Parshat Vaera: Iran’s Downfall
God means business. When God declares something to be so, you can take it to the bank. That might sound a bit obvious but it’s worth considering nonetheless. Especially when considering recent events. And especially when considering who God blesses and who God curses.
This past week we have been witnessing the continuing unravelling of the Iranian regime. And while we may now finally and hopefully see the tipping point to its demise, it has been in the works for some time.
There are a number of factors that have contributed to the outpouring of anger at the Iranian government by its citizens, not the least of which was the recent 12-day war where Israel and US forces exposed the weakness of the Iranian military and their inability to counter attacks both from the sky and from within their own borders. All of which capped off the decimation of their proxy terrorist armies in Lebanon, Gaza and Syria.
But the impetus for the uprising goes beyond the recent military failures. As reported this week in the WSJ, the demise of its financial institutions has been a big cause.
The biggest harbinger that things were about to fall apart in Iran didn’t come from the thwarted anger of the country’s opposition or the frustrated hopes of young people hungry for more personal freedom. It came from the collapse of a bank. Late last year, Ayandeh Bank, run by regime cronies and saddled with nearly $5 billion in losses on a pile of bad loans, went bust. The government folded the carcass into a state bank and printed a massive amount of money to try to paper over all the red ink. That buried the problem but didn’t solve it…
At least five other Iranian banks are now facing a similar fate, according to economists and a statement from a central bank official last year… Iran’s economic collapse was years in the making but unfolded rapidly in recent months. The national currency lost 84% of its value compared with the dollar in 2025. Food prices rose at an annual rate of 72%, nearly double the average in recent years. The country is also dealing with an energy and water crisis so severe that President Masoud Pezeshkian has proposed moving the capital out of Tehran.
Collapsing banks, worthless money, inability to buy basic foods, a military that cannot protect its nation, shortages of running water and electricity coupled with forcing unwanted religious extremism down people’s throats – is it any wonder that hundreds of thousands are risking their lives and protesting daily? A government that cannot do what a government is meant to do – provide for the welfare and security of its citizens – is useless and needs to be replaced.
Everybody knows that Iran has chosen to be the Pharaoh and Egypt of our time; the Amalek who is the sworn enemy of the Jewish nation. They have made no bones about declaring, with words and with actions, that they stand in total opposition to the Jewish people and seek our total annihilation.
And this is precisely the root of their problems. All their horrible fate can be traced back to God’s words to the first Hebrew, Avraham:
And I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you, and I will make your name great, and [you shall] be a Blessing. And I will bless those who bless you. But those who curse you, I will curse.
God’s Blessings and Gods Curses are not just nice well-wishes. They need to be taken more seriously than that. When humans give a blessing it is a hope for good, but not much more. But not so with God Almighty, Creator of the Universe. When God blesses, or God curses, it is a fact. It will come about. It is as true and real as the sun and clouds in the sky.
It is a simple formula. Attach yourself to Avraham and the Hebrew nation, and blessings and good will come about. Become enemies of Avraham and the Hebrew nation and curses will result. Life or Death, Success or Ruin – it is all based on the choices of people and nations. Like we said, God means business. When God declares something to be so, it is.
We are presently reading of the rapid demise of the Egyptian empire in this week’s parsha. Nothing has changed from thousands of years ago. The promises of good, wrapped up in blessings from God based on the relationship to the Jewish nation is as real and pronounced today as it was so very long ago. It might take on a different form – outright miracles versus laws of economics and human behavior – but the outcome is the same: Bless Jews, align with the Jewish nation, help the Jewish people and tons of blessings are forthcoming. And if you do the opposite, don’t be surprised at the ensuing curses that blight your nation.
Because God means business. And when He declares how Blessings or Curses come about, that is the reality and you have to take it seriously. You can take that to the bank. Assuming your money is worth something and you still have a bank to go to.
Good or bad baby
You can change it anyway you want
You can rearrange it
Enlightenment
All around baby you can see
You’re making your own reality everyday
Enlightenment
–Van Morrison
