💡 Think:
This week’s email was written by Chana.
Sasha Trufanov is more than just a name on a list—he is a friend of our community, an Amazon employee, and a kind and brilliant young man who was cruelly taken hostage on October 7th. When we traveled to Israel last year, we had the immense privilege of meeting with his mother and girlfriend, who have fought tirelessly for his release. We shared words of comfort, embraced their pain, and presented them with a letter from the Lubavitcher Rebbe—words of hope, faith, and unwavering belief in the ultimate redemption.
This morning, we were overcome with emotion as Sasha’s name appeared on the list of hostages G-d willing set to be released tomorrow. The cautious hope, the desperate prayers—it’s impossible to put into words the weight of this moment. Sasha has endured unimaginable suffering. The thought that, b’ezras Hashem, he could soon be free fills our hearts with longing and urgency.
Parshas Yisro tells of the greatest revelation in history—the moment Hashem gave the Torah at Har Sinai. But before that, there was Egypt. Before revelation, there was darkness. Before the voice of Hashem thundered through the world, the Jewish people cried out in suffering.
Torah is more than laws; it is liberation. Hashem didn’t just free us from Egypt—He gave us a mission, a purpose, a connection beyond all exile and oppression. Sinai reminds us that no captivity is forever. No matter how dark the night, dawn will come.
Today, as we stand at our own moment of revelation, we pray. We pray that Sasha’s release truly happens, that he steps out of the shadows of captivity and into the embrace of his family. And we pray for the release of every hostage, for an end to suffering, for a world where no one has to beg for the freedom of their loved ones.
May Hashem bring the complete and final redemption —for Sasha, for the hostages, and for all of Klal Yisrael - right now.
🏃 DO:
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📚 Read:
📱 You don’t need a smartphone: a practical, personal guide to downgrading your device
🔥 Lit:
This week, light Shabbat candles in NYC at 5:12 PM
For Shabbat candle-lighting time in your area click here.
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