A Loving Tribute to the Bibas Mishpacha
We learn that as Adam HaRishon walked in Gan Eden, he stumbled over two stones – darkness and the shadow of death. He was startled, and didn’t know what to do with them. He rubbed the two stones together, and suddenly light was produced.
Klal Yisrael has stumbled over two huge stones – darkness and the shadow of death. I would like to take this opportunity to rub those stones together and try to produce some light, a Torah view that will illuminate our path as we continue to live in galus.
The Ramchal, Moshe Chaim Luzzatto, writes in his Sefer Mesilas Yesharim: “Man has been placed in the midst of a raging battle. All occurrences in the world, whether good or bad, are a challenge for man. There is poverty on one hand and wealth on the other; serenity on one hand and suffering on the other. The battle rages from both sides. If he is victorious on all sides then he can become the ‘adam hashalem’ – the complete man.”
For over 500 days all of Klal Yisrael – every community, every family, every individual – has been carrying within their hearts the plight of our brothers and sisters who still remain hostage. We plead to Hashem, day and night, “ya’ancha Hashem b’yom tzara – may Hashem answer you on the day of distress,” that all the hostages should be returned to us immediately.
The gut-wrenching images of the Bibas family kedoshim – a terrified Shiri, the mother; and her two young children, Ariel and Kfir – became the symbol of the hostages. Shiri was the quintessential eishes chayil – the woman of valor, coming from the Hebrew root word for “soldier,” who exhibited bravery, courage and strength in the face of danger. There is no person in the world who has not seen the heroic picture of Shiri Bibas holding both her children in her arms, with a blanket wrapped around them, being taken into captivity by the forces of evil.
There was something so poignant about a young woman with the youngest of the hostages that tugged every person’s heartstring. A birthday cake was brought into a session of the UN by the former ambassador on their birthdays. The color orange became an affectionate icon associated with the two ginger-haired boys. Their birthdays were celebrated in Hostages Square in Tel Aviv, and thousands of orange balloons were released around the world on their birthdays and now in their memory. Orange shirts and yarmulkas were worn in their honor. Multiple countries and cities around the world lit up their landmarks in an orange glow to commemorate the devastating loss of Shiri, Ariel and Kfir Bibas, and called for the release of the hostages. Artwork depicting the children were portrayed alongside the haunting images of children who had lost their lives in the Holocaust.
Throughout this very long agonizing period, many news outlets have voiced world-wide concern about all the hostages, and the Bibas family, as the fate of many remains unknown. The situation has inspired thousands of hours of Torah study, thousands of perakim of Tehillim recited, countless acts of hafrashas challah and acts of chesed throughout the world. We maintain our faith, hoping and praying for the safe release of all the hostages, and we keep believing until the very last moment that it will not be otherwise. Yet, unfortunately, at the same time that we learned of the fate of Shiri, Ariel and Kfir, we also learned of the outcome for Itzhak Elgarat, Tsachi Idan, Ohad Yahalomi, and Shlomo Mantzur, whose nefashos were returned then.
Hashem promises (Yoel 4:21), “Now should I cleanse, their blood I will not cleanse…” Hashem does not forgive anyone who ever shed a drop of Jewish blood. There is no question that justice will be served by Hashem Himself, as the Yalkut Shimoni states, upon anyone who participated in any way in this massacre.
In his moving hesped, Shiri’s beloved husband Yarden pleaded with Hashem, “Guard me, so I don’t sink into darkness,” a prayer that resonates with all of Klal Yisrael. He evoked a sea of tears, as he told of his eternal love for his wife, how much he missed her and their children. He spoke about the beauty and holiness of his children, reflecting the thoughts of the pasuk in Yirmiyahu (31:19), “I had a beloved son … a delightful child, that whenever I speak of him I remember him more and more.” R’ Meir Shapiro of Lublin says that the words “more and more” imply the promise that the child showed, what he could have achieved had he lived. Yarden then addressed Shiri, Ariel and Kfir individually and asked for their forgiveness.
Klal Yisrael has been tested, and we pray to Hashem for His assistance to help us pass this nisayon. In Shemos (32:9), Hashem tells Moshe Rabbeinu that the Jewish people are “a stiff-necked people.” R’ Aryeh Levin comments that this is, in fact, not a derogatory description at all. Rather, it means to say that we are “stiff-necked,” inflexible and steadfast in our avodas Hashem. The Jewish People have inherited unique innate kochos to withstand challenging times. We are relentless in our fight for spirituality, and we are tenacious in our determination to defend the honor of Hashem at all times. It is one of the secrets of our survival and our success.
The 27th chapter in Tehillim concludes with the words, “Hope to Hashem, strengthen yourself and have courage, and hope to Hashem.” Our meforshim ask: Why does it say “hope to Hashem” twice? They explain that there are times when a person hopes to Hashem [for something], he heartens himself and is resolute, and then what he had hoped for does not happen. At such a time, the pasuk instructs us, “hope to Hashem,” go back, continue to hope and never lose your bitachon.
Even though our wishes were not realized, and we had hoped for something much different all these many days and months, we take our direction from “hope to Hashem.” We increase our faith and make it even stronger. We look forward to better days, to the future geulah and techiyas hameisim, and the fulfillment of the pasuk (Yeshayahu 26:19), “Awake and shout for joy, you who rest in the earth.”
