How does one grieve while simultaneously experiencing uncontrollable, raging anger? Tomorrow’s planned release of the bodies of Shiri, Ariel, and Kfir Bibas—murdered and held hostage by Hamas for 501 days—is an act of cruelty beyond words. While the massacre of over 1,200 innocent men, women, and children on October 7th was horrific, the calculated evil of holding bodies hostage and demanding the release of hundreds of convicted terrorists in exchange is a level of inhumanity that even the Nazis did not commit.
Yet, our people have faced unimaginable horrors before and responded with faith and strength. During the Holocaust, as Jews were marched to the crematoriums, they sang songs of faith and whispered prayers with their last breaths. Even in the face of death, they clung to their belief in the Almighty, refusing to let evil extinguish their souls.
Perhaps Tisha B’Av, the day of the destruction of the Holy Temple, and the response of Rabbi Akiva and his colleagues, as related in the Talmud offer us an answer. When they saw a fox emerging from the ruins of the Temple, Rabbi Akiva’s colleagues wept, overwhelmed by the devastation of this holy site. But Rabbi Akiva smiled. When asked why, he explained that just as the prophecy of destruction had been fulfilled, so too would the prophecy of redemption come to pass.
In moments of unbearable grief and fury, we must hold on to our faith, our resilience, and our commitment to justice. We mourn deeply, but we do not despair. We channel our pain into unwavering strength and an unbreakable dedication to ensuring that the memory of those taken is honored—not just with tears, but with a steadfast commitment to the eternal teachings of our Torah, and its timeless values..
The Lubavitcher Rebbe has taught us that we are at the threshold of redemption, on the verge of the long-awaited prophecy—the era of no more wars, where the Almighty will turn our swords into plowshares, and peace will reign for all.
With deep sorrow and unwavering resolve,
Rabbi Yitzchok Wolf