Rabbi's Corner

Message from the Rabbi

"After two years’ time, Pharaoh dreamed that he was standing by the Nile" (Genesis 41:1)
This verse informs us that it was two years after Joseph had interpreted dreams for his cellmates and asked that they tell Pharoah about his skills. I imagine Joseph had given up on ever being saved from the dungeons. 
As I write this message, the hostages have been held for 444 days and it is easy to give up hope of them ever coming home.  It is easy to imagine that of the 100 hostages few can possibly be alive.   In the Talmud the rabbis speak of יאוש - desperation.  For the rabbis, they are speaking of lost items and when you give up hope of ever finding it.  We must never give up hope of bringing these poor desperate people home.  
We all do the calculations of what is reasonable to expect in this week’s news of Hmaas and Israel coming close to a deal. Some may believe we are no closer than we have ever been.  Some wait with a glimmer of hope that we are close.  As it says in Psalms: 
 הֵ֭מָּה כָּרְע֣וּ וְנָפָ֑לוּ וַאֲנַ֥חְנוּ קַּ֝֗מְנוּ וַנִּתְעוֹדָֽד׃
They collapse and lie fallen, but we rally and gather strength. (20:9)
May this Hanukah bring the hostages home and if not may we keep the fight alive for their return. 
This week’s discussion is called “You Can Run but You Cannot Hide” click here for source sheet.

These are the names and ages of the 100 hostages still held captive.  
Tamir Adar (38)
Muhammad Al-Atarash (39)
Hisham Al-Sayed (36)
Hamzah AlZayadni (23)
Yosef AlZayadni (53)
Liri Albag (19)
Edan Alexander (20)
Matan Angrest (20)
Karina Ariev (20)
Aviv Atzili (49)
Sahar Baruch (24)
Uriel Baruch (35)
Ohad Ben Ami (55)
Agam Berger (20)
Gali Berman (27)
Ziv Berman (27)
Ariel Bibas (5)
Kfir Bibas (1.5)
Shiri Bibas (33)
Yarden Bibas (35)
Elkana Bohbot (35)
Rom Braslavski (21)
Itay Chen (19)
Sagui Dekel Chen (36)
Eliya Cohen (27)
Nimrod Cohen (20)
Amiram Cooper (85)
Bar Cooperstein (22)
Ariel Cunio (27)
David Cunio (34)
Emily Damari (28)
Evyatar David (23)
Itzhak Elgarat (69)
Ronen Engel (54)
Daniella Gilboa (20)
Guy Gilboa-Dalal (23)
Meny Godard (73)
Hadar Goldin (23)
Romi Gonen (24)
Ran Gvili (24)
Gad Haggai (72)
Judi Weinstein Haggai (70)
Tal Haimi (41)
Inbar Hayman (27)
Maxim Herkin (36)
Eitan Horn (38)
Yair Horn (46)
Tzachi Idan (50)
Guy Illouz (26)
Bipin Joshi (24)
Ofer Kalderon (54)
Segev Kalfon (26)
Ofra Keidar (70)
Bar Abraham Kupershtein (23)
Solasak Lamanao (30)
Eitan Levi (53)
Shay Levinson (19)
Naama Levy (20)
Or Levy (34)
Oded Lifshitz (84)
Shlomo Mantzur (86)
Eliyahu Margalit (75)
Avera Mangisto (38)
Omri Miran (47)
Joshua Loitu Mollel (21)
Eitan Abraham Mor (24)
Gadi Moshe Mozes (80)
Pinta Natthaphong (35)
Omer Neutra (21)
Tamir Nimrodi (20)
Yosef-Chaim Ohana (24)
Alon Ohel (23)
Sontia Ok’Krasari (30)
Avinatan Or (31)
Dror Or (48)
Daniel Oz (19)
Daniel Peretz (22)
Sontisek Rintalk (43)
Lior Rudaeff (61)
Banawat Saithiao (27)
Yonatan Samerano (21)
Eli Sharabi (52)
Yossi Sharabi (53)
Oron Shaul (21)
Omer Shem-Tov (22)
Tal Shoham (39)
Idan Shtivi (28)
Keith Samuel Siegel (65)
Doron Steinbrecher (31)
Sathian Suwannakham (34)
Pongsak Thaenna (35)
Alexanrdre Sasha Troufanov (29)
Sriuan Watchara (32)
Ilan Weiss (56)
Omer Wenkert (23)
Yair Yaakov (59)
Ohad Yahalomi (50)
Arbel Yehoud (29)
Arieh Zalmanowicz (85)
Matan Zangauker (24)