I was unaware at the time that the hijacking occurred on Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, the holiest day in the Jewish calendar.

Hashem, the name we use for G-d when not in prayer, performed another Yom Kippur miracle as He did during the Yom Kippur War of 1973 when Israel was attacked on Yom Kippur by its Arab neighbors. And, of course, who can forget the Six-Day War in 1967, a war that lasted only six days because the seventh day is a day of rest.

I have no doubts that if it weren’t for Hashem watching over Israel, and protecting it, Israel would not be in existence today.

Has It Gone to My Head?

Many feel that religion has gone to my head, but living here in Israel, I cannot begin to explain how I feel Hashem’s presence all the time, more so when I am in Jerusalem.

It is a certain calmness in the air, the tingling and goosebumps I get, the peace I feel, the miracles I see and hear about in the news on a daily basis.

In spite of everything that goes on here, I feel He is looking over us. Of course there have been terrorist attacks and casualties of war, but considering how Israel has been outnumbered in its weaponry, planes and troops, and its physical area and population form a fraction of a fraction of that of its enemies, it is a miracle that Israel has survived at all.

A Certain Massacre Avoided

Over 40,000 metric tons (100 million pounds) of radioactive nuclear-contaminated sand was headed for Israel on an Iranian ship, according to the Russian government. Had this dirty bomb reached Israel’s shores, I probably would not be alive today to write you all about it.

The ship was hijacked by Somalian pirates who usually go after commercial ships and hold them and their cargoes and crews for ransom. Within three days of the time the pirates boarded the Iranian ship and opened the cargo container, all 40 pirates developed serious skin burns and loss of hair, and within two weeks, 16 of the 40 were dead.

I honestly believe that the hijacking, which occurred on Yom Kippur, was another miracle performed by Hashem (G-d) to protect Israel.

The Iranians had been counting on the winds from the Mediterranean Sea to spread the radioactive sand all over Israel. According to the Russians, the radioactive sand, which was obtained by Iran from China, was sealed in containers that were to be set off by charges and explode in the air. Because of the prevailing winds, the radioactive cloud would arrive on Israeli shores. The death toll would have been tremendous, and those who may have survived, would be seriously ill the rest of their lives.

It is only a miracle that the intended outcome did not occur.

I thank Hashem for performing that miracle, for protecting those of us here in Israel from Iran who has threatened to wipe us off the map.

L'hitraot. Shachar

Shachar is the Hebrew name of a California-based attorney and former Los Angeles County Sheriff’s deputy who moved to Israel last year.