These words are being written on Sunday morning, while we are still very much overjoyed by the fact that President Trump ordered the U.S. Air Force to destroy Iran’s nuclear program. According to reports, it appears that the entire program has been decimated through perfectly executed precision strikes using the most advanced aircraft and bunker-busting bombs.
Obviously, as Yidden, we are euphoric over the fact that Hashem has shown such kindness to the entire Jewish nation—and indeed to the civilized world—by removing the threat of a nuclear-armed Iran.
This is truly a moment of Ha’aras Ponim, a Divine Smile, as it were, allowing all Jews to breathe a collective sigh of relief at the removal of an existential threat to our survival.
That said, the simcha and hoda’ah we feel do not in any way erase our concern for what Yidden are currently experiencing in Eretz Yisroel. Iran continues to send lethal missiles toward our brothers and sisters there. Yidden are still running to bomb shelters and safe rooms as this cruel enemy commits war crimes, raining massive, deadly weapons upon innocent civilians.
The Rachamim Within the Din
This entire episode has led me to reflect deeply on the concept of rachamim b’din, Hashem showing us mercy even as He metes out strict judgment.
To understand rachamim b’din, let us look at a scenario from everyday life. As a father deeply involved in the parsha of shidduchim for my children, I can personally attest to the difficulty, frustration, and feelings of helplessness and rejection that are part and parcel of this challenging process.
Many can probably relate to the following: You begin to look into a shidduch for your child. The more you hear, the more excited you become. The important boxes begin to check off. You allow a small petal of hope to unfurl in your heart. Perhaps they’ve even met a couple of times and things are looking promising…until you receive that dreaded, “No, thanks so much. It sounds interesting, but it’s not shayich. It’s not for us. It’s not exactly what we were looking for.”
Your hopes are dashed. Just when you allowed yourself to hope, to dream, the dream is unceremoniously shattered. The jagged edges hurt. It feels so devastating and unfair.
I remember that after one such rejection, a wise person told me, “One day you’ll want to send them flowers for saying no… When the right one comes along, you’ll be so thankful that this one didn’t work out.”
That, perhaps, is the very definition of rachamim b’din, mercy within judgment. At the time, it looks and feels like din, a cruel manifestation of middas hadin. But later, in hindsight, you realize that the “no” was the greatest rachamim, a step that brought you to the shidduch that was truly meant to be.
Rejection—Or Not?
Many years ago, after spending several years in kollel, the bills began to pile up and I felt that it might be time to seek a side job to help support the family. I knew that I had a talent for writing and had even dabbled in it as a hobby. When a position became available at a prominent organization, I was thrilled at the opportunity.
I remember dressing up for the interview, filled with hope that this job would open new doors. I thought that the interview had gone well. Then came the nail-biting wait. A few days later, I got the call: “You were second best…” I had been rejected.
I was hurt, upset, and perhaps even angry. In truth, I should have sent the CEO flowers. Had I gotten that job, I’d probably still be stuck writing press releases instead of what I do today, writing for the Yated and publishing books.
What seemed like din turned out to be rachamim b’din, pure mercy wrapped in the disguise of judgment.
The Hospital…That Was Evacuated the Day Before
What happened in Be’er Sheva last week? A hospital was struck and partially destroyed. Tragic. Destruction. Din. But at the same time, there was clear rachamim b’din, the fact that Moshe Bar Siman Tov, head of the Health Ministry, decided to evacuate that wing of the hospital the day before, just as a precaution.
At the time, many thought he was being overly cautious. In the end, his decision saved countless lives. Yes, rachamim b’din.
Clear Charon Af…
This brings us to the events of the past few years. There is no doubt that Simchas Torah, October 7, 2023, was a day of din, a day of charon af. There is no other way to describe a day when Yidden were brutally murdered, tortured, humiliated, and taken hostage. It was a day when Hashem clearly showed that He was not pleased with us.
And yet, even in His displeasure, Hashem, in His infinite kindness, still extended tremendous rachamim b’din. Only a father can deliver a very difficult, very painful punishment while still hugging and kissing his child.
That is what Hashem did on October 7th. He gave us all a tremendous potch, a klop from which we are still suffering. Why He did it and what we did to deserve such a strong manifestation of middas hadin is beyond our comprehension. We need nevi’im or einei ha’eidah to explain that.
…That Paved the Way
Still, it’s important to recognize, in hindsight, how that very potch, that very middas hadin, became the steppingstone and Hashgocha Elyonah’s vehicle to save us from an even greater catastrophe, the threat of a nuclear enemy capable of erasing us from existence.
October 7th forced the flawed leadership of the State of Israel to understand that peace or compromise with our enemies is an illusion. It gave the political and military leadership the resolve to shift strategies—against Hamas, Hezbollah, and their sponsor, the evil Shiite regime in Iran.
Only after October 7th did Israel embark on its bold campaign to strike Iran’s nuclear sites, eliminate nuclear scientists, and target top military commanders. This was only possible because they had already dismantled Hamas and significantly weakened Hezbollah, which in turn enabled the downfall of the Assad regime in Syria.
Only after those threats were neutralized could they even contemplate an attack on Iran. Imagine if they hadn’t! In addition to the missiles already coming from Iran, we would now be facing thousands more from Hezbollah in Lebanon, Hamas in Gaza, and possibly from Syria as well.
It would have been a disaster. But because of the rachamim that followed the din of October 7th and its aftermath, we merited seeing Hashem remove the existential danger of a nuclear Iran.
Who We Really Must Thank
Let us all recognize that while we owe the Israeli army and political leadership appreciation for their courage, and while we certainly owe a tremendous debt of hakoras hatov to President Trump, who took decisive action no U.S. president had ever dared to take against the world’s most dangerous regime, our ultimate gratitude must go to the Baal Harachamim Himself.
Our greatest thanks must go to Hashem, Who, even within the din, even while giving us a potch, continues to hug and kiss us like the most loving Father, who always wants the best for His child, even when that includes painful discipline.
Thank You, Totty!
