Thought experiment: Hamas says one million dollars per hostage and you have them back. How long would it take to raise the money? About 200 million dollars. How long?
Within SECONDS Klal Yisrael would come up with the money. Seconds. מי כעמך ישראל.
OK. We don't have that option. It is not in our hands to extricate the hostages from their tremendous distress with money.
But wait. There are LOOOOADDSSS of people who are in TREMENDOUS distress, not hostages but suffering nonetheless. With that amount of money - we can extricate these wonderful people from their tremendous suffering. THOUSANDS of people. And the donors WOULDN'T EVEN FEEL THE LOSS OF MONEY. It would only help and change people's lives.
So why are we so eager to help the hostages [whom we have never met!!] and not other people [many of whom we know personally].
I have a psychological explanation but will leave it maybe for another time.
