Please take a look at my latest article, posted at the Times of Israel Blogs:
The Voice of the Captives Cries Out, TOI Blogs
My Friends,
We stand in the Days of Awe, trembling before the Judge of all the earth. We cry out: “Avinu Malkeinu, have mercy upon us.” But what if God were to answer: “Have you had mercy upon My children in captivity? Have you heard their cries?”
For the Torah is not silent. The prophets are not silent. The rabbis are not silent. They thunder with a single voice: There is no mitzvah greater than redeeming captives. None.
The Severity of Captivity
Jeremiah declared: “Those for death—to death. Those for the sword—to the sword. Those for famine—to famine. Those for captivity—to captivity.”
The Talmud (Bava Batra 8b) explains captivity is the worst fate of all, for it contains death, famine, humiliation, and despair.
And the Rambam adds (Hilchot Matnot Aniyim 8:10): “There is no mitzvah greater than redeeming captives. Whoever delays it is as if they are spilling blood.”
As if spilling blood. Do you hear? Every day we delay, every day we calculate, every day we say “not yet” — we stand with blood on our hands.
The Stories That Condemn Us
The Talmud (Gittin 58a) preserves stories meant to shake us.
When the Romans crushed the Bar Kokhba revolt, the Talmud tells us how the Jewish children of Beitar, the final bastion of resistance, sought to defend themselves with their writing styluses but were overwhelmed, murdered by being wrapped in their Torah scrolls, and burned alive.
The Talmud goes on to tell of how one brilliant boy enslaved in Rome, whom Rabbi Yehoshua ben Chananya refused to abandon until he redeemed him “at whatever the cost.” That child became Rabbi Yishmael ben Elisha who if you know the old passage from the prayer book, Rabbi Yishmael omer, b’shalosh esrei midot haTorah nidreshet, “Rabbi Ishmael said, according to thirteen principles is the Torah interpreted,” then you have heard of this giant Torah sage.
The sages knew the rule: “Do not pay more than their value.” But in the face of children in captivity, they broke the rule. They paid whatever it took. Because when lives hang in the balance, calculation is cowardice.
In Our Time
In recent history, the late Israeli sage, Rav Ovadia Yosef declared: “In a situation of danger we redeem captives even for more than their value. Our enemies today need no encouragement to kidnap. They do so regardless. Therefore, in the face of danger, redeem them—at any cost.”
We are not dealing with marauding corsairs or medieval barons, hard up for money and looking to squeeze the Jews for gold. The enemy today and the risk today require we prioritize saving lives at all costs. Any cost! For strategy is speculative, but the cries of the captives are real. Their torment is not theoretical. Their suffering is now.
The Indictment
I have heard the arguments against making the hostages the priority. I have heard why prosecuting the war “to its end” is essential. I have even made the arguments myself. But today, my friends, I come before you and must say to all who will hear, we are standing trial this very day in the heavenly court. We must speak out for what is right.
You build strategies, weigh deterrence, speak of tomorrow. But the Torah cries: What of today? What of those held underground, tortured and dying? What of their loved ones imprisoned with fear and dread for their lives?
Do not harden your hearts. Do not stand idly by. Do not offer excuses. For God is not deceived by excuses. God asks only: Did you bring My children home? Or did you leave them in the pit while you waged your wars?
The Call
The halakhah is clear. The prophets are clear. The Rambam is clear. Rav Ovadia is clear. There is no mitzvah greater, no command more urgent.
Therefore, I say: First the hostages. First the captives. First the broken ones who cry from their chains.
Then, and only then, the other battles. Then, and only then, the other strategies.
For if we abandon them, we abandon our Torah. We abandon our God. We abandon our very soul as a people.
What can we do?
Support organizations and families
Hostage and Missing Families Forum: This group, active in Israel and the United States, supports families of those taken captive. Donations fund diplomatic lobbying, media campaigns, and direct aid for families.
Raise awareness
Social media campaigns: Share information about the hostages from reliable sources on social media. Many campaigns use hashtags to amplify their message.
Community events: Organize or attend local events, such as rallies or walks, to bring peaceful attention to the hostages’ plight. Our synagogue participates in Run for Their Lives every week.
Posters: The “Bring Them Home Now” campaign and similar initiatives have created posters of the hostages. They still adorn the walls of our synagogue. Distribute these in your community is a direct way to spread awareness.
Contact elected officials
Engaging with your elected representatives can influence policy and diplomatic efforts.
Call or email: Contacting your government representatives and urging them to prioritize the hostages’ release sends a powerful message. Staffers often tally every call and email, making your voice heard.
Advocate for diplomatic solutions: Urge your officials to support negotiations, which have previously led to hostage releases. For example, Qatar, Egypt, and the U.S. have been involved in past mediation efforts.
Conclusion
On Yom Kippur we will beat our chests and cry out: “For the sin we have committed before You in hardening our hearts.” Let us not add one more blow to our chest, one more stain upon our soul.
Let us say instead: This year, we heard their cries. This year, we acted. This year, we redeemed. Here, in the Diaspora, private citizens, our impact is likely only ever to be small. I am under no illusions as to that. But I believe that even the smallest deed, the quietest voice, still matters.
And may the God who redeems captives redeem us all — from captivity, from fear, from cruelty, from exile — speedily and in our days.
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