Dear Friend
I am presently staying in Jerusalem for a few weeks to attend to various business, but four of our children with their families remain in Safed in the north of Israel, where rockets and missiles from Lebanon and Syria continue to rain down daily.
At this moment early Thursday evening August 1 / 26 Tammuz 5784, tension is at a peak not only in the north of Israel but throughout the country following the dramatic events of the past few days. The targeted assassinations of leading figures in Iran’s Hamas and Hezbollah terror proxies have prompted the Iranian regime to threaten an immediate, harsh and painful response, one that most commentators are certain will lead to an all-out Middle East war.
The Iranians have called on their proxies to join in a coordinated attack on Israel – meaning full-blown war on the seven fronts on which we have already been fighting “low level” wars since the October 7 massacre: Gaza, Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, Yemen, Iran and Judea-Samaria.
It is certainly significant that since the death of the Hamas leader in Teheran earlier this week, there has been no rocket fire whatever from Gaza into Israel, which is testimony to the success of the Israel Defense Forces in neutering the Hamas forces there and cutting off the import of weapons from Egypt through the ongoing destruction of the extensive, highly sophisticated tunnel system Hamas built with all the humanitarian aid they received.
However, the outbreak of war on all the other fronts is thought to be imminent and may occur as early as this coming Shabbat Matos-Mas’ei August 3 if not before. It is likely to be sudden and very fierce, and Israelis are expecting a barrage of thousands of rockets and missiles daily from many different directions.
Without doubt the Israeli defense establishment have not been sitting idle and have many plans in place for a powerful response, including not a few surprises. The recent Israeli attack on the Yemeni Hudaydah port on July 20 demonstrated their ability to reach targets over 2000 km away – and Iran is several hundred kilometers nearer to Israel. It is thought that Israel Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu in his recent visit to Washington secured assurances (for what they may be worth) that the US military will give support and air cover to Israel in the event of war. Reports indicate that no less than eleven US warships are currently in the region.
In recent weeks Israeli officials have been preparing citizens for war, with the mayor of Haifa (which suffered heavily in earlier Hezbollah blitzkriegs) warned the residents they might need to spend around four days in shelters, while the Energy Minister told people “not to worry” because power outages “will not last more than a few days”.
Well, we have been warned!
On Saturday night April 13 2024, Iran fired over 300 missiles and drones against Israel, most of which were intercepted or fell over open areas.
The absence of any significant damage from that massive assault was nothing less than an open miracle for all with eyes to see. In spite of the pain of the Gaza war with its heavy losses of Israeli soldiers and the suffering of those wounded and maimed for life, Israelis have also witnessed innumerable miracles about which people up and down the country tell day after day.
It is these miracles that strengthen us in our Emunah that the G-d of Israel is with us and protecting us even behind the thick veil of concealment that currently hangs over the entire world.
My middle son who lives in Safed with his wife and children asked me on the phone earlier today if I thought he should take his family to spend the next few days with his in-laws, who live in Petach Tikva (near Tel Aviv in the center of the country). I said that I believe no harm will come to the Torah-observant communities in Safed, and that Petach Tikva will be no less of a target than anywhere else in Israel. However, I suggested that if he and his children will feel more secure with his in-laws, this would be a good reason to go there. His in-laws have a better-constructed and more accessible shelter than the shelter in his apartment building in Safed, and he has decided to go there.
On the other hand our middle and youngest daughters and our youngest son, all of whom live with their spouses and little children in Safed, have decided to stay at home. They are certainly apprehensive but nevertheless they feel confident they will be safe. My middle daughter’s husband says we are going to see great miracles, and indeed I hope and do believe this will be the case.
Tottering Haman
The feeling among the faithful of Israel right now is perhaps akin to that of Queen Esther watching her plan unfold step by step but still waiting for Haman’s final downfall. We have seen Iran’s deep humiliation in recent weeks with the death of their President Raisi in a mysterious helicopter crash, the deaths of top figures in their Hamas and Hezbollah proteges’ leadership, the destruction of the Hudaydah port in Yemen, which was the channel for 80% of their weapons exports into Yemen for their Houthi proteges, as well as other losses.
Without doubt the Israeli Defense Forces have many surprises up their sleeves, with cutting-edge hardware, intelligence and communications.
War is an ugly business, and there may be considerable destruction and loss of life. But we pray that any wrath will come down only on trees and stones but not upon G-d’s precious Children of Israel.
We are now clearly, without any shadow of a doubt, at a major climax in the War of Gog and Magog, where the Seventy Nations fight against the returned Jewish exiles in the land of Israel (Ezekiel 38-39). Indeed there is not a single government in the world that unequivocally and unconditionally supports Israel at this critical moment. Even our “friends” and “allies” repeatedly shackle our hands, stab us in the back and sabotage our efforts. The voices of the masses across the globe are being incited against us by hate organizations and lying news media, and Jews everywhere are in literal danger.
As I write, the Palestinian solidarity movement and leading Moslems are calling for a Day of Global Intifada on Friday August 2.
Dear Friend: I know that you are a lover of the G-d of Israel, His Torah, His people and His land.
I have no idea what will transpire in the coming days, but as long as I am alive you will be in my thoughts and prayers together with all Israel.
It could well be that Internet may go down at some stage, but I am confident that it will be restored in due course, and hopefully we will be able to pick up again if communications are interrupted.
Let me share two Torah passages that are my inspiration at this time:
One:
“Go, my people, enter your chambers, and lock your doors behind you. Hide for just a moment, until the indignation passes.” (Isaiah 26:20)
The classical rabbinic commentator Rabbi David Kimche (RaDaK, 1160-1235) writes that this verse is addressed to those at the time of the War of Gog and Magog, and that the “chambers” in which we must seek protection are the synagogues and study halls, Prayer and Torah.
Two:
Rabbi Yitzchak said: In the year when Melekh Mashiah is revealed, all the rulers of the nations of the world will be provoking one another. The ruler of Paras will provoke the ruler of Arabia, and the ruler of Arabia will go to Aram (Rome/Edom) to take counsel from them, and then the ruler of Paras will go on to destroy the entire world. All the nations of the world will quake in consternation and fall on their faces, and pangs will take hold of them like the pangs of a women giving birth.
Israel will quake in consternation and say: Where should we come or go? Where should we come and go? Where should we come and go? And the Holy One blessed be He says to them: My children: Do not fear. Everything that I have done, I have done only for your sake. Why are you afraid? Do not be afraid. The time of your Redemption has arrived. And this final Redemption is not like the first Redemption. For after the first Redemption you suffered more pain and subjection to the worldly empires, but after the final Redemption you shall have no more pain or subjection to the nations.
Yalkut Shimoni, Isaiah chapter 60
I have been observing Jewish, Israeli and world affairs from the perspective of Biblical prophesy since the early 1990s and the start of the Oslo “Peace” nightmare, which has led step by step to where we are today, with the entire world against us and Iran threatening immediate war.
Until now I felt events were certainly leading up to the war of Gog and Magog, and that clearly we are in the days of the “threshold” of Mashiach. Yet never did I feel confident that “this is it” and we are “there”. However, as we stand today in the second of the “Three Weeks”, something deep inside me is keeping me happy and confident with the thought that by Tisha b’Av on August 13 we may see clear signs of a major breakthrough.
Shalom from Yerushalayim
Avraham
