As we all heard, an agreement was reached between Israel and Hamas. We are elated because it means some hostages can start coming home. Families may have closure and hopefully, there can be some peace in the region. Yet, it still seems so far away. We hold our breath because, as we saw this morning, things can constantly shift.
A prayer called, Acheinu, our brothers, has been recited for hundreds of years. It either originated in the 12th century or earlier. It reads:
Acheinu, Our brothers
the whole house of Israel,
who are in distress
and captivity
who wander over sea
and over land —
may God have mercy on them,
and bring them
from distress to comfort,
from darkness to light,
from slavery to redemption,
now, swiftly,
and soon.
And let us say: Amen.
The first time I really heard the prayer was when five rabbis from Israel joined us in Palm Springs last week. Together, they sang this at the end of their program, all of us standing and holding on to each other. Why was it that this was the moment I HEARD it? I was witness to their voices sharing how painful these past 468 days have been for Israel, the region, and the world.
This Shabbat, we begin to read the book of Exodus in which the Israelites who have been slaves for over 400 years are leaving the narrow place of Mitzrayim and making their way to Israel. From darkness to light. How hopeful I am that as we begin this journey of reading the Exodus we will start to see those who have been held in darkness brought out into the light and into the loving arms of their families. And we know there will be those who will not come out alive. We pray that they are embraced by God’s divine wings of protection as they are laid to rest by their families and wrapped in God’s blanket.
So I hold my breath and I listen to these words of Acheinu and pray that our brothers and sisters will come home soon and maybe, we all can breathe again.
