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The world shudders as it considers the consequences of a nuclear Iran, a country whose leaders still brazenly call for the destruction of Israel.

At a crucial time like this, it behooves us to find precedent in our People's history for such a showdown. It’s remarkable to discover that indeed, twenty two hundred years ago, during the Purim story, the ancient Iranians (the Persians) threatened to annihilate the entire Jewish People in one single day!

Haman’s decree then was arguably the most difficult moments of our nation's history. What did they do then to turn the situation around? What can we learn from them to apply today, as we face modern day Persia’s calls for our destruction?

The Talmud reveals to us that the root of the evil decree upon the Jews was that they rejected G-d by enjoying the feast of the King Achashverosh (King Xerxes), which was a wild celebration of his conquest over all nations, including Hashem. It was only after the Jews humbled themselves before G-d, through three intensive days of fasting, that they reconciled with their Father in Heaven and succeeded in procuring the miraculous salvation which has become the Purim story we celebrate to this day.

How similar is our situation today! We too have placed our trust in politicians and armies that will come to our aid at our time of need, instead of trusting in G-d. As in ancient Persia, this approach has not been a wise course for the Jews.

But the key to our salvation lies in our hands!

If we have the vision and clarity to recognize that it is not a Secretary of State or any leader of the P5+1 who holds the key to our security, but Hashem our Father in heaven, we will be able to achieve the same result as we did in ancient Persia.

By Divine Providence, this Sunday is a major fast day for our People. Tisha B'Av is the saddest day on the Jewish calendar, being the date on which both the First and Second Temples were destroyed and millions were massacred, raped and exiled. We fast on this day in order to reconcile with our Maker.

Let's seize the opportunity of the fast of Tisha B'Av to really fast, rather than merely avoid eating. If we can focus our lack of food on the true source of our lives, a brief and powerful meditation will inspire us to Teshuva, to reconnect with Hashem and thus bring redemption and salvation to our nation as it did just twenty two centuries ago in Persia!

There's a lot of talk on both sides of the aisle about the deal with Iran this week, and emotional tensions are at an all time high. But I passionately believe that both arguments are completely missing the point.

At this epic moment in the history of our nation, we are faced with the option of making the exact same mistake that Jews have struggled with since their inception. Many of us believe that we are a nation like all others and that our security, like all other nations, is subject to the friendships, loyalties, and alliances of the nations that surround us.

But the thundering call of Moses to our People, rings loud and clear: If you will survive the vicissitudes of time, you must recall that you are a nation set apart, not governed by the laws that govern other nations: 'Hein am Levadad yiskoin uvagoyim lo yis'chashav'. Simply put, the laws of logic and nature dictate the survival of all other nations, but not the Jews.

So what then, pray tell, governs the survival of the Jews?

We utter this truth twice daily: Shma Yisrael Havayae Elokeinu..' Hear O Israel, Havaye is your power...' Chassidic Theology clarifies to us that the name of G-d, Havaye, represents G-d as He is not subject to the laws of time, space and nature. Indeed this name of G-d is comprised of the words past, present and future all into one word, signifying G-d as He controls nature and is not governed by it. It is this energy level from whence the Jews nurture their survival.

You don't have to take my word for it. Just look back at every war the Jews have fought since Israel declared independence in 1948. Doesn't it strike you as odd that we have survived against impossible odds, establishing Israel as one of the mightiest nations in the world!? 

How a nation the size of New Jersey can compete with China, USA and Russia is absolutely dumbfounding and somewhat disturbing. It defies all logic, all rhyme and reason, and can only be attributed to the reality that the survival of the Jews has nothing to do with the laws of nature, nothing to do with politics.

Indeed, Israel's first Prime Minister, David Ben Gurion famously said: 'In Israel, in order to be a realist you must believe in miracles.'

So, instead of fussing exclusively over the President's historic/notorious deal, take some time to reflect on your own identity as a Jew, and your personal connection to Hashem. Our strength depends not only on politics; history proves to us that it relies heavily on our spiritual connection as well!

At this significant moment in our national security, I urge you meditate on how you can actually make a tangible difference to the security of our people from those who desire to harm us. Light candles tonight before 7:58 PM, lay tefillin with us mornings at 7:30 AM or have a cup of coffee with me to discuss other options and ideas.

Of course, we must make every effort to take political steps with sure footing, and it's important to lobby your senators and congressmen as you feel necessary. But to think that the survival of Israel lies exclusively in the hands of politicians is to fall prey to the same mistake that Jews have made for thousands of years. Let's be smart. Lets do this one right!

Wishing you a Shabbos of Connection to our True Source,

Rabbi Dovid and Chana Vigler 

Last Shabbos we walked the Old City of Jerusalem where there has been a Jewish presence since the time of our Temple. The Jews were all expelled from there in 1948, after a heroic battle against the Jordanians in the War of Independence. Following a heavy siege, the Jews assembled in a square in the Old City where they surrendered to the Arabs. After kicking them out, the Jordanians proceeded to flatten the Jewish Quarter of the Old City in the hopes of the Jews never returning. 

As we reached the courtyard, I was moved to tears. Etched upon the wall was a prophecy of our prophet Zechariah uttered 2800 years ago (Zechariah 8:4-5): "Old men and old women will once again sit in the open places of Jerusalem, each one with his cane in his hand, because of their great age. The city's open places will also be full of boys and girls playing there." 

Wow! We were witnessing a biblical prophecy unfold before our very eyes. We could barely pass through the quaint alleyways and beautiful streets without bumping into little kinderlach with yarmulkes and peyos, into young girls singing and dancing in the courtyards and side streets, whilst their chatty bubbehs and smiling zeides supervised them from a distance. 

In another heartwarming experience, we were walking home late Friday night after an exhilarating Shabbos dinner on a rooftop overlooking the Western Wall, the Mount of Olives (oldest Jewish cemetery in the world) and most of Jerusalem, heading back to our hotel. It must’ve been close to 1:00 AM when we bumped into a young man and woman who asked us if we would like some mango juice. Seemed pretty random! Turns out that these two had just gotten married a day or two earlier and were still in the midst of their wedding celebrations. 

"Yet again there shall be heard in this place...the voice of joy and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom and the voice of the bride." (Jeremiah 33:10-11) 

Perhaps it was the generous l’chaims at dinner; perhaps it was the intoxicating view of all of Jewish History which surrounded us from that rooftop; or perhaps it was the novelty we sensed in meeting two apparent strangers on a Jerusalem Street corner just outside the city walls, celebrating their joy with us as brothers and sisters. Whatever the inspiration, we burst into spontaneous song and dance. The men locked arms with the groom; the women with the bride. For ten or fifteen minutes on that street corner in Jerusalem, our differences melted away as we celebrated with the young couple, expressing the joy of being in our homeland with our brethren. Indeed, last Friday Night at 1:00 AM, the sound of the groom and the sound of the bride rang loud and clear through the outskirts of Jerusalem as the prophecy promises! 

The promise of rebuilding and Jewish renewal is everywhere to be seen in the Holy Land. Even on the graffiti on this stop sign in Tel Aviv! Have you ever seen graffiti this classy?! Look closely at the attached photo we snapped..... 

We experienced both these prophecies fulfilled on a very sad day in the Jewish Calendar: the 17th of Tammuz is the day that the Romans breached the walls of Jerusalem as they prepared to burn her down entirely three weeks later in 69 CE. We still fast on this day and the three weeks between now and Tisha B'Av are days of mourning. Indeed, as part of our walking tour of the City, we actually walked over the fallen stones of the walls of Jerusalem that haven’t moved in the past 1946 years (they’re simply too heavy and they’re an archeological treasure). 

The Talmud tells us the story of four sages who walked by the ruins of the Holy Temple of Jerusalem soon after its destruction. Three of them burst into bitter tears, but the fourth, Rabbi Akiva, burst out laughing. Seeing their astonishment at his irreverence, Rabbi Akiva explained to his companions: "Just as I see the fulfillment of the prophecies of destruction, so too am I assured of the prophecies of rebuilding". One prophecy fulfilled assures us that the rest will be fulfilled too. 

The three rabbis responded to Rabbi Akiva: "Akiva you have comforted us; Akiva you have comforted us." May we experience the same. May the prophecies we witnessed with our own eyes and ears this last Shabbos inspire us all too, to say that just as these prophecies of rebuilding have been fulfilled, so too will all the other prophecies of Moshiach’s arrival and the era of world peace, harmony and G-dly revelation, be fulfilled speedily in our days too!