Ribono Shel Olam: Please... 

You know the famous prayer - G-d grant me the Serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the Courage to change the things I can, and the Wisdom to know the difference. As Jews, we recognize that for those things that we can change, we need to put in effort (HISHTADLUS), but we know that we might succeed or fail, and that success might be with a helping hand from G-d, either obvious or subtle. 

And then there are things we cannot change. Situations in which we feel powerless. Impotent. Take the MATZAV in Israel today, these many past months, and who knows how much more. Is this a "thing I cannot change" or that which I can? Very important question. We need much wisdom to come to the correct assessment of the situation. We can turn to G-d in prayer and beg Him to save us from what is going on. He can respond positively to our pleas... or not. That's His decision. Our job is to put the effort in and hope and pray for His help. 

In our thrice-daily Amida (four times on Shabbat, Chag, and Rosh Chodesh) we call G-d MELECH, the King, who is (sometimes) OZEIR (helps), U'MOSHI'A (redeems, saves), U'MAGEIN (protects). OZEIR implies that we are capable of our own effort, which can then be helped out by G-d. MOSHI'A implies that we are not able to get ourselves out of trouble, and we are asking G-d for more than help. We want and need Him to save our helpless selves completely. MAGEIN asks G-d for even more than being saved. We pray that He will protect us from getting into trouble in the first place. 

Each of these levels of G-d's involvement in our lives — as individuals and as Klal Yisrael — requires a different amount of Z'CHUS (merit). It could be that a person, or the people as a whole, merits being saved (or at least to be helped along), but does not have sufficient merit to be spared the threatening situation. Apparently, this was the status of the Jewish People in the time of Mordechai and Esther. 

Is that what happens daily in Israel these days? Do some people lack the merit to be saved or helped? Do some have the merit to miraculously survive a terror attack? Do we as a people lack the merit to be spared the constant threats and fears of the MATZAV? 

Herein lies a way of changing even that which we cannot change directly. We can build up Z'CHUYOT for ourselves and Klal Yisrael. Reach the point of Torah and mitzvot, and Jewish Unity that will merit G-d's help, salvation, AND protection.