Some might chalk it up to a stroke of good fortune or credit it to seasoned leadership and quick thinking in the face of crisis.
But we know the truth: It was Hashgocha Elyonah, the unmistakable Hand of Hashem.
The Jerusalem Post reports that roughly a day before Iranian ballistic missiles tore into Soroka Medical Center in Beer Sheva this morning, Health Ministry Director-General Moshe Bar Siman-Tov made a pivotal call that ended up preserving countless lives. “Clear the surgery floor in the hospital – it’s not safe,” he ordered. While some questioned the necessity of such a drastic move, the wisdom of his directive became heartbreakingly clear the next day.
As sirens pierced the early morning calm across the Negev, one of the missiles crashed directly into the hospital’s third-floor surgical unit. The ward sustained major structural damage. Yet, due to Bar Siman-Tov’s foresight, the entire floor had been vacated, and only one person suffered a minor injury. Dozens of patients who would have otherwise been at risk had already been transferred to safer areas of the facility.
The decision to evacuate the surgical floor came on Wednesday afternoon, spurred by intelligence reports forecasting an incoming swarm of over 20 missiles and drones aimed at overwhelming Israeli defense systems. Realizing the specific vulnerability of Soroka’s surgery department, Bar Siman-Tov instructed administrators to move both patients and staff immediately. By that night, the floor was empty and silent. By morning, that silence had become the hospital’s salvation.
Born on October 21, 1976, in Yehud, and raised in Holon and later Hashmonaim, Bar Siman-Tov hails from a family with Turkish roots. He earned his B.A. and M.B.A. in economics and finance from the Hebrew University of Yerushalayim. He began his public service career managing welfare and healthcare budgets at the National Insurance Institute, then climbed the ranks to become deputy budget director at the Finance Ministry in 2010. In that role, he was instrumental in resolving the 2011 doctors’ strike and initiating significant educational reforms.
After serving as Israel’s economic attaché in Washington for seven years, Bar Siman-Tov returned home in 2015 to lead the Health Ministry as its first-ever nonphysician director-general. His time in office has been defined by innovative public health policies, including the 2020 law mandating front-of-package nutrition labeling, and by steady, transparent leadership during the Covid-19 pandemic — during which his briefings became a national mainstay.
Those who have worked closely with him say that the same composure and foresight he showed during the pandemic were evident once again this week. “His anticipatory action turned what could have been a massacre into a story we may barely remember,” remarked a senior hospital official. Now, as Soroka’s teams clear debris and attempt to restore normalcy, Bar Siman-Tov’s bold call remains a powerful example of the life-saving impact of preparedness — and a sobering reminder that sometimes, it’s a single decision – with siyata diShmaya – that determines the difference between devastation and deliverance.
{Matzav.com Israel}