One of the brachos we recite nightly during Chanukah is the Al HaNisim, thanking Hashem for the miracles He bestowed upon us and declaring that these miracles happened “in those days, as well as in our own times” – ba’yamim haheim ba’zman hazeh.
One needs to question: Why do we recite this brachah only for Chanukah and Purim? What about Pesach, when we should thank Hashem for the spectacular miracles we witnessed with the Ten Plagues and the splitting of the Red Sea? Why is no brachah recited for those miracles?
I believe the answer lies in the fact that precisely because the nature of the miracles of Chanukah and Purim were much less obvious than the events in Egypt, we must declare our recognition of those miracles. Purim was totally shrouded in mystery, as nothing was clear about the unfolding saga of Esther and Achashveirosh and the ascendency of Mordechai over Haman. Things looked bleak for the Jews until Haman was suddenly deposed by the king. Then the Jewish fortunes began to change, and their world turned upside down in their favor.
Chanukah was also a miracle that could have been attributed to the military genius of the Chashmona’im in defeating the Syrian-Greek armies. It was only once the Menorah remained lit for eight days that the Jews realized that they had experienced a miracle.
And that is what we pray for today: that the same miracles that occurred with Purim and Chanukah in a hidden fashion should occur with us today.
And we certainly are witnessing our share of miracles. The return of the hostages, both dead and alive, is miraculous. Rav Danino, father of Uri Danino Hy”d, killed in Gaza, explained in a speech that the fact that his son was brought to kever Yisrael was a miracle in itself.
We can also look at small miracles politically. Germany and Greece announced a major purchase of arms from Israel. Argentina remains a strong ally of Israel. And Bolivia just announced a joint relationship with Israel.
On the local front, a minor miracle just happened with the mayor-elect. A group of rabbis – most of whom were highly critical of Mamdani, including Rabbis Elliot Cosgrove (Conservative) of Park Avenue Synagogue, Ammiel Hirsch (Reform), and Conservative Rabbi Joseph Potasnik – had a meeting with Mamdani and walked away saying they were “very heartened” by the meeting. However, they were not permitted to discuss any details.
So, who knows. Maybe, miraculously, Mr. Mamdani may not be the ominous threat to the Jewish community that worried so many of us. That would be a miracle worth praising.
I was hoping to end on a good note, but then we received word of the horrific mass murder by two Muslim men in Bondi Beach, Australia. We did not witness the ba’zman hazeh, a miraculous conclusion to that murderous plot. Instead, we witnessed the awful results of neglect of Jewish concerns by Australian Prime Minister Albanese. “Globalize the intifada” had real results. The Australian government did nothing to halt the weekly mass demonstrations against Israel. Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu was right to blame Albanese for his weakness, especially in rewarding terror with recognition of a Palestinian state. This tragedy also brings to light that these protests are not simply anti-Zionist, but strictly anti-Semitic, as these victims were singled out only because they were Jews.
This horror highlights the fact that while we still pray for miraculous events to happen nowadays, we must remain forever vigilant, as miracles may not occur for us as they did during the days of the Chashmona’im. We may not be so deserving.
Yet we still cling to the hope that better days are ahead, and indeed we will see the miracles we so long for.
Rabbi Yoel Schonfeld is the Rabbi Emeritus of the Young Israel of Kew Gardens Hills, President of the Coalition for Jewish Values, former President of the Vaad Harabonim of Queens, and the Rabbinic Consultant for the Queens Jewish Link.
