They cannot take that hope away

The whole picture is that our security and spiritual situation has improved dramatically from a year and a half ago. Opinion.

Rabbi Hagai Lundin
Rabbi Hagai LundinCourtesy

For the past year and a half, events have been taking us on a roller coaster ride of ups and downs, and we are in one of the lowest points. The war in Gaza is faltering; a deal is being made in which we can already hear the blood of future victims crying out to us from the ground; and every few days the names of more fallen soldiers are announced.

Parashat Shemot, which we read on Shabbat, tells of a dark time. Pharaoh's decree to kill the baby boys arouses despair in the heart of Amram, who divorces his wife Yocheved, which was then done by all the men. The one who saves the situation is his daughter Miriam, who tells him: "Your decree is harsher for the Jewish people than that of Pharaoh, as Pharaoh decreed only with regard to the males, and you decreed both on the males and females [and now no children will be born]".

Following her words, the men remarried their wives and Moses, the savior of Israel, is born.

Miriam's message to future generations is this: even when our backs are against the wall, the solution is not an act of despair, but action in the widest space possible. Even if a disastrous deal is signed, and even if the war continues (both options are very realistic) – we will continue to "have children" and salvation will come in one way or another.

The Hebrew word for hope,"tikva", is derived from the word "kav", line – a long line of thinking that sees the whole picture, and the whole picture is that our security and spiritual situation has improved dramatically from a year and a half ago, and the enormous price we paid will turn out to be an opening for an even more miraculous future. They cannot take that hope away from you.

The bad will pass

The good will prevail

With God's help