Today, as news comes of an agreement for the return of hostages, our hearts feel a mixture of relief and cautious hope. Two years have passed since the dark and terrible events of Simchat Torah, when so many lives were shattered and families torn apart. This announcement brings a glimmer of light amid long shadows.
Now, on this Sukkot — Chag Ha’emunah (Festival of Faith) — our hearts dare to rejoice, yet we temper hope with tefillah. We wait for the day when this agreement will be fully realized, when our brothers and sisters return safely to their homes, in life and in peace.
It is no coincidence that this news comes on Sukkot — and that today, the first rains begin to fall. The geshem, the first drops of the season, are a sign of Divine compassion. As the Torah promises, “V’natati metar artzechem b’ito” — “I will give the rain of your land in its proper time” (Devarim 11:14). The Gemara (Taanit 7a) teaches that the day rain falls is as great as the day Heaven and Earth were created. On such a day, we sense that the gates of mercy may be opening once again.
The sukkah is called in the Zohar tzila d’meheimnuta — the shelter of faith. We leave our solid homes and dwell beneath the thin covering of sechach, exposed to wind and rain, yet protected by the Shechinah. As Dovid HaMelech declares, “Yoshev b’seter Elyon, b’tzel Shakai yitlonan” (Tehillim 91:1) — “He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall lodge under the protection of the Almighty.” Sukkot teaches us that true security comes not from walls or fortresses, but from Hashem’s Presence above us.
So too, the fate of our captives and the destiny of our people depend not only on politics or power, but on the compassion of Heaven. Chazal teach, “Kol Yisrael areivim zeh bazeh” (Shevuot 39a) — all Israel are spiritually connected and responsible for one another. The suffering of one soul touches the entire nation, and the merit of one contributes to the merit of all. In this light, the release of even a single captive strengthens the hope and faith of Klal Yisrael, bringing us all closer to redemption.
When Moshe Rabbeinu beheld the burning bush, the Midrash (Shemos Rabbah 2:5) explains that Hashem appeared mitoch hasneh — from within the thorn bush — to declare, “Imo Anochi b’tzarah” (Tehillim 91:15): “I am with him in his suffering.” Wherever Israel suffers, the Shechinah shares their pain. The Gemara (Megillah 29a) teaches: “B’chol makom shegalu Yisrael, Shechinah imahem” — wherever Israel is exiled, the Divine Presence is exiled with them.
During these long months of captivity, the Shechinah too has been in exile. Shchinta b’Galuta — the Divine Presence is in exile with the captives. If, with Hashem’s mercy, these hostages are returned, it will be not only a human redemption, but a geulah ketanah — a small redemption of the Shechinah itself, a first step toward comfort for all of Klal Yisrael.
Sukkot is also a chag, holiday, of unity. The Arbaat Haminim (four species )— etrog, lulav, hadas, and aravah — represent the diversity of the Jewish people. The Midrash (Vayikra Rabbah 30:12) teaches that though each differs in taste and fragrance, all must be bound together for the mitzvah to be complete. So too, only when we are united — rich and poor, learned and unlearned, right and left — can we merit the Divine protection of a Sukkat Shalom.
Sukkot is also a chag when we pray for all nations. Many nations and leaders have been involved in bringing about this agreement for the hostages, and we pray that their efforts, together with Hashem’s mercy, will succeed.
This Sukkot, as the first rains descend upon our Sukkot and our land, let us recognize the sacredness of the moment. This is not a time for quiet wishes. It is a time for hitorerut — awakening. We must strengthen our unity, deepen our faith, and fill the world with deeds of compassion, Torah, and prayer. Every act of kindness, every word of Torah, every heartfelt prayer — all bring the Geulah closer and give strength to our brothers and sisters still held captive.
Sukkot — Chag Ha’emunah — teaches that even in vulnerability there is holiness; even in exile, Hashem’s Presence accompanies us. But it also calls us to action — to ensure that the Shechinah will no longer be in exile, that every captive will be freed, and that peace and comfort will once again dwell among the people and the Land of Israel.
We must make the effort — in prayer, in love for our fellow Jew, in faithful observance of Torah and mitzvot — so that the gates of mercy may open fully, and Hashem may restore His Presence and His people to wholeness and goodness.
May we merit, with G-d’s help, hearts strengthened in true faith, souls filled with complete joy, and the power to influence the world, to “perfect the world under the sovereignty of the Almighty” (le-taken olam b’malchut Shakai — from the Aleinu prayer). May these days of Sukkot mark not only shelter and protection, but the first drops of redemption, until Hashem’s Presence rests openly among His people once more.
Rabbi Eliezer Simcha Weisz is a member of the Israeli Chief Rabbinate Rabbinical Council