Some stories shake us to our core. They remind us who we are, what we stand for, and just how strong the Jewish soul can be.
This week, we saw such a story unfold before our eyes.
Agam Berger spent 481 days in captivity, taken from her bed by terrorists on October 7th. She was just 18 years old. But even in the depths of that unimaginable darkness, she refused to break.
She chose faith.
She refused to cook for the terrorists on Shabbat. She insisted on eating only kosher food, even when she was starving. On Yom Kippur, she and other hostages tried not to eat. She prayed every single day.
What Agam didn’t know was that her mother, Meirav, also chose faith. While waiting nearly 500 days for her daughter’s return, she embraced Shabbat for the first time.
And when she heard that Agam was finally being released, she made a bold request: Do not violate Shabbat for me. I won’t even travel to see my daughter until after Shabbat, because Shabbat is too holy.
And then, something incredible happened. The world moved. Plans changed. Instead of being released on Shabbat, Agam was freed on Thursday—without any violation of the very mitzvah she had risked so much to keep.
Millions of people watched as she sat in the helicopter, finally free. And with her first opportunity to speak, she wrote just three words:
“I chose the path of faith.”
And when Meirav finally embraced her daughter, the first thing she did was whisper a quiet prayer, thanking G-d.
There are moments in history when faith changes the course of everything. Agam’s faith, in the darkest of places, reached all the way to Heaven.
We sometimes wonder: What special merit protected Israel when 600 missiles rained down from Iran, and not one took a life? Yes, we have the merit of Torah and mitzvot. But maybe, just maybe, there was also something more.
The Torah describes how Moses lifted his hands during battle against Amalek, and as long as his hands remained steady, the Jewish people prevailed. The commentator Rashi explains that “his hands were strong”—a metaphor for unshakable faith.
This week, we saw that kind of faith again. A 19-year-old girl, taken hostage by murderers, chose faith over fear. And in doing so, she inspired millions.
Tonight, as we light our Shabbat candles, let’s take in the deeper meaning of this moment. Let’s pray for Israel, for our hostages, for our soldiers, and for the safety of all our brothers and sisters.
With every hostage released, we learn about their unimaginable courage.
Tomorrow, we hope to see Yarden Bibas, Ofer Calderon, and Keith Siegel finally return home. But Hamas still refuses to reveal the fate of little Ariel (5) and Kfir (2) Bibas and their mother, Shiri. We will not stop praying until they, and every last hostage, are home.
Agam’s words should ring in our ears: “I chose the path of faith.”
This week, Shabbat feels different. It is a Shabbat Kallah—a Shabbat like no other. We welcome it with gratitude, with joy, with the knowledge that our faith carries us forward, no matter what.
In Montreal, candle lighting is at 4:32 PM. Elsewhere, check: www.jewishndg.com/candlelighting.
May this Shabbat bring light where there is darkness, strength where there is weakness, and miracles where they are needed most.
With unwavering faith, with continued prayers for every hostage, every soldier.
Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Yisroel Bernath
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