When I write my weekly Parsha musings, I type it directly onto WhatsApp and disseminate from there.
Last week when I was trying to type my thoughts I couldn’t get the typing to work.
It kept jamming.
You might think this has to do with my lack of technological skills and you probably would be correct.
But the reason I was having such a hard time is that my phone was in constant action.
You see, I had signed up to participate in a WhatsApp group that was reciting consecutive Tehillim, chapters of Psalms.
This is an age old practice of the Jewish people to tap into the spiritual arsenal of the Psalms of King David.
His words are a powerful tool which can be used to combat evil, acquire heavenly merit and protection, while providing tranquillity to the soul.
During times of challenge, one of the first Jewish responses is to grab a Psalms, (called Tehillim in Hebrew) and tap into the heavenly assistance they provide. The Psalms can be recited in Hebrew or English.
In these difficult times, many are saying Tehillim.
The particular WhatsApp group I am referencing is open every day from 4 pm EST until midnight. This group was formed as a response to soldiers who said they need spiritual fortitude to continue to fight. Many of their operations take place from 11pm at night till 7am in the morning, so this group says Tehillim constantly during that time to inspire Heavenly protection.
We know that Prayer can change the reality and bring about miracles.
This week’s Torah portion is called Toldot.
It begins with the prayers of our matriarch Rifka and our Patriarch Yitzchok, colloquially known as Isaac and Rebecca.
They were praying to be blessed with a child. Rebecca was unable to conceive, and according to the natural course of events, she would not be able to have a child.
But the prayers they sent heavenward were so powerful, they were able to overturn the reality and create a new one, resulting in the birth of twins.
The word used in the portion is Vayeetar, and they prayed. That particular version of prayer is one that overturns the reality and creates a new one.
The Talmud teaches us that the root of Vayetar is the same root as the Hebrew word for pitchfork, an Eter.
Just as a pitchfork uproots the ground underneath and displaces and replaces it and moves it from place to place, so do the prayers of the righteous move Gd from the place of judging harshly to another place, judging with mercy.
These days have been very dark.
As we hear and read of the experiences of our brothers and sisters, our hearts are torn to shreds.
But there are many miracles that abound.
Let me share two with you.

The first was told by a woman who was at the concert on that fateful day. When she became aware of the danger she began to run. But the terrorists were closing in on her and the bullets were whizzing around her. At that moment she began to recite a chapter of Psalms by heart. She said to Gd that now there is nothing left for her to do and she puts herself in Gd’s hand. She crouched down on the floor, reciting her chapter of Psalms, and all of a sudden a car pulled up beside her, a door swung open, and a pair of hands pulled her in to safety.
The second story just happened.
A commander who is in Gaza shared that he participates with all the commanders prior to the day’s operations.
He entered the command post for the regular meeting and he saw the commanders were sitting in silence, ashen faced.
They told him they had just seen a feed generated by one of their drones.
In it they saw that three of their troop carrier tanks which is called a Namer and carries 12 soldiers at a time, were blown up.
The commanders were devastated.
36 more fatalities.
36 more families that will be rent asunder.
They were contemplating next steps when one of them received a call.
They watched as he started yelling into the phone, how are you alive, we just saw your tanks explode.
The soldier said we were just involved in an open miracle.
This soldier was in the first tank and he said that his tank malfunctioned, the rotator belt broke.
They didn’t want to be sitting ducks so all 12 soldiers jumped out and ran to safety. The tank right behind saw them and thought something was wrong and they jumped out too.
Then the same thing happened in the third tank.
All three groups of soldiers ran to safety and then all three tanks blew up and not one of the soldiers were hurt.
The soldier said they had been in an open miracle.
The commander said this open miracle is a result of all the prayers and mitzvot, all the unity that is being created, is creating a shield of protection.
We need to keep up the spiritual fight side by side with the warfare on the front, our soldiers are counting on us.
As I’ve been writing this, the texts indicating the recitation of Tehillim keep pouring in.
I know if I shut off notifications it would allow the smoother functioning of my phone.
But every ping is a reminder, a volley of purity against the darkness that threatens to engulf us.
A tangible message to keep up our end of the fight.
This is the month of Kislev, the month of Chanukah, the holiday of light overcoming darkness, a holiday of miracles.
May our prayers help make it so.
Shabbat Shalom and so much love!