MITZVAH RABBAH – PIDYON SHVUYIM

 

The sacred Jewish principle of Pidyon Shvuyim, the redemption of captives, shines as one of the most profound expressions of humanity ever known. This ancient commandment places the highest value on every single life, demanding that no sacrifice is too great to free those stolen away. It embodies a mercy and determination that should move the entire world to admiration. Yet this very nobility has been ruthlessly exploited by those consumed with hatred for Jews.

Islamic extremists have again and again chosen the most sacred days on the Jewish calendar to unleash their barbarity. They attacked on Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, when the nation was bowed in prayer and fasting. They attacked on Simchat Torah, a day of pure rejoicing with Torah scrolls and dancing, transforming celebration into slaughter. And most recently, on 7 October 2023, they descended like demons upon innocent families, festival-goers, and peaceful communities. These dates are no coincidence. The perpetrators know exactly how deeply Pidyon Shvuyim is etched into the Jewish soul. They know that Jews will never abandon their own, that Israel will pay any price, endure any pain, to bring captives home. So they murder with savage delight and drag away hostages, prolonging torment and extracting the heaviest possible toll from a people who refuse to let even one soul be forsaken.

The suffering inflicted upon the Jewish people defies all comprehension. Babies beheaded. Children burned alive. Young women raped and paraded as trophies. Elderly survivors of the Holocaust torn from their homes and carried into darkness. Entire families annihilated. Communities shattered forever. How much agony must one nation endure? Israel, a tiny light of freedom and decency surrounded by oceans of tyranny, fights relentlessly for its survival while clinging to moral standards that its enemies mock and despise. Every act of self-defence is met with condemnation, every tear shed by grieving families dismissed or distorted.

This heartbreak is made infinitely worse by the chorus of hatred echoing from parts of the West. Radical voices, cloaked in self-righteous outrage, spread lies that revive the oldest poisons of antisemitism. Trusted institutions, once pillars of truth, have too often surrendered to bias. The BBC stands accused time and again of reporting that downplays terrorist horrors, excuses atrocities, and subjects Israel's every response to relentless, unbalanced scrutiny. Such betrayal of journalistic duty does not merely misinform. It fans the flames of Jew-hatred across streets and campuses.

And lurking behind so much of this venom is the corrosive influence of Qatar. Vast rivers of petrodollars flow into Western universities, media networks, and sporting empires like UEFA, buying influence, silencing criticism, and polishing a ruthless image. While Qatar shelters terrorist leaders and funds extremist poison, its money ensures that voices challenging its narrative are marginalised. The result is a world where truth is suffocated, Israel demonised, and Jewish lives rendered expendable in the eyes of too many.

Enough. The Jewish people have borne unimaginable sorrow across centuries, yet they rise each time with unbreakable spirit. Their refusal to abandon captives, their insistence on life even amid death, stands as a blazing testimony to the triumph of light over darkness. May the memories of all hostages who died in captivity be a blessing. May the lies be exposed and shattered. May the day come soon when Jewish children dance without fear, when Israel knows true peace, and when the world finally stands unashamedly with a people who have suffered far too much for far too long.

Am Yisrael Chai. ✊