The difference between our freed hostages & Pharaoh’s butler

In Parshat Vayeshev, after Yosef interprets the dream of Pharaoh’s butler and explains to him that in three days he will be freed from jail and back at work, Yosef makes a request (Breisheet 40:14-15):

Remember me when things go well with you. Please deal kindly with me, and mention me to Pharaoh, and take me out of this house. I was kidnapped from the land of the Hebrews, and here I have also done nothing that they should have put me in this dungeon.

However, at the end of the parsha find out that he was not remembered (Breisheet 40:23):

The chief butler did not remember Yosef, but forgot him.

This story unfortunately reminds us of what has been happening with our hostages. They were kidnapped from Israel for no reason and they are being held in a dungeon.

In contrast to the chief butler, every time that Israeli hostages have been freed or rescued from Gaza during this terrible war, the first thing that they do is say that we must bring everyone else back. They and their families continue to tirelessly advocate for the freedom of everyone else who is still being held hostage.

The freed hostages have seen the horrors of what has been going on and they are the best possible advocates for those who are still there.

At the beginning of Parshat Miketz, we read that it took another two years until the chief butler finally remembered Yosef and that was only when they couldn’t find a proper interpreter for Pharaoh’s dream.

The hostages must be top priority and every politician in the world must be made aware that these innocent people are still there. The plight of the hostages must remain in the headlines until they are all rescued. It is bad enough that many have already been killed. We need to insist that they all be brought back immediately.

May we see all of the hostages returned home and may we hear good news.