An amazing story was told by Rabbi Shlomo Landau. It’s common practice in the army for Israeli soldiers to light a match and bring it to a can of tuna in oil when they’re off duty. The oil ignites and the fire smokes the tuna. There was a group of soldiers at a refugee camp in Gaza, and one soldier lit his can of tuna, forgetting that during wartime, the circumstances are different.
A soldier next to him quickly reminded him of the live ammunition next to him. He tossed the tuna can about 200 feet away, and when it landed, it triggered a tremendous explosion! The soldiers on their lunch break all draw their guns and start shooting at that area.
When they stop shooting, they see a white flag rising from underground. A group of Hamas terrorists had been gathered near an opening to their tunnel, waiting to pounce on this battalion of soldiers. Assuming they had been attacked when the tuna set off all their live ammunition, they emerged from the ground, hands raised in the air.
This extraordinary story is a testament to the belief that sometimes, seemingly ordinary moments carry extraordinary significance. Once again, we see the Hand of Hashem is intricately woven into the fabric of this war.
Reprinted from the Parashat Vayishlach 5785 email of Jack E. Rahmey based on the Torah teachings of Rabbi Amram Sananes.
