I am not ready for this in the wake of the tragedy that has befallen us the last three years and the murderous rocket attack in Bet Shemesh which occurred as I write this and which is clearly such an unfolding and terrible tragedy. However, we are undoubtedly living in absolutely miraculous times.

We are in the middle of being attacked by ballistic missiles and my daughter’s wedding planned for next week is being replanned. More than that, people I love have been lost in the war over the last few years, so everything is raw.

Yet, when I reflect on one side of the picture, it is clear that we are living through a miracle story which one day may be written in the same way the Purim tale is told.

A country brutally attacked on October 7th 2023, where thousands were killed, many raped and hundreds kidnapped, was inexplicably turned into a global pariah.

Many of our kids, siblings, parents and partners fought like lions and sadly many were killed.

Yet, when you look back over three years and see how things are looking like they may turn on its head, we may in fact be in the midst of a truly dramatic period of miracles.

Hezbollah which so easily could have invaded in conjunction with Hamas didn’t and instead was taken apart by stunning “Yiddish kop” through pagers and walkie talkies after which its elusive leader was killed in his bunker.

Iran, the master plotter, launched hundreds of ballistic missiles at us in an unprecedented wave and has seemingly been neutralized twice by stunning air campaigns.

A US President who was almost assassinated before his election was elected by surprise to many and he made a fundamental difference which enabled all hostages (some dead and some alive) to be released. He made it his issue and has since joined us in the campaign currently ongoing which has led to, as I type this, the assassination of a leader who has made it his life’s work to destroy us (including being the real goose that laid the egg of the 7th October) and who has repressed his people and those of the countries his proxies have mercilessly ravaged.

A tyrant Syrian President has been ousted, the closest ally of Iran.

And all the while our younger generation both in the field, in intelligence and other arms show their passion and their bravery.

At the same time we saw the unmasking of the vile antisemitism in the form of hatred towards the one Jewish State that had always been there but was rediscovered and in some places addressed and in others is growing with terrible consequences in Sydney, Manchester, Washington and other places.

This Megilla is yet to finish and the final chapter is playing itself out but one day in the future Jews may find themselves reading the Megilla of our times and banging at the mention of Khamenei.

Sadly as I write this 9 (and sadly it may rise – Baruch Dayan Haemet) people have been announced killed from a rocket in Bet Shemesh. This has been a grueling war and too many people are lost. I pray their memories be a blessing but our people and our country are strong as long as we remain united.

May Israel prevail and may we see G-d’s work in this real story which we from our perspective still find so hard to process.

© The Times of Israel (Blogs)