Although we are hearing conflicting reports, the preliminary report is that the Fordow nuclear facility is B"H destroyed. We'll have to wait for the final assessment, but we hope that that is the case. However, before the underground facility was known by its closest town of Fordow (population of 839 as of 10 years ago), it was known by its closest metropolis - Qom (population almost 1.4 million).
So, back in 2009, right before Yom Kippur, I wrote a post on how Qom was similar to the Hebrew word קום (Kum). I noted that Haman was referred to (Megilla 11a) in the verse לולא ה' שהיה לנו בקום עלינו אדם. Similarly, Iran threatened us with Qom.
Two days later, on the day after Yom Kippur, I wrote another post with some more verses:
Yonah 1:6:
מַה-לְּךָ נִרְדָּם; קוּם, קְרָא אֶל-אֱלֹהֶיךָ
Drash: Why are you sleeping, O world? Qom is being built! Go call out to your G-d!
And another verse that we can understand much better now:
Tehillim 36:13:
שָׁם נָפְלוּ, פֹּעֲלֵי אָוֶן; דֹּחוּ, וְלֹא-יָכְלוּ קוּם
Drash: There the workers of iniquity have fallen. They have been thrust down, and they were not able to build weapons at Qom.
נָפְלָה לֹא-תוֹסִיף קוּם, בְּתוּלַת יִשְׂרָאֵל
which as the gemara in
Berachot 4b writes, can be interpreted in 2 ways:
1) Virgin of Israel has fallen and will never arise (Has Veshalom)
2) Israel has fallen, but will fall no more. Arise, oh Virgin of Israel!
Before this past Shabbat, it was in doubt which interpretation would take effect (until Mashiah, of course). After this past Shabbat, with Hashem's help, it seems clear that the 2nd interpretation will take effect. We had fallen on October 7th, but we have risen again and again until the nuclear facility in Qom was destroyed.
ח בְּשֶׁצֶף קֶצֶף, הִסְתַּרְתִּי פָנַי רֶגַע מִמֵּךְ, וּבְחֶסֶד עוֹלָם, רִחַמְתִּיךְ--אָמַר גֹּאֲלֵךְ, יְהוָה. | 8 In a little wrath I hid My face from thee for a moment; but with everlasting kindness will I have compassion on thee, saith the LORD thy Redeemer. |
May this continue to be true with the coming of Mashiah speedily in our days.