Agam Berger’s Heroic Return

“I chose the path of faith, and in the path of faith I returned.”

Last week, hostage Agam Berger’s mother said she didn’t want to violate the Sabbath to collect her daughter. In a situation of grave danger there is room in Jewish law for leniency on Sabbath observance. But after Agam’s mother made this declaration, on their own, Hamas changed Agam’s release date to a Thursday (today). Upon her release, we learned that Agam observed Shabbos in captivity – she would not cook for her captors on Shabbat and she refused to eat non-kosher meat, even though the hostages were given very little food.

These types of adherences to Jewish law are not required in the face of life and death situations. But Agam, like many Holocaust survivors who observed the laws of kosher and fasted on Yom Kippur and Queen Esther, who ate only seeds to maintain a kosher diet and who kept seven maidservants in captivity (to keep track of the seventh day, since the ancient Persian calendar had a ten day week) Agam maintained not only unimaginable faith but heroic commitment to Jewish tradition in nightmarish conditions. Her sign reads: “I chose the path of faith, and in the path of faith I returned.”

As her friends gathered to welcome her they sang and danced to the following lyrics, which was written after October 7, 2023:

“And Hashem will bless us, He always loves me and He will always do good for me. And even more good and even more good and even more good. He will always do good for me.”

Rabbi Daniel Feldman shared a beautiful insight on Agam’s name today upon her return:

”How meaningful to be able to recite in Hallel this morning, “HaHofchi ha-tzur Agam mayim,” (Psalms 114:8) of God who “turns a rock into ‘Agam,’ a pool of water.” The commentaries explain that it is a reminder of God’s ability to transform a circumstance from one extreme to the other, from expressions of harsh justice to those of mercy. The Ramban (Numbers 20:8) stresses that the message is that the life-giving force of water can emerge not only from places where it is usually contained, even when it is deeply buried and concealed; but even from a rock itself, from its total opposite, where no one would expect to find it.”

Master of the Universe, have your children not suffered enough? Yet here they are holding onto joyous faith. Please transform harsh justice into abundant mercy. May all of our tears turn into joy and laughter, and in the merit of these heroic young Jews may we see the final redemption speedily in our days.

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