Shabbat Shalom and Chag Sameach!
It is often worth looking at small events in order to see a pattern that may give a deeper understanding of larger events. The last 24 hours are one of those times when it is worth looking at some of these subtleties.
So let's look at some events of Thursday and Friday:
- President Donald Trump has said that he is reviewing whether or not Iran was behind the attack on the U.S. Air Base in Great Britain.
- Britain's Counter Terrorism Police arrested a 27-year-old man with dual British-Iranian citizenship as part of the investigation into the attack on the American base.
- The United States is sending the aircraft carrier Theodore Roosevelt and an additional Marine unit to the Middle East. This is the third aircraft carrier and the second Marine unit that will be present in the region.
- The U.S. Treasury Department announced that new sanctions are being imposed on Iran that target Iran's rail and vehicle corporations, aiming to economically isolate Tehran.
- The State Department forced all Iranian governmental officials (who were in the United States to be part of the United Nations) to leave the country.
- Trump responded to reporters' questions on Thursday about whether the Omani co-pilot on the FlyDubai flight had connections to Iran, saying, "From what I'm hearing, I would say the answer is yes, but we're working on it right now." Rather than just saying it was under investigation, he is already leaning into the co-pilot working directly for Iran.
- Axios reported that the U.S. sent two Patriot missile batteries to the Gulf region to protect oil and gas infrastructure in Saudi Arabia and Qatar. Iran has repeatedly said that if the U.S. attacks Iran in any way, they will not only retaliate at American facilities in foreign nations, but will attack those nations directly as well, hence the potential need for more defense systems in Saudi Arabia.
- If it becomes clear that Iran was behind the hijacking, it is an almost guarantee that Israel will retaliate against the wrongdoer directly, with or without American help.
Taken together, it would seem that all of these events are in preparation for more heated military conflict with Iran. Although President Trump has said that he will not attack Iran before the midterm elections, his statement may be a ruse. Certainly, all of these events seem to suggest that conflict will be coming sooner as opposed to later.
Today is the seventh day of Sukkot, and is the day of King David. Let us each act the way we feel kings should act (not that they do): ethically and humbly, compassionately and with courage, and with a love for humanity and for God. It is also both the Shabbat and Shemini Atzeret, a joyous holiday where we pray for "rain,” and also good health, prosperity, and success in this New Year. This will be followed on Saturday night, which is Simchat Torah. We will be celebrating the Torah on Saturday night in our Temple sanctuary. We will wrap ourselves in the Torah as we read the last paragraph and then the first paragraph of the scroll. I hope you will join us in this celebration of our faith on Saturday night.
May we all be renewed over this weekend, and may we all have a Shabbat Shalom, a Sabbath of peace, filled with joy and a renewed commitment to be the best versions of ourselves. May our commitment be renewed and revitalized to Judaism and to God; to our nation, our family, and our community; and to making the world a safer and better place for our children.
Chazak u'Baruch, Shabbat Shalom, and Chag Sameach
Rabbi Michael Barclay
October 2, 2026
21st of Tishrei, 5787