The miracles of our slings and arrows

In 2018, US Secretary of War Peter Hegseth delivered a speech in Jerusalem. At the time, he was a presenter for the Fox Network, and had been invited to a journalists’ conference at the King David Hotel, arranged by media network Arutz Sheva. 

He reflected on the miracles he’d witnessed during his tour of the Old City, and on a miracle he hoped would soon be realised. “1917 (the Balfour Declaration) was a miracle; 1948 was a miracle; 1967 was a miracle; 2017 (the recognition by the United States of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital) was a miracle. There is no reason why the miracle of the re-establishment of the Temple on the Temple Mount is not possible.” To thunderous applause, he concluded, “I don’t know how it will happen, you don’t know how it will happen, but I know that it could happen.” 

The video clip resurfaced recently, courtesy of antisemite Tucker Carlson and company, who are currently obsessed with promoting the conspiracy theory that the war on Iran is inspired by this Messianic dream. The suggestion is that Hegseth’s appointment to his position was part of President Donald Trump’s plan for what is now called Epic Fury. 

There are times when miracles are easier to recognise than at others. 

As we prepare to celebrate Pesach, we recall the wonders that accompanied the exodus of our ancestors. Did the Israelites of old appreciate that they were living through history? Did they recognise the hand of G-d throughout the entire process that led to their liberation? Or was it only once they were out of bondage – crossing on dry land through the sea that would soon swallow their foes – that they fully grasped the Divine nature of what had transpired? 

Do we today realise the truly historical times in which we are living? The spectacular victories we have experienced since October 2023 over many of our haters attacking us from multiple simultaneous fronts? 

We are devastated by the human and material toll of the past two and a half years. We mourn deeply for the victims of Hamas, for the soldiers who have fallen in combat, and for the casualties of vicious missile attacks and cluster warheads. 

Right now, over the skies of Israel, daily miracles occur through the continuous interceptions. Without these technologies, the losses would be infinitely worse. 

But we must pause and reflect on the miraculous nature of these events. We dare not simply attribute them to technological advances and foreign aid. By Divine providence, even the names of the anti-missile systems help us pause and recognise this very point. 

The famous Iron Dome, which can intercept aerial attacks from as far as 70km away, is called Kipat Barzel in Hebrew. We wear a kippah on our heads as a constant reminder that G-d is above us, protecting us. 

David’s Sling can reach an altitude of 15km and disable missiles fired from as far as 300km away. What an apt reminder of young David’s words as he faced the mighty Goliath and the Philistine armies behind him (I Samuel 17), “You come against me with sword and spear and javelin; but I come against you in the name of the G-d of Hosts, the G-d of the ranks of Israel, whom you have defied.” 

Then there are the Arrow interceptors, reaching as high as 100km and capable of disabling long-range missiles from 2 400 km away. If you have ever tried your hand at archery, you will know that an arrow reaches further the more tightly it is drawn back. This teaches us the value of introspection, prayer, additional mitzvot, and extra charity – our personal contributions to the war effort. 

Long before Carlson developed his Third Temple obsession, we longed for it. For thousands of years, we have prayed for a Messianic era and for the ultimate re-establishment of Hashem’s home in Jerusalem. 

Pesach celebrates the historical exodus of long ago. But it is also the festival during which we reflect on Moshiach and the future world we yearn for. It is when we think about the miracles of the past, the miracles we are experiencing now, and the miracles still to come. 

As for the secretary of war, we appreciate his deep faith. He may not know how it will happen, but our tradition has told us exactly how it will. 

Rashi (Sukkah 41a) teaches that the Temple stands built and ready in Heaven, waiting to descend at any moment. We have been constructing it brick by brick with every act of kindness, every prayer, and every mitzvah performed over the centuries. 

Not only is it ready, we are ready. Let us open our eyes to see and appreciate the miracles around us, and let each of us do our part to help usher in that era of global peace for all. 

• Rabbi Yossi Chaikin is the rabbi at Oxford Shul and chairperson of the South African Rabbinical Association.