* Translated by Janine Muller Sherr
Shavua tov from Canada.
I would like to share one powerful moment:
On Shabbat morning, I was sitting in the women’s section at Shaarei Shomayim Congregation in Toronto, when I overheard a woman whisper to the woman next to her, “What’s happening with the hostages?”
“I don’t know,” the woman replied, “but I prayed for them all night - I almost finished reciting the entire Book of Tehilim.”
“I’m so worried about them. If only they will come back alive…” said the first woman in a trembling voice.
Here were two women living 9,000 kilometers away from Israel and had never even met the hostages, who can’t sleep at night because they’re worried about them and want to do everything in their power to help them.
But why is this the case?
Think about the answer for a moment because it touches at the very core of what it means to be a member of the Jewish people: The bonds that bind us are invisible but unbreakable.
Only a few minutes after this conversation took place, the following verses were read from this week’s Torah portion: “And I will take you to be My people, and I will be your God, and you shall know that I am the Lord, your God.”
We are one people —and after all the confusion and worry, the pride and humiliation, the excitement and trepidation, our deep connection to each other is a source of strenth.
How can we apply this tremendous feeling of unity to our day-to-day lives?
Here is a suggestion that I have shared in this space before that has helped people to shift their attitude towards those around them: Let us transfer this tremendous love that we feel for every one of the hostages, all the worry and caring, to those who have not, thank God, been kidnapped.
Think about the people we meet over the course of our day - we know that if they were kidnapped, God forbid, we would be so worried about them that we would almost feel physical pain. So, take a good look at the people around you and appreciate that they too are part of the amazing phenomenon known as the Jewish people and worthy of our love.
May we hear good news.
