Yossi Cohen’s appointment as head of Mossad last week caused a great deal of excitement among his friends, including members of the synagogue where he prays every Shabbat in his hometown of Modiin. Cohen was honored with giving the weekly sermon to an overflowing crowd at his synagogue, Walla reported.
In his sermon in honor of the announcement of his appointment to the prestigious job, Cohn dealt with the connection between the weekly Torah portion—Miketz, in which Joseph accuses his brothers of espionage—and the role of the Mossad agents. “You can see the importance of the strategy adopted by the brothers on their way down to Egypt,” Cohen said, stressing the value of a correct strategy alongside a good cover story and intelligence.
“The brothers’ plan of action was good, but what they did not consider was the fact that the ruler of Egypt was none other than their brother Joseph, who had been appointed viceroy.” Cohen’s sermon was peppered with humor, as he said: “I know what it means to be the deputy—it’s better to be at the top,” referring to his position as deputy head of the Mossad in the past.
At the end of his sermon, Cohen noted a verse which later became the motto of the institution: “Without trickery a nation will fall; but in multiple counselors there is rescue (Prov. 11:14),” and added that even today we need “Siata D’shmaya” (help from heaven). “Without Siyata D’shmaya there would have been no State of Israel. It was true then — and today we also need Siyata D’shmaya.”
Cohen’s sermon was delivered immediately after the prayer for the safety of the IDF soldiers, which reportedly was sung to the tune of “Eretz Tzvi,” the song written in honor of the Entebbe Operation where the prime minister’s brother, Yoni Netanyahu, was killed.