Save us from our own foolishness

Tonight as we dip our apples in the honey, let us reflect on the slaughter that was planned for our people in the south of Israel this night. 

How hundreds of terrorists would have burst out of tunnels far behind the IDF watchtowers and how they would have invaded countless Jewish homes and left each one looking like the Fogel family’s charnel house in Itamar. 

Think of how many IDF reservists would have been forced to watch their families being killed before being dragged back into the tunnels as hostages for future prisoner releases.

All these plans were foiled by one simple event: three yeshiva boys decided to hitch a ride home on a Thursday night. 

The kidnapping provoked so much prayer all around the world and the heartrending discovery of their bodies provoked millions to ask “Why?”

Well, by now we all know the answer to that question.

This is only the latest in a series of divine interventions where the Almighty is protecting us, his children and our promised land from our own folly.

Part of that folly comes from the hubris and complacency of having the best army and intelligence resources in the world. 

Another part is the complete fantasy that there can ever be any genuine peace with these so-called ‘Palestinians’ who are sworn to the destruction of our people and our state. 

Yet another perennial piece of foolishness is the doctrine of ‘land for peace’.  

Whilst the Gaza withdrawal should have finally discredited that idea, it still holds traction with far too many naïve Israelis. Dreamers all.

So if there were an Avinu Malkeynu that said: “We beseech You - save us from our own foolishness” that would be a good thing to say with the greatest sincerity. We could also say it with immense Hakarat Hatov (gratitude) for the open miracles we saw this summer both in the discovery of the tunnels and the almost supernatural performance of Iron Dome.

The best way to repay these divine kindnesses is to stop treating pieces of Eretz Yisrael as bargaining chips to trade for worthless agreements with our enemies and empty praise from Western leaders who’ve now been so pathetically exposed on the world stage as emperors with no clothes.

Our leaders should start talking and behaving as if it’s really and truly our land. Then we shall certainly keep every dunam with the help of G-d.

Shana Tova to all.