To some, this may seem like coincidence...or "dumb luck", but if you ask those who were there, it was the hand of G-d.
Last night at 1:30 AM, my wife asked me what all the beeping noises were that were emanating from my emergency medical pager. Reading it, I got the news that a Palestinian Qassam rocket landed in the middle of the Zikim IDF base, about 3 minutes from Northern Gaza...that that there were many wounded soldiers. A "Mass Casualty Event" was declared, and all nearby EMTs and paramedics were instructed to respond.
Far away in the Shomron there was nothing for me to do, but go back to sleep.
Around 7 AM, I sent an SMS to a neighbor "Qassam fell in Zikim, dozens wounded" (we frequently update each other on news going on around Israel), and he called me back within a minute. "No kidding," he said, "there were 67 wounded soldiers...I got the call at 3:30 AM from my son...I'm here in the hospital with him in Ashelon....Baruch HaShem he's OK...very minor injury...should be home for Rosh Hashana."
He proceeded to tell me how the soldiers sleep outside in tents, and have 10 seconds from the time the "Tzeva Adom"/Code Red missile alert system goes off, till the rocket lands. The soldiers were all sleeping soundly when the alert went off at 1:30 AM, and most barely woke up from it.
The rocket landed smack in the middle of the tent camp where everyone was sleeping...and directly hit a tent, exploding into the concrete floor which sent shrapnel flying through canvas tent walls in all directions.
However, of all the tents the rocket could have hit, which were all full of sleeping soldiers, the tent the rocket landed in...was strangely enough...the only empty tent.
Granted, 69 soldiers were hurt, and some are in moderate condition**...but a direct hit on any other tent would have resulted in many deaths, and many more serious injuries.
Israel's leaders are reason enough for us not to deserve miracles -- if only due to their lack of resolve to protect our citizens. Yet it's almost impossible to live in Eretz Yisrael and not see the hand of G-d, even if we are undeserving.
Teshuva-Repentance on Rosh Hashana is not necessarily the most logical of concepts. Even if we don't deserve it, if we make an effort, we are promised help from G-d.
Living here isn't the most logical of places either...and yet, we still see miracles from time to time.
Shana Tova.
Read about the rocket attack here.
Last night at 1:30 AM, my wife asked me what all the beeping noises were that were emanating from my emergency medical pager. Reading it, I got the news that a Palestinian Qassam rocket landed in the middle of the Zikim IDF base, about 3 minutes from Northern Gaza...that that there were many wounded soldiers. A "Mass Casualty Event" was declared, and all nearby EMTs and paramedics were instructed to respond.
Far away in the Shomron there was nothing for me to do, but go back to sleep.
Around 7 AM, I sent an SMS to a neighbor "Qassam fell in Zikim, dozens wounded" (we frequently update each other on news going on around Israel), and he called me back within a minute. "No kidding," he said, "there were 67 wounded soldiers...I got the call at 3:30 AM from my son...I'm here in the hospital with him in Ashelon....Baruch HaShem he's OK...very minor injury...should be home for Rosh Hashana."
He proceeded to tell me how the soldiers sleep outside in tents, and have 10 seconds from the time the "Tzeva Adom"/Code Red missile alert system goes off, till the rocket lands. The soldiers were all sleeping soundly when the alert went off at 1:30 AM, and most barely woke up from it.
The rocket landed smack in the middle of the tent camp where everyone was sleeping...and directly hit a tent, exploding into the concrete floor which sent shrapnel flying through canvas tent walls in all directions.
However, of all the tents the rocket could have hit, which were all full of sleeping soldiers, the tent the rocket landed in...was strangely enough...the only empty tent.
Granted, 69 soldiers were hurt, and some are in moderate condition**...but a direct hit on any other tent would have resulted in many deaths, and many more serious injuries.
Israel's leaders are reason enough for us not to deserve miracles -- if only due to their lack of resolve to protect our citizens. Yet it's almost impossible to live in Eretz Yisrael and not see the hand of G-d, even if we are undeserving.
Teshuva-Repentance on Rosh Hashana is not necessarily the most logical of concepts. Even if we don't deserve it, if we make an effort, we are promised help from G-d.
Living here isn't the most logical of places either...and yet, we still see miracles from time to time.
Shana Tova.
Read about the rocket attack here.
** Unfortunately, it may not be a condolence to the parents to the 1 fatality, or the soldiers who were moderately wounded (I'm aware of one that lost an eye, and one that lost a foot), yet I somberly say...with all the empathy possible...it could have been much, much worse had it hit any of the occupied tents.
Wherever I am, my blog turns towards Eretz Yisrael
6 comments:
Wow! Thanks for sharing this story.
wow, definitely a miracle.
shana tova, ketivah v'chatimah tova.
Ketiva veChatima Tova to everyone!
*whoa*
and a shana tova umetuka to all.
Nissim v'niflaot b'chol yom...
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