As of the time of my writing this, seven hostages have been released: I hope and pray they are just the beginning. Many more hostages are still being held. Not long after their release, photos made their way around the internet of them reuniting with their mothers. The joy and relief on everyone’s face was obvious. Also obvious was why that moment means so much. Every moment the hostages are in captivity isn’t just about painful separation, it is also a worry that they will never return home. We fear and dread that a significant number of hostages have already died while in captivity. But when those three returned, it was a good moment.
The moment we saw the release of those three hostages was a moment that transcended the debate of whether or not the deal made to secure their release was a good deal or a bad deal, whether or not the deal included a price too high to pay, one that would empower and allow for the re-emergence of Hamas as a force that could threaten Israel. When the hostages returned home, though, at least for a little bit, none of that mattered. It may matter one day, but not that day.
And, to me at least, it’s obvious why it didn’t matter at that moment. These hostages are real. Their release is real. Re-uniting them with their families is real. Saving them from the unimaginable conditions of captivity in Gaza by Hamas is real. It’s fair to be worried about what the deal might mean for the future. After all, the mastermind of October 7th was able to lead Hamas in Gaza because he was released from an Israeli prison (where he was held after being convicted of murdering other Palestinians) along with many others in exchange for an Israeli hostage, Gilad Shalit. Was the next terrorist leader just released from an Israeli prison? Will there be some future massacre? I pray not, and it’s a valid concern, I think. But at the same time, the “what ifs” can’t take priority over these captives' lives. For them, it’s not a what-if. It’s a reality.
Our tradition has a blessing for releasing - Baruch Atah Adonai, Eloheinu Melech ha-olam, matir asurim. Blessed are You, Eternal our God, who frees the captive. And for those not yet freed, another prayer from our siddur, “As for our brothers and sisters, the whole house of Israel, who are given over to trouble or captivity, whether they abide on the sea or on the dry land: May the All-present have mercy upon them, and bring them forth from trouble to enlargement, from darkness to light, and from subjection to redemption, now speedily and at a near time. (The Standard Prayer Book Edited by Simeon Singer)
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