- Clergy
- Shabbat
Holding Our Breath, Waiting for Light
This Shabbat, in the middle of Sukkot, we find ourselves holding something sacred and complicated, a mix of hope, fear, and cautious relief. After 2 years of heartbreak, we are hearing that a deal has been reached to bring the hostages home from Gaza.
It is difficult to capture what that means. Families who have lived in anguish now have a glimmer of light. Across the Jewish world, we feel that same anticipation, that same holding of breath. We want to rejoice, but we are waiting. We are waiting until every soul is safely home, every embrace complete, every tear of grief turned into a tear of joy.
This week’s Torah reading, Exodus 33:12–34:26, mirrors that moment of waiting. After the Golden Calf, Moses stands before God, uncertain whether the relationship can ever be repaired. He pleads, “If Your Presence does not go with us, do not carry us up from here.” In that prayer, Moses captures what so many of us are feeling now. We can face the uncertainty ahead, but only if we know that God is with us.
And God answers, not with power or anger, but with mercy and love. God reveals the divine attributes: compassion, patience, kindness, forgiveness, and faithfulness. In that moment, hope is reborn. What was broken begins to heal.
That same lesson runs through Sukkot. We sit in temporary huts, open to the sky, aware of how fragile life can be. Yet somehow, we find peace there. The sukkah reminds us that our safety does not come from strong walls but from God’s presence that surrounds us even in uncertainty.
This Shabbat, as we sit in our sukkot and gather with family and friends, we pray that God’s presence travels with those returning home and comforts those who still wait. We pray for peace for the families, for healing for all who have suffered, and for strength for our people.
When the hostages finally return, when families embrace again, when souls are laid to rest, we will exhale together. We will give thanks for a God who carried us through the waiting, who stayed close when hope was fragile, and who never let us go.
May this Shabbat bring comfort and courage. May Sukkot remind us that even in our most vulnerable moments, we are held. And may the hope that fills our hearts this week continue to grow until every captive is home.
Shabbat Shalom and Chag Sameach,
Rabbi David Eshel