We should not only regularly ask Hashem for help, but should especially thank Him when He clearly does! “Bakasha” (requesting) is the 2nd part of the Amida, but let’s not forget hodaya (thanking) which is the 3rd part. We educate our children to even thank the shul’s candy-man for a half-sheckel sweet, so how much more so is it minimal decency to thank the Master of the Universe when He intervenes and helps us with the large projects that only He can make succeed! This is true every year on Yom HaAtzma’ut and Yom Yerushalyim, and this week, as well, when the world was shocked to witness a once- in-a-lifetime Tanach-size miracle.
Especially after the intelligence and IDF collapse on Simchat Torah, we needed this victory not only to deter our enemies, but also to rekindle our own self-confidence and honor! The Mossad’s blowing -up of thousands of beepers simultaneously was so ingenious, complex and intricate over such a long period of time, that so many things could have gone wrong! Nasrallah himself came up with the idea a while ago, by telling his terrorists not to use cell-phones but to order these beepers, giving us the clue and cue when and how to carry out the plan.
The cunning idea of how to pinpoint and target the enemy terrorist commanders themselves, with relatively few civilians wounded, is like the ground swallowing up just Korach and those who deserve it. Only Hashem could send us a situation where the enemy has suffered such a military and morale thrashing, being left with very few commanders, no communication, no hospital beds, no blood for transfusions, and with no (!) casualties on our side (I like this type of cyber warfare)! Just as the opening strike of the 6 Day War already decided the continuation, their shock must be exploited to the max. Hizballah should be begging us, on their hands and knees not enter in a ground attack to push them back, but on their own, should voluntarily retreat to the UN lines. Unfortunately, the mid-eastern male mind-set has difficulty admitting defeat. But even if we do apparently have to enter with a ground attack and force them back, there will be many less casualties on our side if we do it now, when the opponent is wobbling, and can barely resist.
Yes, it’s elementary decency to thank G-d, but He doesn’t need it! But we do, for the more we speak about it, the more our political and military leaders (many who go to shul!) will realize the Heaven-sent once-in-a-lifetime gift, and that we need to “seize the moment” and dare do that offensive reprisal to make the most of our G-d-sent success. Shabbat Shalom and Ketiva vaChatima Tova! Rav Ari Shvat (Chwat)