“These are the names of the children of Israel who came to Egypt …” Exodus 1:1
The Book of Exodus opens with a brief review of the descent of Jacob and his family into Egypt where they will be trapped in fulfillment of the divine warning to Abraham that his descendants will be strangers in a land not theirs, and they shall be enslaved and oppressed. The Narrator of Exodus compresses the oppression experienced into a few short verses, an austere account with few details and limited description of the physical and emotional suffering of the Israelites, choosing instead to elaborate on the process of liberation and redemption.
Millenia later, these verses have an eerie feeling of familiarity. It has been 469 days and counting since Israelis were taken captive, dragged into the Hamas tunnels below Gaza. The names of the victims of terror have become familiar as we have watched the suffering of families torn apart, the relief when reunited with loved ones, and the sadness over learning of the death family members taken. The names of the 33 hostages due to be released as part of the first stage of the ceasefire deal with the Hamas terror group does not indicate the condition of the hostages though Israel believes that most of the 33 are alive.
Our hearts are filled with relief that this unbearable ordeal, for them and their loved ones, will soon end. May the Holy One bless them with a r’fuah sh’leimah, a complete and total healing, of their physical, mental, and emotional wounds. As we await the return of all the remaining hostages, we pray for the reunion of families torn asunder. We pray that families who, after all this time, receive the remains of their loved ones will be able to mourn, finding peace and closure in burial. Finally, we pray that God support the families who are not receiving their loved ones back in this stage.
Shabbat Shalom –
Rabbi David M. Eligberg
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