Kama Tov Sh’Baata Habayta Welcome Home

Shalom Hanoch sang in 1988 “Kama Tov Sh’Baata Habayta, Kama Tov Lir’ot Otkha Shuv… How good it is that you have come home, how good it is to see you again”. In those innocent days of the 1980s, we have not yet truly known the meaning of national longing for hostages and the immense joy of their homecoming… “How good it is that you have come home, how good.” 

Since Sunday, January 19th, the hostages Arbel Yehud, Gadi Mozes, Agam Berger, Daniela Gilboa, Liri Elbag, Naama Levy, Karina Ariev, Romi Gonen, Emily Damari, Naama Levy, Doron Steinbracher, and 5 Thai citizens have been released.

“Kama Tov Sh’Baata… How good it is that you have come home” of course also links to Parashat Bo. The Parasha begins with the words Bo L’Phar’o “Come to Pharaoh”. Indeed Moses came to Pharaoh to negotiate a deal for liberating the slaves. The Parasha ends with the words “… for with a strong hand Adonai brought us out of Egypt”. The Parasha begins with negotiations  and ends with implementation. All Israelites were freed without exception: men, women, children, and the elderly.

The similarities between the Torah portion and the events of the past week do not end there. The Israelites were in Egypt for 430 years. The hostages had been in Gaza for 484 days. The plagues that the Pharaoh and his people endured due to the enslavement of the Israelites is reminiscent of the severe price the Gazans paid for their war. Serious sky born damage, swarms of locust, that obscure the sun’s rays and eat any vegetation in sight parallels the utter destruction wrought by the Israeli air-force. 

The plague of darkness is reminiscent of Hamas hiding like rats in underground tunnels. Finally, the terrible plague of the firstborn that brought death to every Egyptian family, as it is written: “And it came to pass at midnight, that Adonai smote all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, from the firstborn of Pharaoh that sat on his throne unto the firstborn of the prisoner in the dungeon…”. It is hard to imagine a family in Gaza that has not suffered loss due to the intense war they had brought upon themselves.

The difference, though, is that it isn’t clear whether Palestinians care about their loss of life coupled with terrible destruction. Their rhetoric and their belligerent behavior during the return of the hostages seems to be more of the same “jihadist” (religious war) culture that sanctifies death of self and others. We see little remorse, if any. Maybe God simply hardened their hearts just like God had done to Pharaoh?! Who knows?!

In chapter 12: 33 – we read: “…and the children of Israel did as Moses said, and borrowed from the Egyptians vessels of silver, vessels of gold, and clothing: and Adonai caused the Egyptians to treat the people of Israel favorably, and they lent (their goods) abundantly to them.” That is, by contrast to Pharaoh’s harshness, the Egyptian people showed favor toward the people of Israel. Golda Meir has already said: The day the Arabs love their children more than they hate us, there will be peace. Will the Palestinian people learn from the ancient Egyptians and change their attitude from hate to love, at least for their own kin? Only time will tell. 

In the meanwhile, we will continue to pray for, as well as act vigorously for, the release of all our hostages. We will continue to sing “Kama Tov Shebaata Habayta… How good it is to have you come home” over and over again until the last hostage is back.