From the day we arrive here in this world, we are constantly going through cycles.
When we are small children, our parents are the ones who feel the constant change and ongoing cycles that take place within us. Sometimes monthly, at times weekly and on other occasions even daily.
The Jewish holidays and special memorial days in the calendar help keep us focused and on track. However, living in Israel there is also another calendar which guides our lives, and that is of our hostile neighboring enemies who are constantly trying to annihilate us.
The bombing from Gaza and all the rioting during the last couple of weeks simply left us worried beyond words.
The south that is usually targeted alone was unfortunately not so alone this time. Rockets flew to almost all corners of the country, leaving us terrified and helpless.
The casualties that occurred were heartbreaking. However, the amount of “miracles” shot down from the sky were, thank goodness, tremendous.
The rioting in Lod and the vandalism directed especially at religious Jews was absolutely frightening. Lod is a city that has been inhabited by Jews and Arabs for years. What happened suddenly?
What kind of cycle are we going through?
The regular cycle of the Jewish calendar seems to have taken on another course of events that we are struggling to understand. What does Hashem want from us?
For the past year or so, we were faced with the terrible epidemic of Covid-19. Many battled this horrible virus and many didn’t make it through. A year no one knew what the next day would bring.
G-d ultimately heeded our cry for this plague to end. And not long ago the curse of the Covid-19 plague was lifted from our beloved land and people. But shortly after that we had the terrible accident at Meron, at which so many precious and beautiful souls were killed and injured.
We barely picked our heads up from mourning all those righteous people, and then the bombing from our hostile enemies began.
We tried to take shelter and wait out the attack, and once again a terrible tragedy occurred over Shavuot, taking so many casualties in the accident that befell the Stoliner chassidim as they danced and celebrated the holiday of the Torah.
Cycles usually take place over the course of time with space and measured intervals throughout to enable us to prepare and plan for the next event.
However, since Covid-19 hit the world in 2020, the events and hardships that keep taking place are too close to one another. We don’t finish dealing with one incident and the next is already knocking at our door waiting to enter.
It is written that in the days of the final redemption, the events that will take place in the world, and with the Jewish people especially, will happen so quickly that one event will barely finish when the next will already be there waiting to unfold.
Here in Israel, the place of final redemption, the atmosphere of something big about to occur is present and felt in every corner of the land. The terrible events that keep occurring, alongside the inability of this country to set up a government, all point to the obvious and long awaited direction, of Hashem’s return unto His nation, right here in the heart of Jerusalem.
In order for the redemption to occur and the Torah way of life to lead this country and the world at large, the times and cycles must change. Then the ultimate change can take place and save us forever.
May we hold on tight in this next time period till we can finally see the true and wholesome return of Hashem to His nation to the city of Jerusalem forever.