The Calm Before the Storm?

Shabbat Shalom, may this special Shabbat during the 10 Days of Awe between Rosh HaShana and Yom Kippur escort peace into the world, and good health, prosperity, courage, wisdom, and much love for us all.

It feels as if the last 24 hours have been a quiet before a storm. Earlier this week, there was a flurry of blustering statements from both the U.S. and Iran, and Iran made a number of global threats while the U.S. and Israel both made comments about how they will never let Iran get nuclear weapons. There were announcements about how Iran was not letting the International Atomic Energy Agency look at any Iranian facilities; Iran claimed that it has the right to develop nuclear power with no oversight or restriction, and Israel and the U.S. made clearer statements than most of what they have said in the past.

But the last 24 hours have been much more silent, and we need to wonder if this is just a prelude to a military action in the immediate future.

The one person who was not quiet was Benjamin Netanyahu, who spoke at the Shin Bet Outstanding Employees Ceremony on Thursday night, where he said, "We will eliminate Hamas, first and foremost, and we will defeat the regime in Iran.” With the upcoming elections in Israel, there is a desire by the majority of Israelis to end these wars completely and fully, and to create safety for Israel, and all of the candidates know this, and know that most Israelis do not trust that a "negotiation" will be the way, as no one believes that any agreement with Iran or its proxies will actually be kept by them long term.

Additionally, there is a quiet from Washington that is atypical. Add to that Thursday's report by CBS that the Iranians have shot down two U.S. drones in "recent days,” and we (and Iran) have to be wondering what the U.S. response will be. The one thing that President Donald Trump did say was in an Axios interview Thursday night, where he said, "I have a big decision coming up. Do I want to go in and annihilate them [the Iranian regime] or do I not? It's a big decision. Anything could happen with me."

So as we enter this Sabbath, and prepare intensely for the upcoming Yom Kippur holiday, let us all pray that this new year of 5787 brings a lasting peace for us, for Israel, for the U.S., and for the world.

Gut Shabbos and Chazak u'Baruch

Rabbi Michael Barclay

September 18, 2026

7th of Tishrei, 5787

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