March 17th, '03
The "Real" Threat: Tzav Shmoneh

Purim commemorates the time (one of many, actually) when Jews triumphed over their enemies. I'll spare you the details, but at the very beginning of the story, the bad guy , Haman, holds a lottery ("pur") to decide which day all the Jews of Persia are to be killed.

How appropriate this year.

Dry Bones, a cartoon in the Jerusalem Post, depicted an office pool with people laying bets on what day the war would start. Now, the picture for us Israelis is much clearer: George Bush has made it clear that the attacks will start in a day or two.

But for me, one thing is uncertain, and this causes me more stress than any Scuds heading my way from Iraq (been there, done that): when will my husband get called up?

My husband, a 44-year-old who did four years of regular service, and has been doing at least a month of reserve duty every year for some twenty years now, is an officer in Civil Defense. And as everyone knows, in Israel, Civil Defense is the name of the game. In the event of war in Iraq, he will get a Tzav Shmoneh, a notice for immediate call up. He will be far from home indefinately, sitting in a plastic suit and waiting for the other shoe, er, bomb to drop.

Tonight is the beginning of Purim, a festival that calls for dressing up and wild merry-making. As for me, I'll be reading the Scroll of Esther for my women friends, and hoping that call up notice comes later rather than sooner.

For a bit of personal history, you might be interested to read what was on my mind during Purim last year.

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