We are all ecstatic to learn the news of the miraculous rescue of the two Israeli hostages, Fernando Marman and Louis Har, who were kidnapped and held by Hamas militants for longer than four months. We read and watched how about forty soldiers put their lives on the line to rescue them. It is interesting to note that Fernando Marman and Louis Har are related. Fernando’s sister, Clara, is married to Louis. What is not well known is the spiritual part of their rescue.
Here is the spiritual story. As part of an ongoing effort by the hostages’ families to raise awareness within Israel, about four weeks ago Clara and her family went to speak at a Chabad synagogue. After they spoke, and during a Q&A session where they discussed the fact that Israel is between a rock and a hard place—no easy solutions at hand—the Rebbetzin spoke. Rebbetzin Lipsker pointed out to Clara and her family that there is action that can be taken: the performing of Mitzvot in honor of their speedy release from captivity. The Rebbetzin recommended that the women light Shabbat candles and the men don Tefillin daily. The Marman and Har families agreed. They even asked for extra pairs of Tefillin for Fernando and Louis.
Not four weeks passed and the miracle that this family waited for, happened.
The connection between the physical and the spiritual is found in this week’s Torah potion, Teruma. Teruma describes the Sanctuary’s (Temple) chambers. When discussing each area of the Temple, we notice that there are different levels of holiness in each, not limited to just its location, but also because of its uses. The Zohar explains that the Temple that we have here in our world is a reflection of the Temple that exists on high, in the spiritual realm. Therefore, we cannot look at the world we live in as if in a vacuum, but rather we need to see the full picture: how the world below and the world above work in unison. The different levels of holiness reflect this symbiotic relationship.
Although we do not have a Temple in Jerusalem today, as in the past, the lesson of how the two worlds work together still applies. This week we witnessed this ourselves.
The takeaway lesson for each of us is to do one more Mitzvah in merit of the hostages, and in some small way play a role in contributing to their release.