Now, This For Sure Is "IT"!

23 Tishrei 5784 

UPDATE #1:  For those who forgot or those who never saw the post, many of your questions and concerns can be answered in the August 3, 2023 blog post For This We Wait.  Please (re)-read it, if you can.  Many thanks to all.  Pray for Israel!  Hodu l'Hashem ki tov, ki le'olam chasdo!!

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UPDATE #2:  Word is leaking out from highly credible sources that this was no "surprise" attack, nor an "intelligence failure" and that it is "impossible" that the door was left wide open without any military response for about 6 hours.  Draw your own conclusions for now.

UPDATE #3: (As of 4:00 pm Oct 10th)  Latest statistics - 1000+ dead, 2,806 wounded, 50 kidnapped.   There is concern that what happened (is still happening) in the south will spread to Yehuda v'Shomron:  "POLICE & VILLAGE ARMORIES ORDERED OPENED… Min. of Security Ben-Gvir has ordered the opening of police armories, arming all volunteer police (contact your station, reserve soldiers not called up (contact your reserve unit), and town security squads (contact your ravshatz).  All private licenses in processing are to be extremely expedited." 

***

I was near the end of the Shacharit Amida prayer when the first siren went off in Jerusalem on Shabbat/Shemini Atzeret.  My entire body was consumed with chills.  I have never before experienced such a thing.  I knew this was going to be what we've been talking about for a very, very long time.  It is the reason the blog was brought back.  Between approximately 8 am and noon, we heard several waves of sirens with accompanying booms of iron dome taking out projectiles.  

We saw three military helicopters go over and after that, all was quiet here in Jerusalem.  But, the unprecedented multiple waves of rocket attacks in Jerusalem in the morning indicated that something very serious was going on despite the sudden calm.  

As soon as Havdalah was done, I opened my phone and went into shock...

I have not yet begun to get the details yet of all that has happened.  So much to catch up on and events are still developing as I write this.  There is a lot of confusion about what will be tomorrow as the authorities cancel schools and report that public transportation will be limited.  People are being told to stay in their homes and try not to travel but a lot of people, like me, were visiting relatives away from our homes and want to get back to them.

I was just told that Lapid and Gantz are going to join a National Emergency Government with Netanyahu.  Further, that 500 are now reported missing, feared captured by Hamas.  Hashem yerachem!!!  

I firmly believe this is just the start of Persia going about "destroying the world" so we have to hold on to "the time of your redemption is here."  Geulah b'ita is a terrible, fearful thing, but when it's all done, we'll be in a much better place - somewhere our ancestors yearned to be, but did not want to experience.  You can see why.

Not sure how much I'll be able to update...    PRAY!!!

***

Rabbi Yitzchak said: (Yalkut Shimoni, Yishayahu 60)

"In the year when the king Moshiach will be revealed, all the kings of the nations of the world are provoking each other. The king of Paras (Iran) is provoking the Arab king (Saudi Arabia) and then the Arab King will turn to Edom (U.S.A.) for advice.

The king of Paras will then go and destroy the world. And all the nations of the world will shout from terror, fall upon their faces in fear and undergo such horrible pains as strong as labor pains.

And the Jewish people will shout from fear and say, "To where do we turn?! To where do we run?!"

And He (Hashem) will say unto them, My children, do not be afraid; all that I have done here, I have done only for you. What do you fear? The time for your Redemption has arrived!"