In 1967, we had almost a full month of preparation, spiritual, emotional and military. Of course as everyone knows, G-d changed the battle plans and even though the Israeli Government had ordered the IDF to preserve "status quo," we ended up liberating the Golan, Sinai, Judea, Samaria and the Jordan Valley. The alternative was to end up a state destroyed, a postscript in history, drowning in the Mediterranean Sea as per the plans of Egypt, Syria and Jordan.
The 1967 pre-war tension and threats by the Arabs, especially Egypt, gave us time to prepare, the military and prayers of Jews all over the world. The result was a feeling of Israeli invincibility, causing the incorrect analysis of military intelligence data that almost caused the destruction of the State of Israel. And an even more dangerous mistake in 1973 was relying on the United States of America. In Israel's previous wars for survival we had no allies, the 1948 War for Independence and the 1967 Six Days War.
The two greatest dangers in 1973, each alone caused a potential of defeat, were haughty overconfidence and American "advice."
Israeli wars, unlike those in any other part of the world, involving all other nations, have a very strong element of G-d's Plan. That means that classic military knowledge, training isn't what guides and predicts our victories and defeat, G-d forbid there should be a defeat. Sending our top IDF officers to American training is a mistake. They should be given time for religious training. Our victories are supernatural. By the time we civilians were breaking our Yom Kippur fast in 1973, it looked like the State of Israel would be history, but G-d helped us defeat our enemies.Read these stories, Faith Under Fire, to see the miracles and heroes of the Yom Kippur War.
4 comments:
I disagree with you in calling the Yom Kippur war a greater victory than the 6 Day War, both from a military and a Torah outlook point of view.
Militarily, we suffered major losses in 1973, the Bar Lev Line was a joke, and when it was all over, we let the Egyptian 3rd Army leave without surrender and handed back to Egypt the other side of the Suez Canal which we have overrun.
All this led afterward to Camp David, the destruction of Yamit, the recognition of the PLO, the Oslo Accords, the destruction of Gush Katif and the delegitimization campaign against Yehuda and Shomoron.
The War began on Yom Kippur. There could be no bigger slap in the face from the Ribbono Shel Olam to us than that!
We were handed Eretz Yisrael and more on a platter by Hashem in 1967 and we threw it - kiveyachol - back in his face.
And the Israeli idiots in charge and the masses have not learned a thing.
וכל הרשעה כלה כעשן תכלה, כי תעביר ממשלת זדון מן הארץ... ותמלוך אתה ה' לבדך על כל מעשך בהר ציון משכן כבודך
Recovering from that very near defeat was much, much more difficult than the speedy dramatic victory of 1967.
I fully agree with your comment, "Recovering from that very near defeat was much, much more difficult than the speedy dramatic victory of 1967."
I'm not sharing this as I have many friends abroad who don't keep Torah + mitzvot; don't want them reading this on Kippur.
Your blog is amazing Batya, as usual, spot on in my humble opinion!
My dear friend from Netivot. I feel good that you agree with me. Thank you. Gmar Chatimah Tovah.
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