: Therefore, Zion weeps bitterly. PARTS 1AND 2 HOSTAGE RELEASE DEAL
The gematria, numerical value of 240 are the Jewish letters Mem and Resh, together, Mar, or bitter. The plight of the 240 hostages weighs heavily on us all.
I cant help but meditate on the use of the word MAR in our prayers during the mid-day Minchah service on Tisha B’av, the Ninth Day of the Jewish month of Av, the day Jews commemorate the destruction of both holy temples in Jerusalem. In the Minchah service we say the following:
During Mincha services on the Ninth of Av, the following petition is added here:
נַחֵם יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵֽינוּ אֶת אֲבֵלֵי צִיּוֹן וְאֶת אֲבֵלֵי יְרוּשָׁלָֽיִם. וְאֶת הָעִיר הָאֲבֵלָה וְהַחֲרֵבָה וְהַבְּ֒זוּיָה וְהַשּוֹמֵמָה. הָאֲבֵלָה מִבְּ֒לִי בָנֶֽיהָ. וְהַחֲרֵבָה מִמְּ֒עוֹנוֹתֶֽיהָ. וְהַבְּ֒זוּיָה מִכְּ֒בוֹדָהּ. וְהַשוֹמֵמָה מֵאֵין יוֹשֵׁב. וְהִיא יוֹשֶֽׁבֶת וְרֹאשָׁהּ חָפוּי כְּאִשָּׁה עֲקָרָה שֶׁלֹּא יָלָֽדָה. וַיְבַלְּ֒עֽוּהָ לִיגְיוֹנוֹת. וְיִירָשֽׁוּהָ עוֹבְ֒דֵי פְסִילִים. וַיָטִּֽילוֹ אֶת עַמְּ֒ךָ יִשְׂרָאֵל לֶחָֽרֶב. וַיַּהַרְגוּ בְזָדוֹן חֲסִידֵי עֶלְיוֹן. עַל כֵּן צִיּוֹן בְּמַר תִבְכֶּה. וִירוּשָׁלַֽיִם תִּתֵּן קוֹלָהּ. לִבִּי לִבִּי עַל חַלְלֵיהֶם. מֵעַי מֵעַי עַל חַלְלֵיהֶם. כִּי אַתָּה יְהֹוָה בָּאֵשׁ הִצַּתָּהּ. וּבָאֵשׁ אַתָּה עָתִיד לִבְנוֹתָהּ. כָּאָמוּר וַאֲנִי אֶהְיֶה לָהּ נְאֻם יְהֹוָה חוֹמַת אֵשׁ סָבִיב וּלְכָבוֹד אֶהְיֶה בְּתוֹכָהּ: בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְהֹוָה מְנַחֵם צִיּוֹן וּבוֹנֵה יְרוּשָׁלָֽיִם:
Adonoy, our God, console the mourners of Zion and the mourners of Jerusalem and the city that is in mourning and in ruins, despised and desolate. Mourning because she is bereft of her children, ruined of her dwellings, despised in contrast to her former glory, desolate without inhabitants, she sits alone with her head covered like a barren woman who never gave birth. Legions have devoured her, idolaters have deprived her of her inheritance; they have put Your people Israel to the sword and have wantonly murdered the pious ones of the Most High. Therefore, Zion weeps bitterly, and Jerusalem raises her voice, “My heart, my heart [grieves] for their slain, my innards, my innards, [ache] for their slain. For you, Adonoy, set her afire, and with fire You will ultimately rebuild her, as it is said, “I will be to her, says Adonoy, a wall of fire around [her], and I shall be for glory in her midst.” Blessed are You, Adonoy, Consoler of Zion and Builder of Jerusalem.
Looking at the sentence itself: עַל כֵּן צִיּוֹן בְּמַר תִבְכֶּה Therefore, Zion weeps bitterly,
another , literal translation of the of these five Jewish words, can be perhaps Therefore, Zion B’mar/for the 240 weeps, B’mar in literal Hebrew can mean for the 240. It weighs on us all so heavily. The loss, the defilement, G-d’s wrath, similar to what Jeremiah bemoans in Eichah, Lamentations. , when the holy temple was destroyed, and the land and its inhabitants were defiled.
As an attorney, I have never seen a country sit on a witness stand minute by minute trying to convince a world, filled with the usual enmity towards Israel, that it is justified defending itself against the loss of 1,200 citizens with 240 hostages still held.
Has there ever been a country like Israel who has dropped leaflets on its enemy to warn of an impending attack, so they could escape? Has there been so barbaric an attack since the days of ISIS, when the world stood horrified, and would not tolerate such behavior among civilized nations?
Jacob runs from Esau and on the way he sleeps and dreams about the angels that go up and down the ladder, and he understands that Jews will go into exile and they will return and he asks G-d to provide for him so he could return to his father’s home in peace/Vshavti b’shalom el beis avi.
This is the blessing of this week’s torah portion, as Jacob is pursued by his brother, he asks G-d to sustain him so he can return to his family in peace. May G-d grant this return speedily for our hostages, may they return in peace to their homes.
PART 2
ANOTHER NUMERICAL EQUIVALENT OF 240 IS RAM, HIGH AS IN THE FOLLOWING PARAGRAPH OF PSALMS 113 WE SAY IN THE PRAYER OF HALLEL ON JEWISH FESTIVALS:
רָ֖ם עַל־כׇּל־גּוֹיִ֥ם ׀ יְהֹוָ֑ה עַ֖ל הַשָּׁמַ֣יִם כְּבוֹדֽוֹ׃
The LORD is exalted above all nations;
His glory is above the heavens.
מִ֭י כַּיהֹוָ֣ה אֱלֹהֵ֑ינוּ הַֽמַּגְבִּיהִ֥י לָשָֽׁבֶת׃
Who is like the LORD our God,
who, enthroned on high,
הַֽמַּשְׁפִּילִ֥י לִרְא֑וֹת בַּשָּׁמַ֥יִם וּבָאָֽרֶץ׃
sees what is below,
in heaven and on earth?
מְקִ֥ימִ֣י מֵעָפָ֣ר דָּ֑ל מֵ֝אַשְׁפֹּ֗ת יָרִ֥ים אֶבְיֽוֹן׃
He raises the poor from the dust,
lifts up the needy from the refuse heap
לְהוֹשִׁיבִ֥י עִם־נְדִיבִ֑ים עִ֝֗ם נְדִיבֵ֥י עַמּֽוֹ׃
to set them with the great,
with the great men of His people.
מֽוֹשִׁיבִ֨י ׀ עֲקֶ֬רֶת הַבַּ֗יִת אֵֽם־הַבָּנִ֥ים שְׂמֵחָ֗ה הַֽלְלוּ־יָֽהּ׃ {פ}
He sets the childless woman among her household
as a happy mother of children.
Hallelujah.
There is a hostage agreement on the following terms: israelnationalnews.com
According to the outline, 50 living Israelis will be released in several batches throughout the four days of the ceasefire.
Every day, 12 to 13 hostages will be released. For every 10 additional Israeli hostages who are released – another day of a pause in the fighting will be given.Israeli officials believe that in addition to the 50 hostages, Hamas can release another 30 Israelis.
Accordingly, 140 terrorists will also be released in several phases. The IDF will continue to encircle the northern Gaza Strip. In addition, fuel will only enter Gaza during the days of the ceasefire. The IDF and the Israel Security Agency (Shin Bet) will continue intelligence gathering operations.
Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar has pledged to return 30 out of 40 children. About 8 out of 13 mothers will be returned, and an additional 12 elderly women will be returned as well.
The Israeli government said in an official statement on Tuesday night: “The Israeli government is committed to bringing home all the hostages. Tonight, the government approved the outline for the first stage of achieving this goal, according to which at least 50 hostages – women and children – will be released over 4 days, during which there will be a lull in the fighting. The release of every ten additional hostages will result in an additional day of respite.”
“The Israeli government, the IDF and the security forces will continue the war in order to return all the hostages, complete the elimination of Hamas and ensure that there is no renewed threat from Gaza to the State of Israel,” the statement added.
-Suri