It is no coincidence that in the same week in which we read about how the painful era of Egyptian slavery came to a close, the State of Israel and the Jewish People closed a painful chapter of our own times. Ran Gvili was a 24-year-old member of the elite police YASAM unit. On October 7, 2023, he was at home awaiting surgery for a broken shoulder when he began hearing about the Hamas invasion, a fifty-minute drive from his family home in Meitar. He did not hesitate. Ran put on his uniform, hopped on one of his motorcycles, and sped south to Kibbutz Alumim. There, he battled Hamas terrorists for hours, saving lives until he was killed by Hamas. His body was taken hostage into Gaza where he remained for 843 days. With the help of recently acquired intelligence, the IDF launched a complex search and rescue mission, and they were successful in retrieving Ran’s body from a mass grave from a cemetery in northern Gaza. Ran’s remains were returned and buried in his hometown of Meitar, the last hostage held in Gaza to be brought home to their family. This is the first time in over a decade that not a single Israeli is being held hostage in Gaza. Though we are grateful for the family’s and the nation’s closure, there are no words that make such a moment easier. However, there are words that can help us process this moment and put it into a more meaningful perspective. Parshat Beshalach opens with the Jewish people at the threshold of redemption. Egypt is behind them. The future lies ahead. Miracles are still unfolding. The Jews are loading up on the spoils of Egypt. Where is Moshe? “Vayikach Moshe et atzmot Yosef imo”. Moshe was busy tracking down the bones of Yosef Hatzaddik. Joseph had made his family swear that when redemption came, they would not leave Egypt without him. In the most forward-focused moment in Jewish history, Moshe ensures that this promise is kept. Redemption can only come about if we remember our past, we remember our promises, and we remember our brethren. Chazal teach that the Sea did not split until it saw the casket of Yosef. The merit of Yosef’s moral courage and his devotion to his family were what made redemption possible. If we hope to merit redemption then we too must carry our heroes with us. Yosef is not the only historical figure to whom Ran Gvili’s story evokes. It has been reported that Ran’s body was recovered intact, reminiscent of the victims of Beitar massacred by the Romans after the destruction of the second Beit Hamikdash. In response to that tragedy/ miraculous occurrence the rabbis instituted the blessing of HaTov VeHaMeitiv: HaTov is gratitude that the bodies did not decompose and VeHaMeitiv is in appreciation that they were ultimately brought to Jewish burial. As we recite this bracha today we remember that even in heartbreak, chesed can triumph and dignity matters. At Ran’s funeral, the Prime Minister quoted Rabbi Doron Perez, head of World Mizrachi and chairman of the World Zionist Organization, who lost his son Daniel on October 7: The Jewish people are the smallest of nations, but we are the biggest family on the planet. Families do not abandon their own. The return home of both Ran Gvili and of Joseph’s bones teach us the same lessons: We do not leave Jews behind, living or dead. Just as important as our destination may be is the manner in which we travel and the ways that we treat each other along the journey. And we may be a tiny nation but we are a mighty family. We have a responsibility to honor our past and to carry one another through every stage of our personal and national journey.
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