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We read in Pirkei Avot 5:22: Ben Bag Bag said: Turn it over, and again turn it over, for all is therein. One of the thrilling things about studying Jewish texts is the continuous discovery of new meanings or ways to apply texts. That happened to me this past Shabbat as I followed along in the Haftarah from Isaiah 51:12-52:12:

So let God’s ransomed return,

And come with shouting to Zion,

Crowned with joy everlasting.

Let them attain joy and gladness,

While sorrow and sighing flee.

But it was not solely this ancient hope of the release of hostages that resonated with me.  Further in the same Haftarah  we read:

These two things have befallen you: Wrack and ruin—who can console you?

Famine and sword—how shall I comfort you?

Your sons lie in a swoon at the corner of every street—like an antelope caught in a net—drunk with the wrath of God, with the rebuke of your God.

Therefore, listen to this, unhappy one, who are drunk, but not with wine!

Thus said God, your Sovereign,Your God who champions this people: Herewith I take from your hand the cup of reeling, the bowl, the cup of My wrath; You shall never drink it again.

I will put it in the hands of your tormentors, who have commanded you,“Get down, that we may walk over you”—so that you made your back like the ground, like a street for passersby.

I am doubly mindful this week of the 2,977 victims of 9/11, which includes the 40 victims of Flight 93 where I have participated in remembrance ceremonies, the emergency responders who have succumbed to illness caused by the debris fields, and the nonstop horrors since October 7. Seeking hope and assuredness of a brighter future is never easy amidst trauma. The occasional glimmer of light can provide inspiration, but you have to be fortunate enough to catch it. The continuous torment of over 101 hostages wears on us both physically and psychologically, and we know that Hamas knew this from the beginning. I am not a visionary, nor a prophet, nor a diplomat, so I cannot anticipate the final outcome, as the deep rooted issue behind October 7 - that Israel dares to continue to insist to exist in its ancient homeland - is one that remains intractable. Only when more moderate Arab nations raise their collective voices in unity and say “enough” will the potential of a future exist. Dystopian views relegate future generations to continued H, which we know will only lead to further acts of violence. There are no winners here. So where do I find hope?

Is it sufficient to recite the opening verses of Psalm 121: I lift my eyes to the hills; from whence shall my help come? My help comes from God, Maker of the heavens and of earth. What if God’s help and advice is ignored? Then what? We learned in the book of Exodus that God hardened Pharaoh’s heart, and commentators have suggested that because Pharaoh’s tendency was in a negative direction, this was the only path he was capable of taking. Is this the same for Yahya Sinwar, the leader of Hamas, Mahmoud Abbas, the Chair the PLO, Hassan Nasrallah, the secretary-general of Hezbollah, Ali Khameini, the Supreme Leader of Iran, and Binyamin Netanyahu, the Prime Minister of Israel? Or can God soften their hearts, so that they can come to recognize what the real needs of their people are?

We began reciting Psalm 27 with the start of the month of Elul, the final month of the year.  The concluding verse reads: Hope in God; be strong and of good courage, and hope in God. May Divine inspiration move them towards the path of peace and a meaningful life for all. May Divine inspiration uplift us and provide more moments of joy that we so dearly crave.

My colleague Rabbi Jill Zimmerman has created resources for many years to guide us on our path of reflection and renewal towards the New Year. I encourage you to go to her website, www.ravjill.com, click on “workbooks”, and then click on “new return”. It is a downloadable workbook to assist you in your High Holy Day preparations. Before we can ask forgiveness from others and move forward, we must learn to forgive ourselves.