Forever

How long is forever? How long is eternity? How long is it when you say that something will last forever?

I have an idea — when I look at how long Israel has survived, dispersed among the nations, while mighty empires have disappeared, it makes me think about forever.

There is a blessing in the evening prayer, that G-d guards His nation Israel forever.

Just looking back at the last seventy-seven years, after a devastating holocaust, Israel fought numerous wars in which many soldiers sacrificed their lives defending Israel. Yet the Jewish nation survived.

There was the miraculous war when Israel defeated three armies in just six days.

And in the Yom Kippur War, the Lubavitcher Rebbe pointed out the great miracle that occurred. Egyptians had broken through Israel’s defence lines at the Suez Canal, and there was nothing to stop them from proceeding to Tel Aviv; but they stopped for a few days, giving Israel time to regroup and attack.

Why did they stop? The Rebbe said that there was even a lesson from military history, when Germany broke through the Maginot line in World War II and kept going to conquer France. They returned only later to mop up the line. Egypt could have done the same thing. Why didn’t they? The Rebbe explained, that  G-d confused them.

And then came October 7. The massacre was devastating, but miraculously Israel survived.

What was the miracle? According to news reports, captured plans showed that Hamas was not supposed to attack by themselves. For years there had been discussions between Hamas, Hezbollah and Iran that they would attack together. It would have overwhelmed Israel. But G-d confused Hamas to go it alone, and then confused Hezbollah and Iran to not jump in. This gave Israel the time it needed to regroup, and to counterattack. Thus Israel was miraculously saved.

It’s been two thousand years since the Jewish people have been dispersed in exile; and throughout those years, G-d, Who is eternal and Who rules over everything, protected the Jewish nation to survive, and to be a light to the world.

On Chanukah, we light the menorah, adding more light each day, to illuminate the darkness outside; reminding us of the miracle when G-d saved us, and continues to save us, from our enemies. And we remember also the spiritual miracle of the pure olive oil, which was only enough to last for one day, yet it lasted for eight days, until they were able to prepare new pure oil.

The light of the menorah reminds us that very soon G-d will bring all the Jewish people back to Israel in our complete Redemption with Moshiach, and we will light a menorah in the eternal Beis Hamikdosh — the holy Temple that will last forever, and the light of the menorah will shine to all the nations, lighting up the world and bringing peace and prosperity forever.

May it happen very soon.