King Sihon and Hamas: Threats over the Postponed Jerusalem Parade

Yesterday the Israeli Knesset accepted a coalition that replaces the Netanyahu headed government that was in place for 12 years in the state of Israel. Whether or not this new government will succeed has yet to be seen but there are several important spiritual aspects to consider at the moment. One of these shows a parallel that is shown in the Parsha for this coming Shabbat. Parsha Chukat, the chapters in the Torah that speak of the Red Heifer, the death of Miriam, the second striking of the rock by Moses, Edom’s refusal to let Israel pass through their land, Aaron’s death and the passing on of the high priesthood to Eliezar his son, the event of fiery serpents after complaints about the food, the bronze serpent created by Moshe and raised to save the people, the appeal to King Sihon of the Amorites to let Israel pass through his land and the refusal and consequent battle with the Amorites and Israel’s conquest of the land from Jabbok to the children of Ammon. That are a lot of happenings and just so, today in Israel a lot is happening.

Tomorrow, Tuesday June 15, 2021 a flag parade celebrating the historic Israeli take-over of East Jerusalem during the six day war of 1967. The event is usually scheduled on the Hebrew anniversary, which this year was May 10, but was postponed until after the 11 days’ war last month. Israelis will again march through Jerusalem tomorrow if they do not bend and sway to the threats of terrorist organizations. If they march, Hamas and other terror groups are threatening war, again! They claim the right to the entire land of Israel for what the world knows as the Palestinians who are located in Gaza and the West Bank. Hamas declares that Israel is occupying land that belongs to them. They have threatened time and again to push Israel into the sea, claiming that Israel has no right to exist. Hamas has stated that Jerusalem belongs to them and should be the Palestinian capital, not the capital of Israel. And so the flag parade has given them an excuse to bomb Israel again! But how does this fit the Parsha? It fits only in the sense that King Sihon refused to let Israel march through his land promising to neither to pass into any of the vineyards or drink the water there.

But tomorrow is and must be a different story! The entire land of Israel was given to the descendants of Abraham, Isaac and Yacov. Jerusalem is God’s Holy City. And the evil minions of Hamas claim it for themselves. The story is much bigger and more significant this time. This time it is not about asking permission to go through someone else’s land. This time the disputed land is Jerusalem which is indisputably the ancestral capital of the heritage of the sons of Israel. How dare they threaten war over that which belongs to Hashem! The terrorists are barking up the wrong tree here ! May we see the place where Hashem placed His Holy Name exalted and exonerated! What will Hashem have to say about this? We dare not cancel this event, we must go forth in the Name of Heaven!

I ask, if they start to bomb us tomorrow, will the earth open up and swallow Hamas and all those who hate Israel? We don’t know the mind of God in these matters but we DO know that this is an unholy attack on Hashem himself.

King Sihon attacked Israel in Numbers 21 and as a result “Israel smote him with the edge of the sword and took possession of his land” (vs 24), “and Israel settled in all the Amorite cities, In Heshbon and all it suburbs.”(25) May Israel now do the same thing! Take back that which was given to the forefathers, for all time!

I pray for our leaders that they will not be intimidated by the evil threats of Hamas and the dictates of the evil Amalek in the rest of the world. They must recognize that this is a war in which Hashem has a part to play. This possible war will require trust and cooperation with Heaven. We must not back down for the sake of Heaven! Go forth and conquer! Push back our borders, take over that which belongs to us from our God-given past.