Shehecheyanu

Dear friends, 

Thank God, it appears that we have made it through this war. With the help of the hidden forces of the universe we will likely live to see some of the hostages come home, the IDF withdraw from most of Gaza, and some type of sanity and safety return to the land of our ancestors. Seasoned hostage deal negotiator, Gershon Baskin wrote that he believes that Egypt and Qatar received promises from the incoming American administration that it would “ensure that this war would end with this deal.” It appears that the fire will soon cease.

I am filled with tears today. Some are tears of heartbreak. This agreement came many months too late. Too late for most of the hostages and their families. Too late for the the 405 Israeli soldiers who lost their lives in this war. Too late for the tens of thousands of Palestinians killed (a recent report suggests the Hamas numbers of around 45,000 were too conservative, and the number is closer to 70,000.) 

The question is whether it’s too late for anything resembling healing. Gaza is in ruins physically. Israel is in ruins spiritually. Which, if either, will be able to rebuild? 

My tears are also tears of joy. The prisoners are coming from darkness to light. The grip of fear, hatred and helplessness is loosened. Life returns. Breathing channels open. Food and medicine can flow back into Gaza. Those whose homes are still intact can return to the north of Israel, the south of Israel, and to Gaza.

Ultimately, my tears are tears of relief. They’ve been there all along under the surface. As my body held the tension of this war, they were locked inside. Now, despite the uncertainty, the challenges ahead, the trauma that will continue to haunt us, I sense the softening aura of a ceasefire. In that softening, through the uncertainty of this moment and its complexity I allow a prayer to emerge:

Barukh atah Adonai eloheynu melekh ha’olam shehecheyanu vekiymanu vehigiyanu lazman hazeh. 

Blessed are you Adonai, our god, ruler of the world, who gave us life, and kept us in life, and brought us to this moment.

May the agreement be implemented fully. May the hostages all come home safely. May the wounded heal. May the leaders who brought about this disaster be held accountable. May the mirrors be rebuilt so we can see ourselves properly. May the windows be rebuilt so we can see each other clearly. May we learn from the longest war in our history that for the Israeli-Palestinian conflict there is no military solution. 

Shalom. Salam. Peace

(And come celebrate the ceasefire at our Jazz Shabbat this Friday).

Rabbi Misha