Sivan Rahav-Meir / The Daily Portion / “And Your Children Will Return To Their Borders”

By Sivan Rahav-Meir/Translation by Yehoshua Siskin
Posted on 02/12/24

In Israel, people walking in the street today will be smiling to themselves and no one will ask why.

We woke up this morning, for a change, to this news: Two hostages have been released. Fernando Marman and Louis Har, two brothers-in-law who were abducted from Kibbutz Nir Yitzhak, were rescued from captivity last night. They are now at the Sheba Medical Center receiving medical treatment and meeting their families. Baruch HaShem.

All this happened during a complex and courageous military operation from combined forces. A debt of enormous thanks is owed to numerous anonymous heroes. In the future, we will hear details of what transpired during this brave mission, and generations will grow up hearing this story.

“When Adar begins, joy increases.” Indeed, Adar has just begun. This is a month when two words taken from Megillat Esther are heard over and over again: “Venahafoch hu - everything flips.” They are a reminder that everything can suddenly be turned upside down — and turn out for the best. The Jews of ancient Persia who were threatened with annihilation were saved and the evil Haman was hung. Let this be the fate of all our enemies.

And this is what Ditza Or, mother of hostage Avinatan, asks from us: Imagine that everything will turn out well, believe in goodness, and visualize scripts with happy endings.

On Motzei Shabbat, a gathering of hostage family members sang loudly, again and again, words in the Havdalah ceremony that are taken from the end of Megillah Esther, when everything turned out for the best: “For the Jews there was light and joy, gladness and honor — so let it be with us!” Amen and soon.

Fernando and Louis, welcome home. Last night you went from the darkest place to the brightest, most radiant place on earth.