Holding Joy, Bearing Witness, and the Infinite Divine (Va’eira/MLK Day)

Today is a good day. For all its complications, for all the burdens that any day might carry, today is also filled with enormous good. Today, we celebrate the freedom of Romi Gonen, Emily Damari, and Doron Steinbrecher. They are free.

They are free because of countless efforts, prayers, and sacrifices. They are free because of the unceasing work of the women and men of Israel’s Defense Forces. Most of all, because of the unyielding love and persistence of their families. Most of all, because the Jewish community, including UJA, has stood unwaveringly, supporting them and their families. But even as we rejoice, we must acknowledge: the work ahead is heavier than we might realize. Healing isn’t just physical. It isn’t just mental. It is spiritual. It is pervasive — embedded in the very fabric of Global Jewish consciousness.

There is no unanimity on the costs of these exchanges. The arithmetic is horrific, and the pain of release stings deeply. Yet, we will not let these complexities dim the light of this moment. Today, we celebrate the freedom of these three young women. And today, we recommit to the remaining 95 human beings — may God watch over them — still held in captivity. BRING THEM HOME NOW.

We cannot just hold our breath and wait. We must act. We must persist with passion and purpose.

This week, we read from Parashat Va’eira, a story of revelation. And today, we also honor the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., a modern prophet of hope and justice. Both Torah and Dr. King’s words teach us about the interplay of pain and possibility, darkness and redemption.

In Parashat Va’eira, God tells Moses:

“I appeared to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob as El Shaddai, but by My name Adonai, I did not make Myself known to them. (Ex. 6:3)”

It’s puzzling. Didn’t the ancestors encounter God as “Adonai?” Yet the Torah seems to whisper that there is always more to discover of God, more divinity to reveal in the world. God showed one part of holiness to the ancestors, and yet, the fullness of God remains.

This teaching feels painfully relevant. There must be more. There must be more goodness ahead, more holiness waiting to unfold. And it is up to us to reveal it.

Last night, at Hostage Square in Jerusalem, tears mingled with songs of joy. Journalists and loved ones danced the hora, proclaiming Shehecheyanu. And yet, across the screen in Gaza, we saw the opposite — masked terrorists shoving three women with Kalashnikov rifles. The contrast is unbearable. On our list are hostages: children, babies, grandparents. On theirs: terrorists and murderers.

How do we reconcile these truths? How do we hold our pain, our joy, and our commitment to justice all at once?

Dr. King taught us that “freedom is rarely gained without sacrifice,” that “when evil burns and bombs, good must build and bind.” His words remain an urgent call: we must fight for dignity and freedom, but we must do so with dignity and light.

This, too, is the essence of Zionism — Jewish dignity and self-determination. For 2,000 years, our people dreamt of lihiyot am chofshi b’artzenu, to be a free people in our land. That dream endures, not just in the physical return, but in the values we embody and the light we shine.

So on this 472nd day of war, let us hold our joy aloft. Let us celebrate Romi, Emily, and Doron. Let us fight for the 95 still in captivity and for the 30 to be released in the coming days. Let us never stop working for the safety and spirit of our people.

And let us be witnesses — not only to the pain and horrors of this moment, but to the possibility of healing and hope.

May we fiercely carry the memories of those we’ve lost at the hands of the murderers released to free our beloved hostages. We remember Matt Eisenfeld, Sara Duker, Mara Bennett, Ben Blustein, the Fogel family, Ari Fuld, and so many others — into our fight for freedom. May their lives inspire us to persist, to resist despair, and to embody light.

God says to Moses, “There is more of Me yet to discover.” If that was true then, how much more divinity remains to be revealed now?

May we be agents of liberation. May we uncover more of God’s holiness. And may we never stop fighting for joy, for dignity, for freedom.

May it be soon, and in our days.

HaKadosh Baruch Hu, Holy One of Blessing, bring them all home. Now.

Amen.