BRING BACK OUR BOYS
Last week three Yeshiva students were taken captive as they journeyed home to join their families for Shabbat. With every passing day the chances of finding Gilad Shaar, Naftali Frenkel, and Eyal Yifrach grow more distant. While the State of Israel has every right to confront individual, group, or government who is suspected of involvement with this nefarious act, there is only so much that the IDF can do. After the release of Gilad Shalit in exchange for more than 1,000 convicted Palestinians, no one will be surprised when the ransom demands are made public.
How should the Government of Israel respond if and when that time comes?
Sadly, the problem of ransoming Jewish captives is not a new one for the Jewish community. Knowing the value that Jews place on every individual, as well as the obligation we feel to help one another has emboldened captors over the centuries. From a very early time our Rabbis asked if there is a price that is too high, or is the Jewish community obligated to pay whatever is asked in order to redeem the captives? The Mishnah put it this way:
One does not ransom captives for more than their value because of Tikkun Olam (for the good order of the world, as a precaution for the general good) and one does not help captives escape because of Tikkun Olam. (Gittin 4:6)In other words, the needs and the safety of the community must come before the individual needs. This was the debate during the time of Gilad Shalit’s release and one that Americans are debating, amongst others, in regards to recent exchange for Bowe Bergdahl. Ultimately, Prime Minister Netanyahu and the Knesset will have to make this impossible decision for these three young men.
What can we do at this moment? The most important thing that we can do is to stand together in solidarity with our brothers who are being held, pray for their strength and the success of the IDF to find them.
- For those who use Twitter send the Bring Back our Boys Tweet at #bringbackourboys
- Attend the Emergency Vigil to call for the immediate release of abducted Israeli teens on Monday, June 23 at Noon, Thompson Center Plaza, 100 W. Randolph
- Gather with your family and friends to offer a prayer for their release along with reading Psalm 121
The Rabbinical Assembly released the following prayer (along with this statement), written by Rabbi Tamar Elad Appelbaum and translated by Rabbi Peretz Rodman, for the safe return of the missing students.
God of Israel,
Beneficent sovereign of all Creation,
enable us now
to have true faith
and to pray and to call out to You
with plea after plea,
so that our cry might rise
to the very Gates of Mercy,
to Mercy itself.
And all reality shall be turned around
so that relief, rescue, and life
may be the lot of those young men,
Ya'akov Naftali ben Rahel (Frenkel),
Gil-ad Micha'el ben Bat-Galim (Shaar)
and Eyal ben Iris Teshura (Yifrach).
Act on their behalf, Lord,
take up their cause without delay,
and may You grant them life and
blessing forevermore.
So may it be Your will, and let us say:
Amen.
