Shavuah Tov! May this week bring us miracles of redemption as it did to our ancestors 3,500 years ago.
Passover begins on Wednesday evening, and as we recite during Seder, there was a lot of darkness immediately before the redemption into freedom. I believe that we can all take solace in that historical event at this time, for although it seems as if we are in a time of darkness, I believe this is merely the preface to a long-lasting peace for Israel and the region.
And the last 36 hours have seen some darkness on all sides. The Houthis have now started getting actively involved in the war, and on Saturday launched both a ballistic and a cruise missile at Israel. Thank God that both were intercepted.
The IDF successfully attacked the nuclear facilities in Iran and also destroyed the steel manufacturing plants in that country. This significantly damages the Iranian ability to create more weapons, and is also a threat to any post-war economy that they need to and are taking seriously. So seriously, but they are now threatening that they will destroy Israeli steel manufacturing plants as well, and doing their usual propaganda blustering on all fronts. Iran did successfully attack an American base in Saudi Arabia, injuring 29 officers and damaging an American E-3 Sentry spy plane. They are continuing to threaten all of their neighbors in the Gulf, where they are more successful in launching attacks than they have been against Israel or the U.S..
Vice President J.D. Vance, who has consistently been a voice in Trump’s ear against this war, said in an interview with right-wing journalist and YouTuber Benny Johnson that “we’ve achieved most of our military objectives against Iran. You could argue we’ve achieved all of them. President Trump will continue a bit longer to ensure we won’t have to go back there for a very long time.” Although Vance may want to believe this and want the United States out of the region as soon as possible, no matter what the circumstances, his words cannot be accepted as gospel truth, and he is countered by the wisdom of Marco Rubio, who truly understands the geopolitical situation better than anyone else in the administration.
CENTCOM announced that a task force of 3,500 Marines and sailors aboard the U.S.S Tripoli had arrived in the Middle East on Saturday evening. It is not clear if or where these troops may be needed, but it is reported that they have been trained in safety measures against biological, chemical, and nuclear attacks.
While all of this increasing of war efforts is disheartening on the one hand, it is also part of the darkness that is necessary in order to achieve the light of peace in the region. Always remember, the Jewish goal of war is not victory or conquering; our goal is always, always to use war only as a tool to achieve a lasting peace.
May that long-lasting peace for the state of Israel, the land of Israel, and the people of Israel come soon and bless the entire region and the world with peace.
Chazak u’Baruch
Rabbi Michael Barclay
March 28, 2026
11th of Nisan, 5786
Mixed messages seem to keep coming out from all sides, again conflicting and contradicting each other. President Donald Trump confidently repeated many times in different ways on Sunday that Iran was close to giving in to Israel and America’s demands, and has been nearly totally decimated: “I think we’ll make a deal with them very soon. It may not happen, but I do see an agreement with Iran; it could happen soon.”
The Wall Street Journal reported a very different perspective on Sunday, claiming that Trump is considering a “complex and dangerous’ military operation” on Iranian soil that could last “days or even longer”. And the Financial Times reported that Trump said that he wants to “take the oil that’s in Iran” and may seize control of the strategic terminal on Kharg Island, known as the “oil island,” a very different path than one to a negotiated peace (and the article in the Financial Times caused a skyrocketing of oil prices). The Journal also reported that foreign ministers from various countries have said that the chances of achieving a ceasefire with Iran remain low, as both Washington and Tehran are making demands that are unacceptable to the other side.
A chemical plant south of Beer Sheva was on fire Sunday, and hazardous gas was a concern. Israel says that it was a fragment from a mistargeted Iranian missile that hit a gas pipeline in the industrial zone, causing a large fire. Iran claims that it was an intercepted missile that hit its target, which was in retaliation for the energy facilities that Israel has destroyed inside Iran in the last 48 hours.
Iran’s Khondab heavy water reactor (Arak) has been severely damaged and is no longer operational, after the country reported it was attacked on March 27. Other facilities have also been damaged, and production plants for both steel and ballistic missile parts have also been incapacitated. Over the past 30 hours, over 150 jets have struck weapons production sites across Tehran. Channel 14 in Israel is reporting that Trump, with the U.S. military being supported by Israel, is going to work to control the Strait of Hormuz, something that it seems many of the Gulf nations would like to see.
And all the while, Jews are preparing for Passover, and Christians are celebrating Palm Sunday and preparing for Holy Week.
Both holidays represent, on some level, a spiritual battle between good and evil, between slavery and freedom, between hate and peace. We must remember that this is always a spiritual battle, and we are manifesting that battle so clearly here in our world with this war against Iran and its proxies.
So as we prepare for these holy times coming up this week, let us all focus our prayers not on war or hate, but on a victory of good over evil, and a sheltering of God’s beneficent and lasting peace over us and all the world.
Chazak u’Baruch
Rabbi Michael Barclay
March 30, 2026
12th of Nisan, 5786
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