BS"D
Here's a little bit of "hhizuk" (strengthening) for us all.
In greek mythology (which for us is actually meaningless idolatry) the sirens were dangerous yet beautiful creatures, who lured nearby sailors with their enchanting music and voices to shipwreck on the rocky coast of their island. Sirens misled men off their proper course to destruction.
Now the sirens of the air raids here in Israel, while they are indeed needed to warn us of real physical danger, must be taken differently than most of us do. We humans are easily misled off course to forget our source, our BIG ally. We shipwreck ourselves on the rocky coast of kfira (apostasy) in Hashgahha/Divine Providence. I learned years ago that yes a Jew must recognize danger & take proper caution. BUT he must NOT get "butterflies in his stomach", panic etc for that is kfira. The Rav who taught us this when I lived in Emanuel during the 1st Iraq war 23 years ago & the intifada, told us "yes I have a gun on the seat next to me when I drive past Arab villages & would use immediately if need be, & I don't enter their villages, especially not at night. That is proper sane caution. But I do not permit myself to feel jitters etc for that would be kfira in HaShem's guiding & guarding hand. By the way he was not a young sportive tough guy.
When the sirens sang out back then, 23 years ago, in the evenings we went out to the street made a circle danced & sang things like "Ussu Eissa vetufar...." & "am Yisrael Hhai", & watched SCUDS that were coming down directly overhead CHANGE COURSE in midair! This is impossible by natural status, those things are immense & fast. 2 fell on Arab villages celebrating that missiles were falling on Jewish towns/cities & 1 fell into a mud filled valley!
From the scifi book "Dune" here is a line worth remembering; "I must not fear. Fear is the mind-killer. Fear is the little-death that brings total obliteration. I will face my fear. I will permit it to pass over me and through me. And when it has gone past I will turn the inner eye to see its path. Where the fear has gone there will be nothing. Only I will remain."
Don't get tempted off course by the sirens.
Sure go to the miklatim, if you feel a need to, BUT without panic, without fear. Instead we must all; work on our EMUNAH, do soul searching tshuvah (without getting depressed from it), pray, help each other, give ssdaka, increase our Ahavat Yisrael (love of our fellow Jew), sing dance find what to thank HaShem about & be happy about every day, even thank HIM for these noisy "wake up calls" & lovingly wake up others to these points.
It may sound nuts to you at 1st, but go for it & you'll see it's a great sanity saver & life saver.
Bebrakha
Rav Yaakov
Here's a little bit of "hhizuk" (strengthening) for us all.
In greek mythology (which for us is actually meaningless idolatry) the sirens were dangerous yet beautiful creatures, who lured nearby sailors with their enchanting music and voices to shipwreck on the rocky coast of their island. Sirens misled men off their proper course to destruction.
Now the sirens of the air raids here in Israel, while they are indeed needed to warn us of real physical danger, must be taken differently than most of us do. We humans are easily misled off course to forget our source, our BIG ally. We shipwreck ourselves on the rocky coast of kfira (apostasy) in Hashgahha/Divine Providence. I learned years ago that yes a Jew must recognize danger & take proper caution. BUT he must NOT get "butterflies in his stomach", panic etc for that is kfira. The Rav who taught us this when I lived in Emanuel during the 1st Iraq war 23 years ago & the intifada, told us "yes I have a gun on the seat next to me when I drive past Arab villages & would use immediately if need be, & I don't enter their villages, especially not at night. That is proper sane caution. But I do not permit myself to feel jitters etc for that would be kfira in HaShem's guiding & guarding hand. By the way he was not a young sportive tough guy.
When the sirens sang out back then, 23 years ago, in the evenings we went out to the street made a circle danced & sang things like "Ussu Eissa vetufar...." & "am Yisrael Hhai", & watched SCUDS that were coming down directly overhead CHANGE COURSE in midair! This is impossible by natural status, those things are immense & fast. 2 fell on Arab villages celebrating that missiles were falling on Jewish towns/cities & 1 fell into a mud filled valley!
From the scifi book "Dune" here is a line worth remembering; "I must not fear. Fear is the mind-killer. Fear is the little-death that brings total obliteration. I will face my fear. I will permit it to pass over me and through me. And when it has gone past I will turn the inner eye to see its path. Where the fear has gone there will be nothing. Only I will remain."
Don't get tempted off course by the sirens.
Sure go to the miklatim, if you feel a need to, BUT without panic, without fear. Instead we must all; work on our EMUNAH, do soul searching tshuvah (without getting depressed from it), pray, help each other, give ssdaka, increase our Ahavat Yisrael (love of our fellow Jew), sing dance find what to thank HaShem about & be happy about every day, even thank HIM for these noisy "wake up calls" & lovingly wake up others to these points.
It may sound nuts to you at 1st, but go for it & you'll see it's a great sanity saver & life saver.
Bebrakha
Rav Yaakov