As I write this on February 26, 2026, many of us in Israel are carrying the same unspoken weight: will a larger war engulf us in the coming days. We can look to this week’s Parsha for some inspiration.

The uncertainty is palpable. U.S. carriers and jets shift positions, deadlines regarding Iran approach and recede, hospitals prepare quietly, and diplomats receive evacuation options. No one truly knows what tomorrow holds. Like many of you, I find myself scanning X and news sites for signals in the noise, while others step away entirely, aware that the so-called experts understand little more than we do.

We want reassurance that we will be safe. Those defending us seek clarity on the road ahead. Our greatest kings, prophets, and leaders once had a G‑d-given instrument intended for moments exactly like this, a tool to seek guidance from Heaven in times of existential uncertainty, especially in matters of war. It was called the Urim and Thummim.

What was this enigmatic device. How did it function. And in its absence today, does it still offer wisdom for our current fog of doubt. I believe that it does, and that it offers a measure of quiet comfort as well.

The Ibn Ezra opens this week’s parasha with a tantalizing and poetic line:

לדעת אמת אם לבבך יאוה ראה כל גויה לנכבד בנוה ואורים ותומים וסודם אחוה בסתר בסדר ואתה תצוה “If your heart desires to know the truth, look at the body and consider the most glorious thing within it. I will secretly reveal the mystery of the Urim and Thummim in the portion ‘And Thou Shalt Command.’”

לדעת אמת אם לבבך יאוה ראה כל גויה לנכבד בנוה ואורים ותומים וסודם אחוה בסתר בסדר ואתה תצוה “If your heart desires to know the truth, look at the body and consider the most glorious thing........

© The Times of Israel (Blogs)