Rabbi Joseph Gerlitzky is Rabbi of Central Tel Aviv and the Lubavitcher Rebbe’s Emissary to Tel Aviv-Yaffo

The screaming billboards covering the streets of the country, and especially our city of Tel Aviv, have long since become part of the urban look, and do not attract any attention. But it seems that one slogan that cries out from every wall and corner of the city nevertheless manages to catch the eye and the heart, even though it has unfortunately become "obsolete." It is a sign announcing, in Hebrew and English, "Bring them home now!"

Of course, there is no Jewish heart that does not join the strong desire, hope and prayer that indeed everyone, all the abductees will return home safely, very soon, today.

At the same time, it is hard not to reflect from time to time, when seeing and hearing the cry – "bring them back now. To whom exactly is the call for? Who is it directed at?

Is it addressed to citizens like you and me walking on the street in Tel Aviv? Indeed, it is accepted that every person can act great and engage in his prayer and good deeds. But that doesn't really seem to be the intention of the slogan. I am not a very good copywriter, but if that were their intention, it would be more appropriate to write clearly "Pray for the return of the abductees immediately!", "Say a chapter of Psalms now for the return of the abductees!" ...

Is the call directed, in contrast, to Yahya Sinwar…? After all, not only is it clear to every person that this evil murderer will not be persuaded by requests addressed to him from the families of the abductees, but it is quite clear that from his point of view he is satisfied with the ongoing Jewish pain and frustration. Anyway, in that case, it should say "Let our hostages go!"

Is the call directed at the Israeli government? It's not entirely far-fetched, but still, it doesn't make much sense; it is clear that the government and the army are doing everything in their power every day and every hour, to the point of risking and sacrificing the lives of the holy IDF soldiers, for the return of the abductees, and they do not need reminders on billboards.

If they mean giving in to every demand of Yahya Sinwar, and releasing murderous terrorists to plan the next October 7th, meaning hundreds of IDF soldiers died in vain, they are preparing the way, at the very least, for future attempts at hostage taking.

And if in their opinion, as we often hear at the "Headquarters of the Abductees" demonstrations, the government is not at all interested and is not interested in the return of the abductees – what good will the cries and signs do? After all, in their eyes, "there is no one to talk to."

SO WHO IS THIS FIGURE OF ENORMOUS POWER, ON WHOM EVERYTHING DEPENDS, TO WHOM IS THE MIGHTY CRY "BRING THEM HOME NOW" DIRECTED?

It seems to me that the answer is clear, even if the screamers themselves do not admit it, and may not even be sufficiently aware of it, but this is the truth:

Hassidism teaches that "a Jew, regardless of his level of observance, cannot and does not want to part for a moment from faith and connection with G-d." Regardless of his words or deeds, at the end of the day, the deep rooted faith, longing, and unceasing prayer that burn for his Heavenly Father will never depart his soul.

The declaration "bring them home now" is a true Jewish cry, a call of "believers, sons of believers," from the bottom of the soul, to the true Almighty G-d, to our great Father in heaven!

When a Jew is in a time of trouble, and what is a greater time of trouble than more than a hundred of our brothers and sisters being held captive by the cruel murderers, a cry automatically erupts from deep within to the Creator of the universe – BRING THEM HOME NOW!

After all, you, the Holy One, blessed be He, can in one moment, with miracles and wonders, turn everything around into good and blessing! As King David says in the Psalms, "To Him Who alone performs great miracles"; So do it now and bring them home NOW! "God's salvation can come in the blink of an eye."

Undoubtedly, beneath all the masks and wrappings that occasionally 'disguise' political claims or illusions of diverse and peculiar 'deals,' all of which obviously have no great hope or logic whatsoever; In the midst of all this hides an inner cry and true faith, from the depths of the Jewish soul of each and every one of the demonstrators, who declare, cry out and shout – "G-d, our Father in heaven, have mercy on us and save us, with miracles and wonders, NOW!"

And the Holy One, blessed be He, a merciful and gracious God, surely hears the cry of His people of Israel in mercy, and there is no doubt that very soon we will see wonders, and all the abductees will return to their homes safe and sound.