The 6/13 Strike Against Iran: Israel’s Modern-Day Miracle

There is much uncertainty, but as of now we know that Israel has pulled off an operation that makes the Hezbollah walkie talkie episode look modest and that according to experts is on par with the miracle of the Six Day War.

On June 13, 6/13, an auspicious number, Israel launched a pre-emptive strike to take out Iran’s nuclear capability, a country who has pledged to destroy Israel and wipe out the Jewish people. Earlier on that same day, the Prime Minister prayed at the Western Wall, a seemingly innocuous gesture as he hosted a foreign leader. Together with the announcement he was going on vacation and attending a celebration, and the coordinated statements by President Trump, Secretary Rubio and Steve Witkoff telling Israel not to attack, Iran was caught by surprise.

Mindbogglingly, the Mossad had been operating in Iran for years, setting up a base with drones that were smuggled in. Having eliminated the air defense, Israel’s extraordinary air force operated with impunity, flying more than 1,000 miles to relentlessly pound missile sites, attack nuclear sites, and in pinpoint strikes, eliminate Iranian nuclear scientists and military leaders all while brazenly refueling over Iran.

Israel orchestrated events that they knew would cause Iranian military leadership to gather and then took them out. Israel is the size of New Jersey and has 10 million people. Iran is more than twice the size of Texas and has 93 million people.

This courageous action, in defiance of some world opinion and world leaders, is a gift to the world, just like it was when Israel took out Iraq and Syria's nuclear programs. Thankfully, despite the public posture designed to distract, in truth, President Trump and the United States stand with Israel, are coordinating with Israel and are helping defend Israel.

Gratitude and Angst

On Thursday night, when Israel launched its preemptive strike, we were filled with gratitude and elation, pride and joy in the unprecedented and heroic success. But those feelings were quickly tempered as Iran began to retaliate and has launched waves of barrages of ballistic missiles, most of which have been intercepted but too many of which have gone through, have taken lives and have caused scores of injuries.

There have been countless, extraordinary miracles and achievements. As this war with Iran continues to unfold, we are filled simultaneously with boundless gratitude and pride on the one hand but also profound concern, worry and angst on the other. How do we balance these conflicting feelings?

In Jewish thought, there is always a connection between the weekly Torah portion begin read and the events unfolding.

This is the Torah portion that tells us: “When you are at war in your land against an aggressor who attacks you, you shall sound short blasts on the trumpets, that you may be remembered before your God and be delivered from your enemies.”

This is the portion that contains the promise: “When the Ark was to set out, Moses would say: Advance, God! May Your enemies be scattered, And may Your foes flee before You!”

Rashi explains: Your enemies: anyone who hates the Jewish people hate the Creator of the universe.

Iran has targeted the Jewish people and in so doing has targeted our Father in Heaven. Iran has started up with the wrong enemy.

When the Ark sets out, when the Torah leads us, when we are proud Jews, God makes a promise that He will help us defeat our enemies. When the Prime Minister, the political leader of the Jewish state, the Commander in Chief of the Israeli military goes to the Kotel to pray before launching an attack, the Ark is leading, our fighting is informed and inspired by our faith.

With Faith and Fortitude

The Jewish people have not only survived but thrived against all odds, against the laws of history, despite countless attempts to annihilate and exterminate us. We have persevered with faith and fortitude, resilience and resolve. When our enemies try to destroy us, we our protected by God.

How do we reconcile the conflicting emotions of gratitude and relief with concern and fear?

We must never forget or fail to credit God with our survival, existence and our future.

The answer is simple: We feel boundless gratitude to Israel’s heroic soldiers and the members of Israel’s air force. We recognize the selfless dedication of the Mossad agents who have lived for years in Iran under cover, forfeiting their Jewish identity and Jewish practice to protect the Jewish people. We appreciate the courageous leadership of Prime Minister Netanyahu. They all deserve credit, praise, admiration and gratitude. Yes, they have dismantled Hezbollah, Hamas and pulled off amazing feats against Iran.

But none of them could or would succeed without God leading the way. We must never forget or fail to credit God with our survival, existence and our future.

Yes, we have outstanding, courageous and selfless soldiers and leaders but we must always remember that God is the ultimate reason behind our success.

And that is why we can simultaneously be grateful to God and His agents for the success so far and also manage our concern and worry for the future. When we recognize and realize that God got us here, He enabled and empowered our success and He promises us that we will be here forever, that we will persevere and triumph, that He is fighting by our side.

May we succeed in always having Torah inform and inspire our lives in good times and bad, and in that merit, may we see the fulfillment of the promise of “our enemies be scattered and our foes flee from before us.”