As for our brothers, the whole house of Israel, who are in distress or captivity, on sea or land, may the
All-Present have compassion on them and lead them from distress to relief, from darkness to light, and from subjugation to redemption, now, swiftly and soon.
And let us say: Amen.
This is the text of the Acheinu prayer that is being recited in shuls across the country as we pray for the speedy redemption of those being held captive in Gaza. I’d like to highlight three unique aspects of the Acheinu prayer, each of which connect us deeply to the plight of our brothers and sisters being held in captivity.
First, we must ask why the prayer begins speaking about “our brothers, the whole house of Israel”? Earlier versions of the prayer only describe “our brothers.” Are “the whole house of Israel,” all of us, really in distress and captivity?
Second, the language in Hebrew for “on sea or land” is “Those who stand between the sea and between the land.” In some earlier versions of the prayer, the words “stand” and “between” do not appear. What do we make of these additions?
Finally, the prayer appears to be incongruent. It opens describing two modes of affliction: distress (tzara) and captivity (shivya). The prayer then continues to ask God, the All-present, to intervene, addressing those in distress, asking God to “lead them from distress (tzara) to relief (lirvacha).” However, the prayer never directly circles back to those in shivya. Instead, it speaks of liberation from “darkness (afeila) to light” and “subjugation (shee’abud) to redemption.”
In my opinion, these components are meant to propel us deeper into the internal state of those being held hostage, in order to elicit a more emphatic supplication on their behalf.
This agenda stands out in the opening words of Acheinu. We declare that not just our “brothers” are in distress and captivity — it’s all of us! It’s “the whole house of Israel.” We have all been shaken to the core upon hearing the atrocities of Oct. 7th. And we will pray, protest and scream on the streets on behalf of the hostages until they are liberated.
The next section, which discusses “standing between the sea and between the land,” is clearly reminiscent of Am Yisrael standing “between” the sea on one side and the land on the other as they were being chased by the Egyptians in the Passover story. I thank Rabbi Chai Posner for this wonderful insight. These Hebrew additions, which shift us into the experience at the Sea of Reeds, force us to realize that those being held hostage today are feeling the same way: trapped, without anywhere to go on either side, with an enemy breathing down their necks.
It’s a dreadful thought, but it’s necessary to contemplate. As we sit at our seder tables this Pesach and speak of how the sea split for Am Yisrael, we must pray for a similar outcome for our dear brothers and sisters in Gaza: that they see light at the end of the (figurative and literal) tunnel.
Finally, upon further reflection, the final part of the prayer may not be as incongruent as we originally thought. We mention tzara in the first and last part of the prayer. Similarly, in the first part we mention shivya, and in the final part we elaborate on forms of suffering related to captivity: inner, psychological darkness and external, physical subjugation.
The darkness of captivity includes depression, dejection, panic and any other inner, dark experience one could imagine. We pray that God dispel this darkness and lead our hostages to light.
We then speak of the physical state of those in captivity. Their bodies are being subjugated, perhaps cramped into a small space, without much to eat, lacking the comforts of their home and family. Imagining even worse possible subjugations just tears at the heartstrings.
We conclude the Acheinu with a plea that redemption and freedom come “now, swiftly and soon” for the hostages. The Acheinu reminds us that the deeper we go into the experience of those suffering, the more fervently we will pray for their speedy redemption.
May the hostages be freed, as our ancestors were in Egypt, and may we merit to celebrate with them “swiftly and soon” in our days.
Amen.
Rabbi Dr. Eli Yoggev serves as the associate rabbi of Baltimore’s Beth Tfiloh Congregation, one of the largest Orthodox Jewish congregations in North America.
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