I feel as if my heart is split in two.
On the one hand, my heart is bursting with expectation of seeing our beloved brothers and sisters, those who were ripped from their families on Oct. 7, forced to spend 15 months in the light-deprived captivity of a murderous enemy. Few can avoid shedding tears at just the thought of how that reunion will, God-willing, look. At the same time, we are thinking of those families who continue to live with the uncertainty of when, how, and if they will be reunited with their loved ones.
Compounding these emotions is the reality that we will be entering a more evil world, as hundreds of terrorists are released from Israeli prisons, intent on our destruction. We will be forced to witness the horrific images of Palestinians and their supporters all over the world, heralding these developments as a sign of victory.
We are therefore confronted with the deeply weighted question of how we should think and react at this time.
First of all, we must approach this moment with humility and the recognition that much must be learned from this past year and a half. Failures did occur, and we need to be far better prepared to listen to the warning signs when they undoubtedly present themselves again. Whether those warnings came from "lower level" intelligence soldiers or concerned citizens, signs were missed. We cannot dismiss or overlook the fact that we had, and have, an enemy that wanted to kill us in the most depraved of ways and we ignored the warning signs.
We also need to be careful not to let our internal divisions lead to hubris or ambivalence in the face of danger. The reality of pre-Oct. 7 is that our focus was not in the right place. While our enemy had zero interest in differentiating who they wished to kill based on political or social lines, we had become a divided people. We must avoid, in all ways possible, giving our enemies the "gift" that comes when we are not united – even as we approach this deal with Hamas with a wide variety of opinions both for and against.
We also need to be prepared to embrace the other – both figuratively and literally. At this moment in Israeli society, we need to acknowledge that despite our differences we have a common and passionate commitment to the same goal: the return of the hostages and the defeat of Hamas. Certainly, there will be debate on how we achieve those objectives but we need to remain firmly committed to the recognition that we are united in that ultimate goal.
We need to embrace the families of the hostages and the families of the bereaved and wounded because it was their sacrifice that has enabled us to reach this point. Within those families, there are certainly differences of opinion on this deal and related questions of how the war should proceed or end. But embracing those who might think differently is more critical today than ever.
And finally, as believing Jews and people of faith, we need to turn our hearts and minds towards the Heavens in prayer.
None of us know what the future holds, and exactly what this deal will mean for our security and defense in the months and years ahead. We therefore need to pray.
Pray that the captives who return will be able to rehabilitate and best resume lives of physical and emotional health despite the very deep scars that we know will come home with them. In the coming weeks, we also will need to continue to pray for those who will not yet be released and plead with God that they will not be forgotten and not lose hope wherever they might be. We must also pray that our nation and all its resources will be prepared to address the very real threat that comes with the release of hundreds of terrorists. As always, we must pray that our national leaders and advisors be infused with the necessary wisdom and foresight to make the critical decisions to protect our national and social future.
Ultimately those actions will dictate the path that we will take as a people and a nation in these precious, complex, and ever-so-sensitive moments.
Rabbi David Stav is the Chair of the Tzohar Rabbinical Organization and the Chief Rabbi of Shoham, Israel.
