A Grandmother was walking...
along the beach with her grandson, when along came a gigantic wave crashed in from the sea and swept the boy away. The grandmother was frantic and as two lifeguards plunged into the surf looking for the child, she fervently prayed to G-d for Divine assistance. Her prayers were answered favorably as the next wave deposited her darling grandson on the sand at her feet. She scooped him up in a smothering hug, turned her eyes heavenward, and said to G-d, "He had a hat!"

Please know with certainty that beginning this week's Lead Tidbit is not meant to trivialize the terrible losses we have sustained in the past month. It is just an attempt to share a wistful smile with you and to draw analogies to a much more serious situation.

It would have been nice (to put it mildly) if we would have sustained no casualties in the long and intensive rain of Katyusha rockets. It would have been great had the IDF not suffered any losses during their fight for our safety and security. That was not to be.

With deepfelt condolences to the families who lost loved ones, and with prayers for Refu'ah Sh'leima to the many injured soldiers and civilians, and with our petitions to G-d for the safe return of the captives, we must also be thankful to G-d for our being spared far worse. The reality is bad enough; the potential would have been utterly devastating.

We're not yet at Nitzavim, but the pasuk that must be with us is HANISTAROT LASHEM ELOKEINU. We do not and cannot know everything about what happens to us. Those mysteries belong to G-d. It would have been wonderful to dance in the streets in celebration of open miracles... but this we (should) know: You (we) are the children of the G-d... For you (we) are a holy people... and G-d has chosen you (us) to be a special people to Himself, above all the nations that are upon the earth.

It isn't always easy to "keep faith", but if we lose it, we have truly lost. It would be trite to say that things could have been worse; so we won't say it. The road to the Geula is rocky, but we must remain firmly on it.

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