Pesach, Fear and Arab Rockets!
Last night our Arab neighbours decided to fire rockets from Lebanon into parts of Northern Israel. No surprises there. However, Israel’s response to the attacks via media and political personnel was muted in the fear that bellicose language and massive retaliation may court more devastating aggression on the part of those already attacking the Jewish State.
This is incongruous Israel telegraphs to our enemies that should they mount an offensive action against our borders. We will act with restraint in returning fire in case we inflame the situation.
This is the mindset of the people who came out of Egypt and stood at the Yum suf (Sea of Reeds), watching the approaching Egyptians with fear and recriminations of their leadership.
Not till Nachshon ben Aminadav jumped into the raging sea did the people steel themselves against the impending danger to their lives.
Indeed as we celebrate Pesach, we should also celebrate our resolve to trust in the G-d of Israel and strike those who strike us without mercy or consideration of their response. If the Bnei Israel had succumbed to their fear and awaited their enemy’s approach, we would not be remembering Pesach 2023. If our leaders had allowed the fear of an all-out Arab attack on Israel in 1967 to stop the preemptive attack, there would have been no Israeli victory in six days of war.
“For the sake of Zion I will not be quiet and for the sake of Jerusalem I will not hold my peace.”
Let America hear, and our quivering leaders remember. Pesach is not just in our past but very much alive today in the hearts of the Jewish people. In blood and fire did Zion rise again – never again to sink to its knees.
