—following their declaration—as being partners with each other. The concept of partners is that each one is interested in the good of his fellow partner.

So, for example, in the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, each side had a valid concern. Ukraine wanted to join NATO. But Russia said to them: If you join NATO, they will move their modern weapons to your border with us. There will be hypersonic missiles on our border that can reach Moscow in four minutes. No country would allow that. Each side had a valid interest. If they had acted like partners and helped each other work it out in a way that would be good for each of them, there would have been no war.

But in this case, the Jews and Arabs are not fighting over resources or land. It’s a war of survival and we must fight it and trust Hashem. “Tell the Children of Israel to just keep going … Hashem will fight for you!”

We anxiously look forward to the day when we will see the Rebbe MHM again and there will be no wars between any nation because “because he will make peace between them,” and even the Arabs will recognize the holiness of the Jews and will support them rather than challenge them…

“And all those who live will say, ‘Hashem, the G-d of the Jews is King and He reigns over everything.'” (Rosh HaShana prayer)

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