Beit Midrash
- Sections
- Chemdat Yamim
- Parashat Hashavua
- Torah Portion and Tanach
- Bereshit
- Miketz
Miracles in bunches continued in the days of Yehoshua, who conquered most of Eretz Yisrael. The period started with the splitting of the Jordan. The walls of Jericho fell by miracle, and boulders fell from the sky in battle around the slopes of Beit Choron, at which time Yehoshua proclaimed that the sun and moon stop their progress (Yehoshua 10:12). During that war, he defeated the southern kings, including those of Yerushalayim and Lachish (ibid. 10:5). It is likely that these miracles occurred during the month of Nisan. Hundreds of years later, a miracle killed the formidable army of Sancheriv overnight (Melachim II, 19:35). The final miracle that made it into Tanach is the story of Esther, in the Persian period, soon before the sealing of Tanach. This also occurred on Pesach.
On Chanuka, we publicize the miracles and thank Hashem for the "miracles … and the salvations, and the wonders that You did for our fathers in those days at this time." Those days were in the times of the Hasmoneans, and this time refers to Chanuka (and similarly, for Purim a few months later), which is prominent on our calendars.
Since Simchat Torah 5784, in the various campaigns against powerful enemies, including Iran and its satellite armies, we have seen highly unusual miracles. This makes it crucial to thank Hashem and take an active part in the salvation and ensuring the future of the independent Jewish state. We must also guard carefully our national unity, which is necessary for divine assistance.
Now we will look at the common denominator between many of the miracles we mentioned above, in the realm of geography – drawing a route from Gilgal near the Jordan River, to Ay, to the path of today’s Hgwy. 443, through Ma’aleh Beit Choron, to Lachish and Yerushalayim.
After Yehoshua defeated Ay, five kings attacked our allies, the Givonim. Yehoshua pulled out of Gilgal, passed Ay, and attacked these kings, who were fleeing to the flatlands (Yehoshua 10:11-13). The miracle of the sun and moon "freezing" in place was witnessed by the world, creating a great kiddush Hashem. Sancheriv was to take a similar path as Yehoshua did, and his army’s sudden disappearance also created a stir in the world. Unfortunately, despite the generally great leadership of Chizkiyahu, who could have become Mashiach, they lost the chance when they did not properly thank Hashem.
The world thus did not become spiritually fixed. Therefore, it was necessary hundreds of years later, for the Hasmoneans to fight and defeat the Seleucid Greeks, with one of the most central battles being on the slopes of Beit Choron.
The miracles we have seen in these past two years are in many ways greater than those of the Hasmoneans, and they arguably can be compared to biblical miracles. May we find the wisdom to thank Hashem properly for the miracles and take part with Hashem in them.
