The days are the month of Av 5750 (1990), about thirty years ago. Iraq invades Kuwait, igniting global tensions. A coalition of countries, led by the United States, prepares for war with Iraq, while it issues threats against Israel.
The headlines in the newspapers sow fear: "Foreign citizens evacuated, flights to Israel suspended." The dictator's threats from Iraq also become headlines: "Saddam: My missiles have atomic, biological and chemical capabilities.".
The international coalition issues an ultimatum to Saddam. Near the expiration date, Israeli security officials decide to cancel school classes and instruct citizens to stay home.
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To trust and obey
In those days, the Jewish world looked to the Lubavitcher Rebbe.
""What does the Rebbe say?" Chabad followers everywhere are asked. And the Rebbe delivers a clear and decisive message: do not be afraid, do not flee the land, continue to travel to it. He declares over and over again: "The Land of Israel is the safest place.".
These are the things the Rebbe says to everyone who asks. To worried mothers, to public leaders, to delegation representatives. An American rabbi asks: "Everyone is worried about Israel, and wants to hear what to do. What should I tell them?".
The Rebbe replies firmly: "I wish the whole world had as much health and as much good news as in the Land of Israel.".
We all know the end. 39 missiles were fired from Iraq at Israel, but they caused marginal damage in terms of the existence of the state. The casualties were minimal. More people died from improperly donning gas masks or from anxiety.
But alongside the confidence that the Rebbe radiated and the reassuring messages he sent, he unequivocally ordered that the authorities' instructions be obeyed. The Rebbe explained that in practical terms, one must act according to the warnings of the authorities, but in terms of the feelings of the heart, one must be filled with confidence and faith that the Land of Israel is the safest place.
Eliminate the anxieties
Many still ask today: "What would the Rebbe say?".
We believe that his words about God's special protection over the Land of Israel and about the need to feel complete confidence in the Creator of the world, not to fear or intimidate - are valid even now.
Of course, we must follow the instructions of the Ministry of Health without any pretense. The natural means of defense are the tools that God wants us to use. Trusting in God does not mean recklessness, exposing ourselves to dangers and causing risk to others. The Torah itself, which is the Torah of Life, instructs us to obey the instructions of medical experts, and not to disregard them, God forbid.
However, anxieties and fears must be dispelled. We are in the safest place in the world, sheltered under the protective umbrella of the Creator of the world and its Leader. This is a land where "the eyes of the Lord your God are upon it from the beginning of the year to the end of the year," and divine protection here is more intense than anywhere else.
The lockdown regulations make it difficult to organize for the upcoming Passover, but we will celebrate it joyfully, under the existing conditions. There will be fewer guests and fewer new dishes, but the people of Israel celebrated Passover under much more difficult circumstances. We will celebrate the holiday and pray that from this lockdown we will all emerge into true freedom, into complete redemption.
