Having Faith While in Hell

This column is about faith and miracles, and it begins with an event wondrous to behold: the New York Times publishing a thoughtful, balanced, and inspiring article pertaining to the current moment in Israel.

The article features an interview with Omer Shem Tov, who until recently was held in cruel captivity by Hamas. Omer, the Times tells us, “had grown up in a largely secular home, and was living a relatively carefree existence after completing his compulsory military service.” Then, on October 7, 2023, he was suddenly snatched and subjected to torture in cramped surroundings for a year and a half. It was as a hostage that Shem Tov embraced the faith of his fathers:

A few days into his captivity, he said, he began to speak to God. He made vows. He began to bless whatever food he was given. And he had requests—some of which he believes were answered. “You are looking for something to lean on, to hold onto,” Mr. Shem Tov said in a recent interview at his family home in Herzliya, north of Tel Aviv. “The first place I went to was God. I would feel a power enter me,” he said.

“Faith kept me going,” he said, adding, “I always believed I would get home, though I didn’t know how or when.”