A few months ago, I visited the family of Agam Berger in Cholon, Israel, one of the young female hostages being held in Gaza. I felt so much apprehension as I walked into their home, but then ended up spending two hours with her parents and siblings who are full of so much faith and hope even as they carry so much pain and suffering.
Sitting with her parents Shlomi & Meirav, who I have been with again since then and keep in touch with, was something that will stay with me forever. Their 19 year old daughter was suffering tremendously, with no sign of life, and yet they were so full of hope, faith and determination, that G-d willing she will return one day.
They took me into her bedroom and showed me the hundreds of items and letters that people had sent, that they had placed in her bedroom. From cards, books, prayer books, sports memorabilia, flowers and so much more, her little bedroom told the story of Agam who has become the daughter of a nation, along with each one of the other hostages.
On the wall of her room, we wrote a note with a permanent marker for her to see when she comes home, and we wrote a message from all of us in Sudbury, as it joined dozens of other messages from well wishers in Israel and elsewhere.
I told Meirav that I will G-d willing come back and help her organize the room for Agam when she comes back home.
One of the largest items in the room was a brand new Torah Scroll which a woman in Cholon had sponsored the writing of, and she had asked the family if they can put it in her room to help bring some extra blessing. Ten people were supposed to escort it to the home, but when the neighborhood heard, no less than 5,000 people showed up to dance with this Torah scroll from the street and then into her home and bedroom. It is now used weekly in the club room of the building with 80 residents of the building coming together each Shabbat.
Agam was originally on the list of hostages that were meant to be released tomorrow, but at the last minute, other names, her friends, were put there, who will be the ones who will experience the miracle tomorrow.
Shlomi & Meirav are people of tremendous faith, and despite the pain and yet another blow, I know that are holding on to their hope and faith that very soon they will have a miracle and will be able to give their daughter Agam a hug.
The opening words of this week’s portion describe G-d’s words to Moses who complained to G-d when he saw the terrible suffering that the Jewish people were going through. When he goes to negotiate with Pharoah for their release, instead of getting better, things turn even worse for the Jewish people. They in turn go to Moses and tell him that his diplomacy is making things much worse and more difficult and it would have been better had he not gotten involved. It is then that he come and starts beseeching G-d, “how can this evil be allowed to happen to your people” as he is mortified to watch the people suffer so much.
G-d then tells him, that things will now change, and the people will be released from their bondage and will yet see goodness that they never imagined that they would see, and that even the forefathers didn’t get to experience. It was at that point that the beginning of the end of the exile in Egypt began to unfold, which culminated in the great exodus a few months later.
Indeed, as we read these words tomorrow, we are reminded suffering is a very difficult thing to experience and even to watch, but we pray that G-d should help end the suffering and show us all the miracle that we are waiting so long for, namely, the release of his children from their suffering where they are held hostage.
Dedicated in the merit of Agam Bat Meirav and all of the other hostages.
Shabbat Shalom & Good Shabbos
Yisroel