The news of Hamas’ execution of six hostages has cast a dark, mournful shadow over Israel and the entire Jewish people. Like you, I am devastated and furious at the news of the murders of Hersh Goldberg-Polin z”l, Almog Sarusi z”l, Alex Lobanov z”l, Carmel Gat z”l, Eden Yerushalmi z”l, and Ori Danino z”l.
For nearly a year, we have all prayed for the safe and speedy return of these six individuals amongst all the hostages. We continue to pray for the safe and immediate return of all the remaining hostages and implore the Israeli government and the international community to do everything in their power to bring them home.
As if these brutal murders were not horrifying enough, Hamas is leveraging their latest killings to drive its propaganda efforts by using Israeli hostages to wage psychological warfare against Israelis and demanding outrageous concessions that would not be expected of any other country. The cold-blooded terrorists recorded scripted messages from each of the six hostages before slaughtering them and then blamed their deaths on lies about Israel’s unwillingness to agree to ceasefire terms that benefit Hamas.
Too many world leaders, journalists, university students and social media influencers have played right into the Hamas agenda by blaming the victims and obviating the blame of those ultimately responsible. Hamas bears responsibility for the murder of these six people, apparently shot by their captors as the IDF approached. Indeed, Hamas bears responsibility for every death that has occurred since they broke the ceasefire on October 7, a ceasefire which for Hamas meant routinely launching rockets at Israeli citizens and communities. This includes the death of those brutalized on October 7, the hostages killed in captivity, the over 700 IDF soldiers who have fallen in battle in Gaza, and the thousands of Gazans who have died by the war they triggered by their murderous rampage.
In this week’s parasha, the Torah deals with cases of both intentional murders and the accidental taking of life.
If, however, a person who is the enemy of another lies in wait for him and sets upon him and strikes him a fatal blow and then flees to one of these towns, the elders of his town shall have him brought back from there and shall hand him over to the blood-avenger to be put to death; you must show him no pity. Thus you will purge Israel of the blood of the innocent, and it will go well with you.
Devarim/Deuteronomy 19:11-13
The Torah asserts that the punishment of murderers is a necessary, albeit difficult responsibility. It emerges from the basic biblical assertion regarding the value of every human life. This is articulated clearly by our sages in the Mishnah, Sanhedrin 4:5 –
Therefore, only a single human being was created [at first] to teach you that one who destroys a single life, Scripture considers it as if one had destroyed an entire world, and one who saves a single life, Scripture considers it as if one had saved an entire world.
It is time for world leaders, national leaders, local leaders, and leaders on college campuses to acknowledge this basic truth, that the lives of Israeli citizens and Jews around the world are of equal value, reject the false narratives promulgated, and confront blatant expressions of antisemitism.
May the memories of Carmel z”l, Hersh z”l, Almog z”l, Alex z”l, Eden z”l, and Ori z”l be a blessing, and may this tragedy be the catalyst for bringing about a the return of those held hostage to Israel.
Shabbat Shalom –
Rabbi David M. Eligberg
Pidyon Sh’vuyim – Ransoming Captive Jews
The sages describe this as an important commandment but also raise the question of how far this mitzvah should be taken.
Let’s explore this mitzvah and its applicability to our contemporary reality.
Sunday, September 22 10:30AM in the Sanctuary
Copyright © 2025 Rodef Sholom Temple. All rights reserved. Website designed by Addicott Web.
