Israel On The Moon, Davka After "New Moon" Shabbat

By now I guess everyone knows that Israel's landing on the moon was a crash-landing. We do things with a bang, of course. Seriously, it was a great accomplishment, and only three countries, all much larger and wealthier than Israel did better.

When just a few meters to the moon, a super tiny fraction of the entire impossible journey from earth to moon, there were engine and communication problems, and the spacecraft crashed.

In the universe of space travel research, Israel's attempt is a great success and very unique. Unlike the other attempts, Israel's space industry is not a government project. It's a department of a company, Israel Aerospace Industries, IAI.

I'm not at all qualified to discuss the technical stuff, but I couldn't get over the timing. Just last Shabbat we celebrated Rosh Chodesh Nissan. Every Rosh Chodesh celebrates the New Moon, the new month. And it was also, Parshat HaChodesh, when we celebrate the first Mitzvah Gd gave to us as a People, The Jewish People. The phases of the moon keep us on track, tell us when our months begin and holidays will fall.

Gd created all of this in the universe, and it is brilliant. The cycle of the moon, and the earth revolving around the sun. The Jewish Calendar integrates these different and conflicting cycles very accurately and successfully. No other religion, culture does it. And none of our ancient foes still exists, while we, the Jewish People in the State of Israel thrive in the modern world, Baruch Hashem.

In just a week we celebrate Passover, Pesach, the holiday in which we're commanded to tell our history to all and make us relate to the narrative, as if we personally escaped slavery to Pharaoh in Egypt and then began the journey to the Promised Land, the Land of Our Forefathers, the Land Gd gave us, and only us, the Jewish People.

Shabbat HaGadol Shalom

May You have a Truly Awesome Shabbat