Saturday night I got a call from a good friend of mine named Chaniel. He’s a successful banker, married with two beautiful children, funny and obsessive-compulsive about being on time. He’s also my superior officer in the Israeli Defense Force Reserves.
I was sure he was calling to ask about Ari Abramowitz’s engagement and wish him a mazal tov (congratulations), but it turns out I’ve been called up for reserve duty for an emergency operation connected to the situation in the 
They have indeed won; whether we like it or not.
Gaza Strip.
On Monday, less than 12 hours into the “ceasefire”, Hamas vowed to rearm as soon as possible. Hamas’s military spokesman Abu Obeida told journalists at a news conference in Gaza, “Do what you like, but the manufacturing of holy weapons is our mission, and we know how to acquire weapons.”
Under 12 hours. Not even a day. Not even a half a day. On the same day, Mushir al-Masri, another spokesman for the Hamas, had the audacity to announce on Israeli radio, “We are powerful, in a victorious position. Israel will soon learn that the balance of power has changed in Hamas’s favor.”
Maybe it is the pressure of Barack Obama’s inauguration, or the government simply surrendering to modern values at the expense of Jewish lives, but if our enemies - instead of raising the white flag of defeat - declare victory to themselves and the world, then they have indeed won; whether we like it or not.
Some hopeful commentators are saying that it may take a year, or at least several months, until Hamas resumes launching rockets at Israel’s south. "Resume" firing rockets? They never stopped. They’re never going to stop.
If only we saw this conflict through the prism of Torah and Jewish history, all would be clear. The only problem is that the leaders of Israel today wouldn’t recognize the truth of a Torah perspective if the Torah scroll whacked them across the face.
The Chief Rabbi of Tzfat, Rabbi Shmuel Eliyahu, recently told B'nei Akiva high school students that the war against Hamas is “a war of the people of Israel against Amalek, against those wishing to destroy Jews.”
In the Torah, evil is represented by Amalek, a descendant of Esau. When Jacob and Esau are born, the Torah says that they will eternally battle, with Jacob representing good and Esau (particularly Amalek) representing evil.
The first battle of Amalek against the Jews is recounted in the Book of Exodus (17:6), “Then Amalek came and fought with Israel at Rephidim.” Amalek also appears in the Book of Shmuel (Samuel), where King Shaul (Saul) failed to obey the command to kill Agag, the king of Amalek, and paid the price of a kingdom ripped apart by disunity.
Although Jewish law states very clearly that the identity of the Amalekite people is not known today, the spirit of Amalek, the intention to exterminate the People of Israel, arises in every generation. In the past, we’ve seen King Agag and his descendant Haman in the Book of Esther. In the last generation, we survived the attempted 
When we realize and internalize that this is a spiritual war, we will win.
annihilation by Adolf Hitler and Nazi Germany, and returned to our homeland. Today, we face the Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and his henchmen in Hamas.
When we realize and internalize that this is a spiritual war, we will win. When we recognize that you cannot make a ceasefire with Hitler, Haman or Hamas, we will win. When we have the moral clarity and courage to declare to the world that we are dealing with evil, we will win.
Why? Because there is only one way to deal with evil. Abolish it from the face of the Earth.
On a personal note, if you have time, say a chapter of Tehilim (Psalms) for me and my family. Thank you.