The Torah blogger, Yeranen Yaakov, wrote about the release of the hostages on the Jewish holiday of Hoshana Raba, the seventh day of the Jewish holiday of Sukkot. He noted that their release came exactly two years after their abduction by Hamas, corresponding to the two “extra years” Joseph sat in prison after he interpreted the dreams of Pharaoh’s cupbearer and baker (Genesis chapter 41). The cupbearer had promised to remember Joseph, but he forgot him until Pharaoh had his own disturbing dreams. According to some Jewish commentaries, these extra two years of imprisonment were for Joseph’s lack of faith in God and choosing instead to turn to men to redeem him.

Yeranen Yaakov wrote that in this story, Joseph corresponds to the people of Israel today, as the gematria (numerology) of ‘Yosef’ (יוסף) equals 156, equal to the word ‘tzion’ (Zion), i.e. the Zionist state.. 

“We put our trust in the government to save us, but [just as the cupbearer did not keep faith with Joseph], we were forsaken by our government,” Yeranen Yaakov wrote. “We trusted in the conceptzia [the conceptualized government policy] instead of trusting in Hashem, God, [literally ‘the name] to protect us.  When Hashem doesn’t protect us, no one can protect us.”

He then notes that just as two years marked a ketz (an end of a period of time for Joseph), precisely two years after the October 7th attack marked an end of a period of time for the modern state of Israel. He notes that the Midrash states that in the case of Joseph, ketz meant that God was putting an end to a period of darkness for Joseph. In the same way, God was putting an end to a period of darkness for the hostages who endured two years of darkness in the tunnels of Gaza. 

“When the 2 years were up, Pharaoh, the most respected leader of the world’s largest superpower at that time, sent for Jospeh to be rushed out of the dungeon of Egypt to freedom.  And Joseph actually went to go meet this leader,” the blogger wrote, noting President Trump has gone to great efforts to meet many of the hostages and their families.

He then explains that the Metzudat David commentary on the Torah concerning the meeting of Pharaoh and Joseph means that in the End of Days, the Angel Michael will be Israel’s great defense attorney in the Heavenly Court against the attacks from the Ishmaelites, i.e. the Arabs. He then cited the 17th-century commentary by Rabbi Shabbatai ben Meir HaKohen, known by the acronym the ‘Shach’, who wrote, “It’s possible that the one who shaved Yosef and changed his clothes was the Angel Gavriel, who was the one who protected Yosef for many years and taught him 70 languages.” 

“That was then, when we were beginning the first exile of the Jewish people, so it required the attribute of Din, which Gavriel is associated with,” Yeranen Yaakov wrote. “Now that we are at the end of our final exile, the Angel Michael, who is associated with the attribute of kindness, will be our defense against Ishmael. He noted that on the holiday of Hoshana Raba, Jews recite verses that have to do with the Final Redemption. 

“Only Mashiah can announce ‘Peace’.  But we hope that a cessation of fighting in Gaza will bring peace.  Trump is optimistic.  Skeptics abound (including myself), but let us pray for it. 

Yeranen Yaakov then cited Isaiah 51:11 as an appropriate prayer: 

“And the ransomed of the LORD shall return, and come with singing unto Zion, and everlasting joy shall be upon their heads; they shall obtain gladness and joy, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.”

“No explanation needed on this verse,” Yeranen Yaakov wrote. “May Hashem bring comfort to the congregation of Israel in many ways.