Disappointment, lies and hope at holiday’s end
This is not the column I expected to write. On the eve of the end of Passover in Israel, I was filled with hope that the holiday’s final day would be as many of our Chazal have indicated: a day of truly miraculous happenings.
And why not? It was the day of the glorious splitting of the Re(e)d Sea, an open miracle by HaKadosh Baruch Hu. It is a day of segulah, et ratzon, an auspicious time to request from Hashem both personal and national reward and success, a day of Seudat HaMoshiach.
Hearing of President Donald Trump’s audacious ultimatum to Iran — open the Strait of Hormuz by 8 pm Eastern Time or face total annihilation and destruction — I expected to awaken to the joyous news that the back of this menace had been broken, the war was over, Israel and the US and the entire free world were no longer threatened by Iran, perhaps even news that Moshiach himself had arrived.
Alas this was not to be. In Jerusalem, we were awakened at 1:15 am to blaring sirens and a particularly vicious Iranian attack. We had not yet made it out of our apartment when we were shaken by a loud boom. In our miklat, my son-in-law informed us that Trump and Iran had made an agreement: a two-week ceasefire in return for opening the strait.
We were almost there, on the cusp of the Geulah (redemption)! We had a leader in Trump who seemed to be the tikkun, the repair for the Persian King Koresh.
As the Rashba explains, Hashem is lamenting the fact that Cyrus did not do all he was supposed to do; had he done so, the final Geula would have arrived and we would not now be awaiting the “real Moshiach.”
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As I sat in the miklat filled with disappointment, I wondered if Trump, the new Koresh, would fail as his predecessor did.
When one stops and deliberates, things become clear.
First, I don’t think it was an overreach to believe miraculous things would happen on this Shvii shel (last day of) Pesach. To Hashem all is possible. And while we don’t depend on miracles, we gratefully accept them when they are offered. The last three years in particular have proven that.
Second, I don’t think President Trump is a liar. Bombastic, capable of hyperbole like no one else, yes, but as a true friend and ally of both Israel and the Jewish people he has surpassed any president in history. And I believe he is nobody’s fool and will quickly and clearly realize if his so-called deal is legitimate or not.
Finally, this Iranian regime is composed of liars.
This agreement quickly fell apart, victim of duplicity and falsehood by the Iranian leadership. And that means Trump’s initial ultimatum will be reinstated.
Thus, my initial feelings of disappointment were understandable but short-lived, replaced by hope. Because we know Hashem is in charge and if we but recognize that loudly and publicly and thank Him as David Hamelech did poetically even when he was faced with mortal danger, we will merit those extraordinary miracles and gifts Hashem longs to grant us.
As our national anthem says: od lo avda tikvatenu (we have not yet lost hope) and b’ezrat Hashem (we never will).
Shabbat shalom.
Write: Columnist@TheJewishStar.com
