There is no issue that so unites and so divides the people of Israel today than the fate of the hostages in Gaza. As always, Jewish texts and traditions, and Hebrew roots, have a role to play in the discussion. Some pundits have pointed poetically to the biblical Samson, akin to a Jewish Hercules, as the embodiment of Jewish power to be emulated. After he was captured by the Philistines and taken as a hostage to Gaza, he destroyed the Philistine temple, bringing it down on himself and his captors.

Then, there are the lessons we learn from the Hebrew root פ–ד–ה (peh-dalet-heh), to redeem, rescue.

According to Maimonides, פִּדְין‭ ‬שְׁבוּייִם‭ ‬ (pidyon shevuyim), redeeming captives, is the highest mitzvah on the Jewish value scale. Yet, our practical Talmudic sages cite the unforeseen consequences of paying ransom and declare, אֵין פּדִין (ein podin), “One does not ransom captives [at all costs]”—however coldly those costs may be calculated.

In Scripture, God often uses the root to speak of rescue by force, stating that פָּדִיתִי (paditi), “I rescued,” the Israelites from Egypt—in this case, using plagues and not a ransom. While pagan religions sacrificed their first-born sons to a god, the Torah instituted a ceremony still performed today called פִּדְין הַבֵּן‭ ‬(pidyon ha-ben), “redemption of the [first-born] son.” The ritual involves the פְּדוּת (pedut), “substitution,” of a coin, which is given to a Kohen, instead of the sacrifice, or lifelong service to God, of the son. A פִּדְין (pidyon), gift, is, in Hasidic circles, what one brings to an audience with their rebbe.

Psalm 49:9 warns the rich that וְיֵקַר‭ ‬פִּדְיֹון‭ ‬נַפְשָׁם (ve-yekar pidyon nafsham), “The price for saving their life is so high,” i.e., that even great wealth will not assure their place in the afterlife. In Exodus, God tells Moses to warn Pharaoh that when the fourth plague brings swarms of insects, וְשַׂמְתִּי‭ ‬פְדֻת‭ ‬(ve-samti pedut), “I will place a protective distance [between My people in Goshen and yours in Egypt].”

Historically, the kidnapping of Jews for ransom was so widespread that many Jewish communities would set aside money for a קֶרֶן‭ ‬פְּדִית (keren pedit), redemption fund. Our root is also found in commercial contexts where, for example, merchants, after tallying their pedut, daily revenue, will use the word pidyon for cashing a check. The plural of the root, found in financial transactions, designates פִּדְינת (pidyonot), ownership shares, or stock certificates. Additionally, it refers to merchandise purchased with business partners.

And still we debate, should we follow Samson’s show of strength or Maimonides’ counsel of redemption no matter what? Today, this difficult question, unavoidably intertwined with our history and Jewish DNA, seems to hover over all of us. 

Joseph Lowin’s columns for Hadassah Magazine are collected in HebrewSpeak, Hebrew Talk and his most recent book, Hebrew Matters, available here.