May It Be — A Ceasefire Begins Tomorrow

@media screen and (min-width:768px){.ugb-f4ac8cf > .ugb-inner-block > .ugb-block-content > *{padding-top:35px !important;padding-bottom:35px !important}}

Beginnings and endings

That is where we find ourselves in the cycle of Torah. This past Shabbat, we turned the proverbial page and began a new book of Torah: Shmot. In doing so, we concluded the Bereshit narrative that introduced us to our Matriarchs and Patriarchs and recounted the story of Joseph’s rise to power in Egypt and his family’s eventual move to join him there. But this is far from the end of the story!

In Shmot, we witness the formation of the Jewish people as the Israelites. Their journey unfolds – a story of transformation from slavery to freedom and the beginning of their long path toward Canaan. It reminds us that what feels like an ending often becomes a beginning.

I’ve been reflecting on endings and beginnings as we anticipate the start of a six-week ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas tomorrow. This agreement holds the promise of bringing 33 Israeli hostages home. Alongside reflection, I find myself praying – praying for what will unfold in the weeks ahead. 

How many of the 33 will return alive, and how many will come home in body bags?  How will the mental and physical health of the returning hostages be tended to?  How can we support families and friends who will not have the solace and joy of a reunion? How will Israelis cope with the release of Palestinian prisoners, some of whom have committed grave acts?  How will we endure the pain of a slow and fraught timeline for hostage release? 

Today, Kfir Bibas turned two years old. I pray for him and his 5-year-old brother,  Ariel. But more than anything, I pray for this moment to be the beginning of the end…

Of Israeli hostages held in Gaza’s tunnels Of unceasing bloodshed between Israelis and Palestinians Of generations of hate, fear, and xenophobia  Of the devastation endured by Gazans in their homes and communities Of governments – Israel, Hamas, and others – that promote a status quo and perpetuate division and despair. 

I also pray for a true beginning: a reimagining of what could be and should be in the region. Judaism teaches us to be rodfei shalom, pursuers of peace. This mitzvah calls us to act, both in Israel and in our neighbourhoods. How can we create greater peace in our city and our communities? What difficult but necessary work lies ahead? I invite you to connect with me, and together, we can take up this sacred task as a DJC community.

On the eve of this fragile ceasefire, let us hold hope in our hearts and strengthen one another when we feel defeated, confused, or fearful. I share these words of poetry and prayer to guide and support us through these challenging days: 

Loose the Angels of Peace by Alden Solovy

God of eternity,I am afraidTo allow hopeInto my heartOr joyInto my soul.How I longTo see our hostages released.How I yearnFor the captives to be redeemed.How I prayFor the kidnapped to be free.Prepare my heartTo receive our loved ones,Released from the tunnels,With the fullness of compassion and joy,Even as You require that my heartStay brokenFor those who remain in captivityAnd to mourn the lost.God of history,Open the gates of freedomFor the innocent.Wash away their painWith a river of healing.Wash away their nightmaresWith the secret lightThat You stored upon creationFor the righteous.Source and Shelter,Let loose the angels of peace.For certainly they, too,Must be held in captivity.Then, God of life,Hope will flow unbound,And songs of rejoicingWill shatter the heavens,When the words of the prophetAre fulfilled:ויש־תקוה לאחריתך נאם־יהוה ושבו בנים לגבולם׃And there is hope for your future, declares Adonai,Your children shall return to their country.Amen

May It Be – A Prayer Upon the Return of the Hostages

From The Shalom Hartman Institute’s Ritual Center

May it be, our brothers and sisters, that just as you showed strength and courage in the terrible inferno, so may you find the strength to heal upon your return and as you walk the path of recovery. May you be embraced by the tens of thousands of loving hearts that never stopped worrying, hoping, acting, and working for your sake.May it be that we know how to serve as a support and a source of strength—materially, emotionally, and spiritually—for you and your families. May we together weave the thread of the hope for salvation, so that your return will proclaim peace and herald good.May it be that we preserve this shared home. May we honor the light revealed in the actions of all those who never stopped striving and crying out for your return.May it be that the memory of those we could not bring back safely, and those who fell in battle, remain with us forever—an eternal flame of pain and hope, of sorrow and consolation.May it be that just as the captives have returned today, so too will all captives return: the living to their homes and the dead to their resting places in the earth. We will not rest, nor will we be silent, until they find rest and peace.May the verse be fulfilled through us: "To bind up the broken-hearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives"

(Isaiah 61:1).

@media screen and (min-width:768px){.ugb-a2f7960 > .ugb-inner-block > .ugb-block-content > *{padding-top:25px !important;padding-bottom:25px !important;padding-right:25px !important;padding-left:25px !important}}

From Rabbi Ilyse Glickman:

This is our ongoing blog series to introduce the DJC community to podcasts, books, websites, and other offerings that may expand our understandings of the current war in particular and Israel/Palestine more broadly. I hope you listen/watch/read these recommendations with curiosity, openness, and empathy. Please let me know what you think about today’s offerings: rabbiglickman@djctoronto.com. I look forward to the conversation.