Our brothers’ blood cries out to us from under the ground.
Fourteen months have passed since October 7, but those cries continue, unabated. This week, those cries have been particularly painful. We witnessed via video the continued torturous captivity of Edan Alexander; learned that Omer Neutra – whose body continues to be held by Hamas – was murdered on October 7; and noted the death of 97-year-old Gladys Siegel while her son Keith remains in captivity.
These developments constitute not just a cry but a scream that should pierce the heart of every decent human being, testifying to the ongoing monstrous cruelty of the Hamas terrorists and to the unacceptable passivity of those who stand by while claiming to champion justice and human rights. We must never allow ourselves or the world to forget for even a moment the ongoing horrific plight of the hostages of every nationality and faith that continue to be held by Hamas, living or dead. Every individual and institution dedicated to justice and humanity, every government or organization with potential influence, must join with Israel and the United States in demanding and pushing for the immediate and unconditional release of all the hostages.
Edan, Omer z”l, and Keith are all American citizens, fellow Jews, and outstanding human beings. As their brothers and sisters, we express our love and admiration for them and for their families. The barbaric attacks of October 7 showed the world the depths of depraved inhumanity to which some can descend. The Alexanders, Neutras, and Siegels – along with all the hostage families – continue to demonstrate the heights of grace, love, and commitment to which people can rise. Their dignity and strength in the face of the unimaginable have uplifted us all and continue to bring us together.
Jews are a family of unbreakable mutual commitment. The Haggadah alludes to Lavan’s desire to destroy the Jews, but where in the Torah is this found? Perhaps it refers to Lavan’s scheme to replace Rachel with Leah and set the stage for Yaakov’s marriage to two sisters. The resultant tensions and divisions between them and between their offspring could have easily destroyed our nation from within and did result in immense challenges such as the sale of Yosef and the temporary division of the Jewish people into two separate kingdoms. Nevertheless, Lavan’s scheme failed as Klal Yisrael always manages to come back together. How?
Our Sages considered the most durable protective factor of our unity to be that fateful decision Rachel made on what would have been her wedding night. Having suspected that Lavan would be devious, Rachel and Yaakov had shared a secret code, but when Rachel saw that the switch was being made, she was overcome with compassion for her sister and could not bear Leah feeling rejected, so she gave her the secret code. With that fateful decision, Rachel both created and solved the problem of Jewish unity. Bringing Leah into her marital home as a rival had seeded intense divisions between generations of their descendants, but what would ultimately prevail was the overpowering and unbreakable commitment to Leah that invited those divisions.
Our bond with each other is indestructible. We have our rivalries, deep resentments, and very sharp divisions, but we remain one family. That bond commits us to make every possible effort on behalf of the hostages. We will never stop reminding the world of its obligation to act. We will continue to cry out for action and to make our voices heard in every forum available to us, and we will continue to pray for the hostages and for their families until every one of them returns home.