Rabbi Eliyahu Links Lebanon Blasts to Bible, Sees Divine Intervention in Redemption Process

Rabbi Shmuel Eliyahu, a prominent figure in Religious Zionism and the Chief Rabbi of Safed, offered a special Rosh Hashanah message reflecting on the past year, which he described as difficult but filled with miracles and signs of redemption. He connected recent explosions of Hezbollah tunnels in Lebanon to biblical verses, interpreting them as divine retribution against Israel's enemies.

"We felt the earth shaking as all our enemies are buried under the rubble of Lebanon," Rabbi Eliyahu stated, referencing Psalm 2:9, "You shall shatter them with a rod of iron, like a potter’s vessel you shall break them apart." He further likened the events to Psalm 29:6, "He makes them dance like a calf; Lebanon and Sirion like young wild oxen," emphasizing that these biblical prophecies are being fulfilled literally.

Rabbi Eliyahu views these events as tangible evidence of a "great redemption" process unfolding for the people of Israel. He urged the public not to become accustomed to these significant occurrences, stressing that they are a call to awaken from complacency and recognize God's ongoing intervention.

Discussing Rosh Hashanah, he explained that even without the actual sounding of the shofar on Shabbat, its spiritual significance remains potent. He described the "great shofar of the Holy One, blessed be He" as calling the people of Israel to leave exile and return home. He also highlighted prophecies concerning the rebuilding of Israel, not just the return, and the increasing numbers of Jews ascending to Jerusalem, anticipating a future worship on the Temple Mount.

Concluding his message, Rabbi Eliyahu offered a blessing of "even better and even better" for the new year, pointing to the "amazing miracles" of the past three years. He noted that while Iran attacks other nations, it refrains from attacking Israel, attributing this to divine protection, as stated in Deuteronomy 28:10, "and all peoples of the earth shall see that the name of the LORD is called upon you, and they shall fear you."