If we didn't have enough of all the heartbreaking events that have accompanied our lives since Simchat Torah, now comes the terrible tragedy of the accidental shooting of the three hostages who were trying to reach our forces. One can only imagine what was going through their minds when they were so close to freedom, after seventy terrible days in the captivity of the murderers, and that's when what happened happened.
One can also imagine the terrible pain of the soldiers when the tragic outcome became clear.
If it weren't for that mistake, these soldiers would be the happiest people alive. They would be celebrating, as if they had managed to save the three hostages and return them safe and sound. It's unimaginable!
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The cry of pain
This reality shakes each and every one of us, and more than anything else the families of the kidnapped. The thoughts of the son or daughter, the husband or the father, who have been held captive by human beings for about eighty days - are mind-boggling. Not knowing their fate and situation is the most terrible of all.
The families rightly feel that every additional day of this nightmare is too much.
Certain actions by the headquarters of the families of the kidnapped have aroused public criticism, ranging from the feeling that certain elements are using them for political purposes to the claim that these actions serve Hamas and encourage it not to surrender.
It is impossible to approach the families with any claims. They cry out their pain, and try in every way to promote the release of their loved ones. Even from within the families themselves, diverse voices are heard, and each one deals with the terrible reality in their own way.
But with all the pain and identification, decision-makers must weigh cold considerations that take into account the broader interest of the entire Jewish people. From time to time, the argument is heard against decision-makers: How would you act if your son or your father were held captive by the murderers?.
It must be said honestly that in such a situation, that person should not have been involved in the decision. This is exactly the situation defined in halakha as 'concerning'. In modern parlance, this is called a 'conflict of interest.' We all see how strict it is that public officials refrain from discussing issues in which they have a personal interest, for fear that this interest will bias their judgment.
The considerations here are weighty. The demand to 'bring them back now' means in practice ending the war and leaving Hamas and its capabilities. Isn't the blood of about one hundred and twenty Hamas soldiers who fell in the war precious to us? Are we allowed to leave this murderous organization alive and well, with all the attendant implications, just because it took hostages?
Pray for their return.
We should not envy decision-makers, who are required to deal with unbearably difficult questions, but we should not burden them even more by applying emotional pressure, which could bias their judgment.
This was precisely one of the Shamgar Committee's recommendations: "A disconnect must be brought about between the families of the captive and the decision-makers at the political level, in order to prevent undue pressure.".
And yet, the issue of the kidnapped must be constantly before our eyes, and we must pray for them every single day, that they may return safely and quickly, with complete victory over those who seek our souls.
