Aron Moss
Question: Are you watching what's going on in Syria? After rebels overthrew the Assad government, the IDF has gone in and obliterated the Syrian weapon supplies. Israeli tanks are seen on the outskirts of Damascus. This seems to be hugely significant. On the other hand, we don't know who these rebels really are and what their next move will be. What do you think this all means for Israel?
Response: It's actually not so hard to predict. What is happening is very good for Israel and the world. We have long ago been told what to expect.
It was October 1973, two weeks into the Yom Kippur War. After suffering heavy losses from the surprise attack, things were turning in Israel's favour, as IDF troops were advancing into Egypt and Syria.
A group of Israeli diplomats came to see the Rebbe in New York, and he asked them to pass on an urgent request to the Israeli government: Israel must conquer Damascus, even for a day, or a few hours. Israel entering this bastion of Arab confidence would dramatically alter the balance of power in the Middle East for years to come.
The Rebbe explained that conquering Damascus would achieve two goals: the rescue of Israeli captives, and the collapse of the Syrian regime. As long as the government in Damascus stood strong, the Rebbe argued, there would be no peace with the Arab world.
The diplomats were surprised by this advice. The IDF viewed Egypt as the greater threat to Israel's security, and yet the Rebbe advocated focusing on the Syrian front. Today we understand why, as Syria served as the lynchpin for Iran's axis of resistance against Israel, connecting Iran with her proxies in Lebanon. Syria indeed posed a greater threat to Israel than Egypt.
But quite apart from the military gains, there was a deeper reason to conquer Damascus.
There is a beautiful and dramatic prayer that we say once a year, on Hoshana Rabba, the day before Simchat Torah. It is a prayer asking G-d to send us Moshiach, the Messiah, and the final redemption. We address Jerusalem, saying, “Extend your habitations as far as Damascus, receive your sons and daughters.”
This is based on a vision of the prophet Zechariah, who said, “Damascus will be His abode”. The Talmudic sage Rabbi Yose, a native of Damascus, explained this to mean that Jerusalem would one day stretch all the way to Damascus.
The Rebbe wanted to see this prophecy fulfilled, even in part. He pointed out the startling fact that the Hebrew spelling of Damascus has the same letters as the Hebrew word for the Temple: מקדש =דמשק . The Temple represents peace on earth, when all nations will work together in harmony. Damascus symbolized the opposition to that utopian goal. The negative energy of Damascus needs to be rearranged to bring back the Temple. If Israeli soldiers marched on Damascus, the evil regime would fall, paving the way for a new age in the Middle East and the entire world.
Back in 1973, the Israeli leadership did not heed the Rebbe's advice. But his words are being fulfilled now, with the fall of Damascus, and the presence of the IDF in its suburbs. May this bring about true peace, and the return of all our captives, the sons and daughters that we have been waiting to receive. Even more, may it bring about the final redemption, when the light of Jerusalem will reach Damascus and beyond.
