Midnight Hammer

 B”H

Netanyahu and Trump have both mentioned just how appropriately named was Operatiom Midnight Hammer, which hammered Iran’s nuclear facilities on the night of June 22-23, 2025. On that historic day, I was supposed to be in Israel on vacation with family. My plans were changed last minute given the circumstances, and instead I found myself in Porto, Portugal. To my surprise, June 23, 2025 was also the day of the largest and most important Portuguese festival of the year: “Festa de S. João.” The festival has quite a unique custom, in which everyone hits each other over the head with plastic hammers awaiting the fireworks at midnight. For the Portuguese, Operation Midnight Hammer was also quite appropriately named… and timed.

75,000

B”H

Based on the latest reports from international organizations and health ministries, the estimated minimum number of people killed across the primary theaters of the Israel-Gaza conflict since October 7, 2023, is around 75,000, which appears to be straight out of the Purim story:

“And the rest of the Jews who were in the king's provinces assembled and protected themselves and had rest from their enemies and slew their foes, seventy-five thousand, but upon the spoil they did not lay their hands.” (Esther 9:16)

וּשְׁאָ֣ר הַיְּהוּדִ֡ים אֲשֶׁר֩ בִּמְדִינ֨וֹת הַמֶּ֜לֶךְ נִקְהֲל֣וּ | וְעָמֹ֣ד עַל־נַפְשָׁ֗ם וְנ֨וֹחַ֙ מֵאֹ֣יְבֵיהֶ֔ם וְהָרוֹג֙ בְּשֹׂ֣נְאֵיהֶ֔ם חֲמִשָּׁ֥ה וְשִׁבְעִ֖ים אָ֑לֶף וּבַ֨בִּזָּ֔ה לֹ֥א שָֽׁלְח֖וּ אֶת־יָדָֽם:

Netzach: Rebbe Nachman’s Yahrzeit

 B”H

It’s important to note that the ceasefire is taking effect on the 18th of Tishrei, Chai Tishrei, Rebbe Nachman’s Yahrzeit,

The spiritual guest (Ushpiz) of the Sukkah for today is Moshe Rabbeinu, who led the Jewish people out of Egyptian captivity. The Sefirah connected to Moshe is Netzach, which is also the Sefirah connected to Rebbe Nachman: Nitzachti v’Anatzeach

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rR1y20sjI5s

היום אם בקולו תשמעו

בעת נעילת שער

כי פנה היום

פתח אליהו ואמר

זה לא הדף

זה היום.