Bring them home!
With bated breath we await the first-stage of the hostage release.
The names Bibas are supposedly on the list as are many others that for 400+ days we’ve been praying for.
I can’t begin to imagine their physical and mental state but my heart bursts with joy for them and their families, whilst it contracts in pain for those still in captivity and those who we’ll never see again.
“Let my people go”!
Not too dissimilar in chant —yet it’s Moses at the behest of G-d that confronts Pharaoh in Biblical Egypt. It’s G-d that sets it into motion and it’s the first time we are introduced to the very concept of freedom. A Divine idea!
Divine ideas originate and are modeled by G-d and then handed to mankind for us to emulate. That in a nutshell is what the Torah represents. Divine ideas that are “Divine” in that they originate from G-d and then gifted to humankind to aspire to.
“Let my people go”!
It’s our responsibility to be there for one another. Whether in a hostage situation or simply struggling in life; whether it benefits us directly or not — even if it actually costs us financially, emotionally or in any other way. For after all, it’s Divine and regardless of how we see ourselves, we all know in our heart of hearts we are the recipients of G-d’s divine benevolence in abundance.
Whether it’s a good deal or not, pro the deal or not — one thing is for sure — we ought to recognize the Divine elements of life as articulated in the Torah, aspire to them and ensure that the unity of the nation of Israel remains undivided!!
With best wishes for a Shabbat Shalom.