4 SILENCE IS YOUR PRAISEMVlilestones in the life of Emmanuel Yehuda Moreno, may God avenge his blood Born in France, 24"" of Sivan, 5731 (1971) Made Aliyah (immigration) to Israel at the age of 1 Grew up in the Sanhedria Murchevet neighborhood of Jerusalem Was a member of the religious-Zionist Bnei Akiva youth teen eB mee Reno Studied at the Himmelfarb and Hartman high schools in Raison) Pre-military yeshiva academy in Eli, 2" Class Enlisted in the IDI in the elite Sayeret Matkal unit, 5750 (1990) During his army service, he completed a B.A. degree in EN Worked in the General Security Service (Shabak, Shin Bet) Married Maya, with whom he raised three children: Aviyah, Neriah, and Noam Yisrael Returned to his unit, climbing the ranks until being promoted to the rank of Lt.-Col Was killed during a military mission during the Second Lebanon War in the Baalbek region of Lebanon, 25" of Ay 5766 (2006), on the night of the holy Sabbath of Parashat to On Motzaei Shabbat, early Sunday morning at 1:30 AM, he was buried in the Mt. Herzl Military Cemetery in the presence of thousands of friends, soldiers, and officers, who stood in silence to offer their last respects PST AUnCercVIMN CSM ToC TUR UN TOM CCT an sso) MUON COlCoMOy aa UaTG night, as was appropriate for a holy warrior who lived his entire life in modesty.Introduction Silence is thy praise (Psalms 65.2). This is the name we have given to this collection of stories about Emmanuel, For we know that Emmanuel would never have allowed us to talk ahout him at all. We know that, with his modesty, he always liked staying away from the floodlights. We know that silence is what characterized him more than anything else. And therefore we say, “To you, Emmanuel, silence is your praise.” We also know that even if we try to speak and tell who Emmanuel really was, we will never succeed. For words will never be able to describe this unique personality. In order to understand who he was, you simply had to know him, But despite all, we tried to find the best way we could to bring Emmanuel’s character and personality to life, and how we could transmit, in words and stories, who he really was. One of the things that typified Emmanuel more than anything else, as his friends and family members said many times, was his constant work on improving his character traits, During the last few years, Emmanuel and his wife reached the conclusion that the ability to advance spiritually is attained via hard work on one’s character. Just like everything else in which he got involved, Emmanuel took this mission upon himself with determination and vigor. He mapped out for himself all the traits on which he felt he had to work - and then, eagerly and thoroughly, without giving in to himself, he delved deeply into the task. He constantly sought new methods by which he could “polist” the traits that he felt needed work. Sometimes he would even share with his friends some of the ideas and tips he found aelpful. We therefore chose some of Emmanuel’s most blatant character traits, and made these into chapter headings. We then collected some of the stories that were told about him and divided them among the various chapters. It is important for us to emphasize that Emmanuel acquired each of these traits through years of hard work. We hope that the readers will find in these stories about Emmanuel encouragement and proof that it is possible to work on one’s character and achieve noble values in one’s daily life. From Rabbi Eli Sadan’s eulogy during the funeral: “Now, after you have ascended to the heavenly secrets, you can no longer hide. Your personal, individual personality has been taken from us - but the message of your life, the contents of your life, now belong to all of us. You are a symbol of the generation of Redemption. One hundred will arise after you, and another one thousands will walk in your light, and they will bring to life the real, inner disposition of this nation: compassionate, humble, kind. and filled with physical might, spiritual wellsprings of power, and joy of life. 99inipw) “WOW KITTY AION THAN” Religious Faith ited in faith until the setting of the sun. (Exodus 17,12) Moshe’s hands were Senco ne ee Tam ROEM TTS SET] MET RISK ETN aa OTT YEN CSE TTY Re CRORCCMCIMICOC CSR oeom e uScn RECO e ean une No Hiding the Truth One of Emmanuel’s army buddies wanted to go with him on a trip for a few weeks. Emmanuel agreed, but on condition thatthe friend would keep Shabbat and Keshrut throughout the trip. The friend accepted the condition - and these were the first Shabbatot he ever observed; he is now a rabbi in a pre-military yeshiva academy. Emmanuel wasn’t a “missionary,” and he didn’t try to get people to become religious. On the contrary, in fact; he half-jokingly made sure thatthe religious guys wouldn't be construed as trying to “take over” the unit, But if you would start a conversation with him about Judaism, he wold willingly talk about it - and then ‘you would have ro way out, He would explain and argue with such fervor, with all his heart, with deep inner conviction; he would never keep the truth from you. Living with Questions, Searching for Answers Emmanuel once gave a talk to high school seniors, explaining to them wihy it was important (o study Torah before starting the army: “In the army, a religious person is like a mirror, or ‘an ambassador, of the world of Judaism, You can’t he passive; you have to give answers. But most importent of all is to give answers to yourself. If until now you were able to live without questions or answers, just rolling along with the tide with your friends, in the army ‘the questions come at you -and you're alone. And if youdon’t have answers, then you begin wondering to yourself if you truly believe in what you're doing...” 100Love of the Land One of the values that Emmanuel totally personified was “love of the Land” in the very deepest sense. We don’t see people like this in our society or in the army very often. It doesn’t mean just to take hikes in the Golan or Negev, but rather to truly investigate and search out the meaning and essence of this love. Why are we here, in this land, and why must we kiss it and Why must we die for i Why must we hold on to it so tightly, no matter what the rest of the world thinks? This approach to the Land of Israel is very lacking, The Bells of Mashiach (by Amir Y., a friend from his army unit) A week before he fell, we met in the unit. We talked about the war, and about how frustrated he was at Israel’s lack of decisiveness and failure to fulfil its potential. We spoke about the fact that these are times of the heralding of the Messiah, and that all that God wants is fo- us to really want Mashiach and seek Mashiach and cry out for Mashiach. We parted with the mutual hope for the speedy arriva! of the Messiah, He believed that this war would ring the People of Israel to repentance and redemption. GORA The Predominance of the Spirit Emmanuel, as ¢ man of faith and Jewish sources, often tried to show and emphasize the predominance o? the spiritual over the physical. He was carefull and sparing with his words, yet did many good deeds, He gave us of his Torah and Judaism with great seriousness, while making sure to maintain a spirit of youthful friskiness. - From the unit commander’s eulogy A> aS The Value of Five Second (a letter from Stay, a friend from his army unit, to Emmanuel’s family) T would like to share with you a conversation I had with Emmanuel on Friday, just a few hours before we boarded the helicopter. | don’t remember the exact words, but this the gist of it, We sat and talked about different things that could happen to us, and what we would do in each case. This was just two weeks after the sad incident in which a helicopter was ait by a rocket and five soldiers were killed, and so there was a general vague apprehension regarding flying in helicopters over Lebanon. Emmanuel asked me, “So what would you do if, God forbid, our chopper is hit by a missile and you have five seconds left until it crashes?” I answered, “I don’t know, I guess I would be very sad and scared, and I would close my eyes and wait for it to end as quickly and painlessly as possible.” Emmanuel thought for a moment and then said, “What I would do, and this is what you should do too, is to say “Shma Yisrael."” I looked athim and said, “OK, you'll say Shma Yisrael. But what will it give you? No matter what, a second later, the crash will come and we'll all die. And then he answered me something that has remained with me until now, and I'm convinced it will remain with me all my life: “If a person has five seconds left to live, and those seconds still have significance for him and aspiration for what comes afterwards, ‘that means that his whole life had meaning. But if the person has five seconds left and he doesn’t realize their importance, then apparently his whole life had no meaning. For we don’t live just to satisfy our desires, or just for momentary pleasures; our lives are rather 101step on the way to the next stage.” This sentence has been with me from the moment of the terrible incident, and it helps me, in that I know that as far as Emmanuel was concemed, his life did not end with that teitible wound that Killed him, Rather, just one stage ended on the way to the next stage, one that is even more important than this one - a stage that can be reached only by living this life Tam not a religions person, but | helieve tha Fmmanuel’s strong faith helpedl him get through all the difficult times of his life calmly and serenely - and especially from the time he was hit until he died. For me, this is something very strengthening GOES 102TON (erroonay”INKZ TAT ANON NN” Kindness You shall certainly open your hand to your brother. (Deut. 15,1) Some of Emmanuel’s many acts of kindness and giving were revealed after TRU TUMORS cece Te SUSAR Coo ees RO DROS ene TS people who knew the delicate art of how to give. He knew that the secret of eee CO RUNES Cre mer aN TOU RO Emmanuel’s Boy (Yair Lasloi, a childhood friend) During the course of 12" grade, in the midst of the pressure of tests and studies, our school was asked to provide volunteers to work with retarded children in a neighboring school. Most of the students said they were too busy, but among the few who agreed to take on the challenge was Emmanuel. The boy Emmanuel worked with loved him so much, and even ‘years afterwards, when we would meet him on the stree:, he would jump on Emmanuel and hhug him and kiss him, as befitting one who loves him truly and deeply. Friendship Without Limits (Yair Lasloi, a childhood friend) This story is one that took place over the course of many years, from Grade | up until the last days of high school. Over the years, Emmanuel “collected” a bunch of children who had various problems and were not socially accepted. These children considered themselves Emmanuel’s best friends, and considered Emmanuel their best friend ~ because he gave them unlimited and unconditional love, support, and encouragement. They came from very different religious, intellectual and ethnic backgrounds. Even though they weren't that accepted in school or in Bnei Akiva, Emmanuel gave them the feeling that he was their best friend, There were some with a hareidi bent who couldn’t exactly find themselves a comfortable social environment, 103but with Emmanuel they found a supportive shoulder, a listening ear, love and friendship. And there were even those we considered the “criminals” of the neighborhood - but they, too, felt that Emmanuel was their best friend. All of these varous types of people would come to Emmanuel’s house at different periods almost every day, and sometimes at unconventional hours. ‘They would knock on his door even on Shabbat, and he would always greet them happily and make them feel welcame Never. even far a second, dd he give them the sense that they were a burden. ‘These people were truly raised ap by Emmanuel, and they became part of our group anly because of him, That's how Emmanuel was: A simple and modest man, ho loved everyene just as he was. He was truly a friend with no limits, BOERS You’ ll Yet Learn to Giv (by a friend of Emmanuel who contracted muscular dystrophy) “Everyone comes into this world with a particular mission, but Emmanuel took upon himself several missions, even more than just providing security for the nation and establishing a family... He also ‘ook upon himself to help others, and aparently [ was one of his missions, This was a job assigned to him in Heaven even before he was born. “Emmanuel decided that it would be a good idea for us to go on a prayer tour at gravesites of righteous rabbis, We went to all sorts of places that at first appeared to be dark and gloomy, but when you get there you realize their value. We would read Tehillim (Psalms), and Emmanuel would explain to me what he read. You had to see the simplicity with which he managed to explain those things to me. From then on, I knew that Tehillim was something I wanted to read, I don’t know how Emmanuel knew about all those places, but it was clear to me that he prepared in advance. ‘We finished our tour at the grave of Rabi Shimon bar Yochai. I had been there before, but | didn’t remember it. This visit was simple but powerful. Emmanuel’s very presence next to me gave me a feeling of exhilaration. It’s hard to explain - it just has to be felt with all your bones and all your senses. ‘Emmanuel was the best example of the victory of the spirit over the physical. He lived simply, and was very polite and considerate even when giving you a ‘comment’ or explaining something to you. You could see that it was not in order :0 get down on you, but just so that you could learn for the next time.” It should be noted that Emmanuel would always say. after his talks with this friend, how much strength he received from him, and how he always felt a tremendous desire afterwards to cleave to God, and how much he understood that whatever strengths we have come only from God. ae NS Concern for the Weaker Soldiers Emmanuel always stood up for his unit's younger soldiers in their dealings with their commanding offizers. Guys who didn’t get io go out on missions would come to him and complain, and he would fight for them. He really battled his commanders over those things. This very much characterized him - his eoneem for the weaker and younger soldiers. Sh. a friend from his unit BERENS 104Until the Very End of the Mission Dear Moreno Family, wanted to tell you a personal story concerning Emmanuel, [always wanted to tell him about what he had done for me, but time went on and I never got to thank him, always thinking it was too late. During our basie training, we had to prepare fora long trek, and rumor had it that it was going to be a hard one, I was pretty tense for the trek, and I was therefore already worn down ri from the beginning, After a while of walking, I ended up in the back, trying to keep up, but towards the end, [ couldn't even continue at all - and then from out of nowhere, Emmanuel showed up, like some kind of savior angel, and he told me that I just have to finish the trek. He helped me, with about another kilometer and a half, all uphill. It felt like [ was walking in my sleep, my legs were heavy and could barely carry me. But Emmanuel didn’t stop supporting me from behind, and at the end, he even pushed me with his hand, refusing to let me break = even when I was pushing back. At the end of the trek, before I got a chance to thank him, he just disappeared I want to thank Fim, through you, for having had the privilege of knowing such @ man - a real Adino HaEizni (Samuel I 23,8, referring to one who is both gentle and strong) - a loving friend, a concerred companion, a man of kindness and truth. May we be comforted with the rebuilding of Jerusalem, and merit to see the coming of the Messiah and the resurrection of the dend, speedily in our time. Many thanks, Amir aa The Rosh HaShanah Thief Emmanuel’s brother recounts: ‘There was a certain period when the Yeshiva in our moshav was plagued by thefts. Every day, wallets and various expensive items were stolen from the students” rooms, When Emmanuel heard what was going on, he decided he would catch the thief no matter what. On Rosh HaShanah, when everyone was in the synagogue for prayers, Emmanuel and I went towards the rooms and made @ little ambush for the thief. Soon enough, we saw someone walking around the rooms, and we immediately caught him. To our great surprise, we saw that it was none other than someone we knew, a young man living in the moshav. He confessed, ‘and removed from his pockets a bunch of things he had stolen. He was very embarrassed and ashamed that we had caught him, and was afraid of what we would do. Emmanuel talked to him ard came to an agreement with him. He told him, “We promise we'll never tell anyone that it was you who stole, and in return you promise to do Teshuvah (repentance), return everything you stole, and come to pray in the synagogue every day.” And that’s what happened. The young man began coming to the synagogue, and up to this very day no one in the moshay knows the seeret of who was the thief. All the Time in the World On the last Friday, when Emmanuel was on his way to the battle from which he never retumed, he took a hitchhiker with him. Emmanuel was 9n his way to the unit, where he was to make the final preparations for the mission in Lebanon, which occurred only a few hours later. But to the passenger’s surprise, instead of dropping him off along the way, Emmanuel 105took him all the way to his destination - Yeshivat Kiseh Rachamim in Bnei Brak. This took Emmanuel significantly out of his way, because he could Fave traveled straight to the army on. Route 6, but Emmanuel drove into Bnei Brak as if he had all the time in the world, BERENS The Bridegroom A friend from Emmanuel’s community tells: Before my wedding, Emmanuel was mote excited than I was... He asked if everything was ready. I said yes, except for new shoes. He knew very ell about my financial difficulties due to my physical limitations, He convinced me that he would buy the shoes for me, with his special army discount, and we agreed that that would be his wedding present for me. On Friday, he picked me up in his car, and bought me several gifts. 1 was very embarrassed, but he said, “Naah, forget it it’s nothing.” When we retumed home, we were both happy that everything was ready. At the wedding, he gave me a gift and also a check ‘My dear brother, | didn’t know how far your good-heartedness reached. My dear brother, | believe that in the merit of your good heart, you have an entry ticket up there in Heaven 10 all the palaces, including that of the Mashiach. Our dear brother, please hurry things up over ‘there, and persuade the Heavenly Court and Hashem that the time has come to reveal our Righteous Mashiach! Le SS 106‘mmanuel was a man of tremendous love for the Torah, and intense dedication to Jewish Law. His life was a clear and proud Jewish statement, and in the army, his entire being represented Jewssh life. Often he was the only one in his unit who was careful to observe various basic and Jewish values. He would never miss a prayer service, and always kept the Sabbath and kosher laws. At the same time, he always made sure to fulfill all of his army missions, and never took advantage of his religiosity to get out of army obligations, He never gave the impression that because he was religious, he deserved something that others did not get. He always found the way to make sure that the two would not clash, in order to fulfil his obligations on both ends. 1vhis office in the unit, he always had religious texts on his desk: Bible, Psalms, Tanya, and books of Breslov. In his last years, Emmanuel dedicated increasingly more time to Torah study, which he considered the “pinnacle” of his achievements. Emmanuel decided that he would use Fridays 107to study Torah, and he therefore worked additional hours on the other days of the week in order to free up Fis Fridays, He would study with a havruta [study partner] in the morning, and try to fill in every free moment with more learning: he regretted every minute that he was tunable to learn. Among his army benefits was the right to study for an M.A. - which he asked to replace with Torah studies. He often said that two years of study in a yeshiva are preferable overan MA Atone point, he hada full month off from the army - and he decided to use it for fulltime Torah study. He joined up with the 2-year students, aged 19-2C, dove into the “sea of Talmud,” and \was happily contented. Though he also completed his law studies, he said that there was no comparison between academic studies and the joy inherent in learning Torah, At the end of that month, he said it was going to be hard for him to return to the army, explaining that an individual cannot express himself in the army as he ean in the world of Torah His havruta note¢ several unique traits in Emmanuel’ learning style: + Concentration and diligence: He did not allow himself to get distracted by side conversations or questions about the army. He would just dismiss these with a wave of his hand and continue his studies. + Attentiveness: This is something that requires humility, patience, and the ability to receive. Emmanuel always gave his study partners the right of way and would listen aitentively, and only afterwards would he say his piece. + Depth: He would not speak immediately after reading or hearing a passage, but would first think and work at understanding what it really meant + "I don't know." Emmanuel observed in an exemplary fashion the Rabbinic dictum, "Teach your tongue to say, I don't know.” ‘This was his general approach: coming as an ‘empty vessel, and not as one who knows everything, and thus enabling himself to understand the truth of the Torah. + Summarizing: At the end of every class or study passage, Emmanuel would sit and summarize in writing what he had understood. For he knew that the test of comprehension is the ability to write it out These traits represent the gentility of soul and the desire to truly understand with which Emmanuel approached the study of our holy Torah, Asks to the Point A friend from Emmanuel’s hometown tells: Emmanuel came to the yeshiva to learn Torah at every opportunity, and often studied on Fridays with a havruta, One time, Emmanuel asked him an involved question about the writing, of the Shulchan Arukh and the development of Jewish Law, but as it was Friday, the havruta had to leave and said he would continue the discussion the next week, Emmanuel didn’t want to delay him, but also didn’t want to wait a week for the answer - and so he accompanied him his whole long way home in order to hear the full explanation. LEER The Army Kitchen For years, the amy kitchen that served Emmanuel’s regiment was not kosher, It was impossible to keep it Kosher, as the kitchen was open 24 hours a day, reserve soldiers and officers came and went, and no one could monitor or supervise all of them, Some of the religious soldiers ate on paper plates, others ate on the regular dishes. Ultimately, in his last year, Emmanuel took it upon himself to be responsible for the kitchen, He undertook the 108difficult process of “koshering” the entire kitchen, and made sure it remained kosher, despite all the difficulties involved. He also arranged for the unit's rabbi to be able to enter the kitchen at any time and supervise. He told the cook who was in charge, “If someone has a problem with this, let hin: come to me.” In the army, who can make sure to eat only glatt-kosher meat? Emmanuel did. The cooks knew this and wonld often call him ta say, “Emmanuel, yon ean ent today: the meat is glatt pon The Practical Aspects Emmanuel loved learning the Torah from many angles, but he felt the most connected to the practical aspects of it. He especially loved learning the laws of the Sabbath. “He would drive me crazy with Sabbath laws,” his brother said. “Every spare minute he would lean Gmara. With all the complexities of his army activities, and with all the dangers and the heavy responsibilities upon him, he would always make sure to ask about anything if there was any doubt - how to do it, what was permitted, what was forbidden. On Sabbath, he was very careful about all the minutiae. Many religious soldiers, when an emergency situation arises, stop thinking about the details af the Sabbath laws - but not Emmanuel GEREN A Week on the Run Atone point, Emmanuel’s group had a week of “on the run,” in which they had to get from place to place without being discovered. All means were acceptable, including stealing food. During that week, Emmanuel hardly ate a thing, because he didn’t want to take food that wasn’t his. BP SX Keeping the Camp Holy ‘There was a plan recently to bring two new female soldiers to the unit to serve as cooks. ‘The guys were actually quite happy with the idea, and said it would help raise the morale, But when Emmanuel heard about it, he immediately went to the commanding officer and said, ‘These two girls will not come into a men’s regiment, period.” He explained about modesty, and about the Torah’s command to “Keep your army camp holy.” In the end, his insistence led to the signing-on of the cook who had been working ther: for another six months of service ae Minimizing Sabbath Desecration When he was celled for some kind of emergency military action on the Sabbath, he would drive there fromhis home without opening the windows or turning on the air conditioning, no matter how hot - because doing so would involve unnecessary Sabbath desecration. He would ‘open the door every once in a while to get some air (of course, after arranging in advance that the light would aot go on). But he didn’t see this as sonething special or great; it was just natural for him, ‘Someone said he once saw Emmanuel writing on the Sabbath in an unusual way, so as not to desecrate the Biblical law. ‘The observer asked, “Emmanuel, the whole Sabbath, because of this emergeney, you drove, talked on the phone, ete. - so why now are you writing like that?” Emmanvel explained the Talmudic concept that the Sabbath is “pushed aside” for 109emergencies, but is not “canceled,” and that therefore one must minimize forbidden activities as much as possible ‘Some rabbis permit one who took part in military actions on the Sabbath to return home afterwards. But Emmanuel did not want to avail himself of this dispensation, He explained that not everyone in the town was aware of his activities, end if they saw him returning on the Sahhath, it would he a “desecration of God's Name.” He did this even though sometimes he ‘would go several Sabbaths in a row without seeing his fanily iP Guarding the Tongue Emmanuel’s wife tells: We have a custor in our home, every Yom Kippur, to try to improve ourselves in a specific area for the coming year. Three years ago, we took upon ourselves to study together, every day, the laws of not gossiping and speaking bad of others (lashon hara). We tried, but due to Emmanuel’ tight and changing daily schedule, we were unable to study together, and each of us tried to study on his own, Emmanuel felt in his last years in the army, that the topic was really a critical one for him, and he faced a very dificult dilemma: Should he cut himself from all “regular” or unnecessary conversations, and thus minimize the chances of falling into @ situation of lashon hara - or ‘would this cause him to cut off his daily contacts of friendship with those around him, most of whom were net even religious? Emmanuel, as was his wont, chose the hardest way: Not to detach himself from his associates, but to make sure not to speak lashon hara, He even tried once in a while to explain to others the importance of not gossiping or speaking bad of others 1 can testify that he knew the laws, and even walked around with a small copy of Shmirat HaLashon in his pouch, When he had to say things of professional nature that touched upon the security of the State of Istael, he got up and said them, and argued if he had to, and did not give in, But when he had criticism of a specific officer or a soldier that he had to pass on in 4 private conversation, he deliberated from every angle, checked the law, and consulted with others. I recall a long conversation he had, over the course of several evenings, regarding an upcoming meeting with one of his officers of whom Emmanuel had strong criticism, He mapped out exactly what he felt would help the man in the future, what was relevant, and \what was possibly tainted by Emmanuel’s own personal feelings. He calculated which words to say and which to leave out. And after all that, he diseussed it with me, asking my opinion con how to present it. Afterwards, he truly hoped that he had not overstepped the bounds or hurt him, and tha: his words would trickle down to the right places. This was Emmanuel: he truly lived the Torah - living the laws of God, leaning and correcting, without closing himself off from society ie 110Hand (7D BD” THWKAD) “VINK TH AD TIN Leadership Judah, your brothers shall praise you. (Genesis 49,8) Emmanuel never had this “me” thing, or a need to “achieve” or to areer and the like, To be an officer was something he wanted not for the title or the authority, but se that he could give and make a difference. Emmanuel was only, ier ue Ome Ce Ca eon ae ntecrme tis he didn’t need them to take command. His influence on those around him came from the way he acted and the way he led, and from his perceptiveness and his values. He always ran forward, providing an Seen ecss Natural Leadership He was a quiet student in high school, serious and not overly outgoing, He didn’t talk much, but when he did, what he said was always right on the mark. The other students very much respected him, It was clear already then that he was @ man of real character and natural leadership, He clways strove for excellence, No one was surprised when he was accepted to the elite Matkal anit. A Friend Asi, a friend from his unit First and foremost, Emmanuel was a friend. With Emmanuel, you always knew that no matter what, he would always be there for you. He would never leave you, he would make sure to get you out, He was the best fighter there was, and you could always have full and ‘complete confidence in him that he would never give up. lllNumber One Professionally, he was the number-one expert, hands down, He was a perfectionist, he got involved in the little details, he had good judgement and the ability to make concrete decisions at critical moments, He was very sharp, even brilliant, and determined. In our unit, he was known as havinga very creative mind, and he used his ereativity to solve problems and make decisions. Yi Last to Go to Sleep A., a friend from his unit Emmanuel was Mr. Diligent, the last one to go to sleep and always busy reviewing things, planning a mission or preparing for whatever objective was before him. He worked hard and ‘went over every detail. He was always in action, never resting for a second, In every matter and at every oppcrtunity, he always strove for professionalism and excellence. He would not give up; he had to make it work. But all this never came at the expense of others; he would make sure to draw them along with him so that they would do better. Be To the Limit, and Then a Bit More... (Shachar, a friend from the unit) Emmanuel was daring. He believed in his abilities, and stretched them up to their limit - and then a little more When he had to present a plan of acticn to his colleagues or superiors, he would do it with inner faith and confidence, and he woud work to convince others that his plan could be done, But he would never let himself become complacent; he would go over and check himsel: again and again, raise questions and doubts. and ask, ‘Perhaps I’m not good enough?” This was also part of his modesty LE SS The Swiss Watch Emmanuel was ene of the mission planners in our unit, He had tremendous knowledge in many areas, and he had a phenomenal memory. He was careful about every single detail, so as to ensure that tiere would be no foul-ups in enemy territory. Emmanuel was very thorough and meticulous, and made sure that every fighter knew exactly what his mission role was, With him, there was no such thing as “black holes:” everything ticked like a Swiss watch He SS The Best in the World Emmanuel’s previous team commander said, even before Emmanuel died, that he was the best soldier in the world. And why? Because, he said, the IDF is the best army in the world, the Matkal Unit is the best unit in the IDF, our team is the best team in the Matkal, and Emmanuel is the best soldier on our team. That’s why I just ean't grasp what happened. It’s aif it just couldn’t happen to him - because he never lost, never gave up, would not raise his hands in surrender, No matter what mission or what situation, there was just no way that he would give up. His devotion to the mission and the objective was total. In the last years, I would always walk after him and with him, both metaphorically and practically, and I knew that I was safe, as if there was something protecting me. He turned from a friend into a type of protector that you just depend on 112The Flag-Bearer ‘The unit eommender tells about Emmanuel: Emmanuel led the most complex and involved military missions carried out by our unit - ‘among the most important missions executed by the IDF, and whose contributions to national security were very significant. ‘The challenges with which Emmanuel had to deal during his military service demanded rare professional capacites, focused and sharp thought, and extraordinary personal responsibility In the last years, Emmanuel was the flag-bearer leading he camp in his company. He was a subject of pride and admiration among the young generation of fighters who grew up around him, But above all, his was a personality enwrapped in values, integrity, love of homeland, unwavering loyalty to the Land of Israel, love of fellow man, and love of family, all of which ‘gave him energies and strength. From amidst all these, his force of character grew and spread, giving to and shining onto all of us. With his modesty, originality and sensitivity, he simply won us over, A Modern-Day Bar Kokhba (a eulogy by Matan, a good friend from his army unit) During your 16 years of army service, Emmanuel, yeu became one of the fighters who participated in the most missions in the history of our unit. It was often your bravery and cool under fire that made the difference between complications or even failure, on the one hand, and one of the many sucvesses that must still remain secret, onthe other. You ways stood at the head of the force. ready to deal with any problem that might pop up. There, at the head of the foree, is also where you found your death There were many incidents in which you found yourself almost totally alone - incidents in which an entire division would barely be able to fill your place. When we were younger, the commander said about you that not since Bar Kokhba had such a fighter arisen for the People of Israel. For us it was funny, but for you, of course, it was quite awkward, But day, Emmanuel, | am sure that Bar Kokhba has already come to give you the hous you descr ~ and maybe even (o yet sou “Lips” vm yuu. And we how will we remember you, Emmanuel? Above all, we will remember the special person and friend you were. You always sought out where you could help, or where an ‘encouraging word was needed. You were always in action, never resting for a moment. We will remember that in addition to being a serious fighter, you were also a funny guy who never quite forgot his youthful mischievous side. We will remember how at the end of those so difficult navigational treks, the first thing you would do was to start cooking food for the team, We will remember how at difficult times, we would look at you, to see what you were doing and how you were reacting. Emmanuel, your military exploits and achievements will probably remain secret for many ‘years to come, tut it is no exaggeration to say that every single citizen in this country owes youa lot Be SS “Have You Forgotten Who You Are?” (Yair Lasloi, a childhood friend) During high school, when we would go to concerts and sometimes mix together with the crowds and start dancing with them, Emmanuel would get upset at us: “Hey, have you forgotten who you are? We came to hear a concert, not to a dance party!” This is how he 113would scold us whenever he felt we were crossing red lines in matters of religiosity. But at the same time, he was such a good friend that the eriticism would never lead to coldness or distance between us, but would rather strengthen the ties. SS ica Fought to Fight ‘Over the course of the last month, Emmanuel felt very frustrated: He felt a lack of fighting spirit - not among the soldiers in his unit, but among the top army and government echelons, Emmanuel felt that this spirit needed to be fanned and stoked. He spoke about the crisis of leadership; he was pained that the top officials were not making the necessary decisions and \were not worrying about the People of Israel, but were ratxer concerned with how to promote themselves. ‘Though he was a Lt=Col., he asked the commander, “Just find me a regular soldier’s job and let me work.” He was so angry that everything was stuck, nothing seemed to be moving. He fought to be able to fight; he wanted contact with the enemy, he initiated missions, and he aushed to be able to go out and execute them. PrN “The Nation of Israel is Calling You” (Asi, a friend from the unit) Daring the last war, Emmanuel called up a friend and triec to get him to join his reserves unit, The friend said, “Leave me alone, | have a wife and a daughter, let others fight.” Emmanuel told him, “Enough already, quiet down! The Nation of |srael needs you! Drop everything and get over here!” That same friend said after the shiva mourning period, “It was impossible to refuse him. Emmanuel was always working for the People of Israel. For him, it wasn’t even ‘the State of Israel needs you,’ but something even bigger: “The People of Israel need you!”” 14TWY"NX (19D) “776 DY NO7 yaxn” Modesty Walk modestly with your God (Micha 6,8) The only thing Emmanuel could not hide was his modesty UR ce CR ROR CRU CRON MTOR That’s Emmanuel! Emmanuel ofter didn’t wear his officer’s stripes indicating he was a Lt-Col., neither on the base or when he returned home. When Gilad Shalit was kidnapped, Emmanuel was one of the first from the un‘ to get down there and start doing what had to be done. But he was wearing civilian clothing Suddenly, a lower-ranking officer turned to him and said, “Who are you? What are you doing here?” Emmanuel said he’s one of the guys of the unit who was called to come. The officer told him, “Seram, get into uniform right away.” So Emmanuel did that, without making a big deal of it, but left off his stripes. Bu: when he saw that he was not getting the necessary cooperation and things weren’t moving atthe right pace, he put on his officer’s stripes. The original officer, when he saw that Emmanuel was actually a Lt-Col, got seared and told a mutuel friend that now Emmanuel might get back at him. The friend said to him, “What are you telking about? That's Emmanuel, he doesn’t care about that nonsense.” FS =X Off to the Side His wife Maya tells: ‘When he had to make some kind of presentation before top political and governmental figures, Emmanuel wouldn't sleep the night before, Whenever it came to talking to “important” people, Emmanuel preferred to stay behind and off'to the side, He would say to me, “But Maya, how ‘can I speak? I cen’t speak before them.” I would say, “Enough, Emmanuel, even T know the \whole presentation by heart, what are you so Worried about?” But he was so concerned about accuracy and weuld study every detail for hours.Learned from Everyone (Uriyah, a friend from his unit) Many times I would come to Emmanuel for advice or to discuss something, and he always gave me the feeling that we were equals. Everyone felt comfortable talking to him, and 1 never sensed that he was above me or that had some official position, But the most amazing thing is that he even gave you the feeling that actually, he was the one learning from you! BRERS .-But Mostly from his Students (Asi, a friend from his urit) Irs hard to grasp how he did it, but even in the talks we sometimes had on Judaism - and as ‘you know, I don’t exactly have much of a background in that - Emmanuel would give me the sense that he had learned something from me, that | had given him a new insight Emmanuel felt best when he was among the fighters and the professional levels, and not so much when with the upper command level Everyone worke¢ with him, and everyone in the unit loved him - the cooks, the drivers, the officers. He related to everyone the same way. When he had to explain something about a military objective or a planned mission or the like, he would speak professionally and well But to speak about something for himself - that he wasn’tso good at. BERS A World of False Illusions One day, Emmanuel came home with a smile on his face. “What happened?” his wife asked, and he answered, “It’s such a world of falsehood; everyone relates to people based on. their extemals, ard not according to their real level.” He explained: “I saw an announcement on the bulletin board fora ‘lecture by Lt.-Col. E.,a fighter ina secret unit.” So I said to myself, “Wow, it sounds interesting, I'd like to hear what he has to say.’ But then I suddenly realized that I’m the guy who was supposed to speak! What a laugh! I don’t even have anything to say \Why would anyone want to come and hear me? What a world of falsehood! BERENS The Enigma: Simplicity from Greatness (A letter to the Moreno Family from Shlomi) I stand here, shocked and unbelieving. at the bitter news we received on Saturday night of the weekly Torah portion Re’eh, of the loss of Emmanuel, may God avenge his blood. J am sure that so much has been said, and will yet be said and written, about Emmanuel’s angelic personality. But | would just like to “grasp at the back of his coat’ and emphasize a side of his that astonished me: | pray that I may be able to learn it from him, For me, personally, it was very hard to ignore a certain very special aspect of his character. I didn’t know him very deeply, but when we would meet, it always seemed to me that facing me was the most unassuming man in the world - nothing put-on, no arrogance. a captivating simplicity that left me just wanting to stay with him, to be his friend, and mainly to learn from him. Today, when | hear all the great things they say about him, I suddenly realize what a giant of giants he really was - and it doesn’t jibe with my pic.ure of his simplicity. It just gives me the chills each time again, to think of this giant of a man, with such abilities, traits and qualities, the kind we just don’t find too many of in this wo-ld - and yet with all this, he had this 116‘astounding simplicity. How does such an unassuming nature envelope all of these amazing and praiseworthy traits? In my opinion, this is the most amazing thing of all! May it be God's will that we merit to even just a little of this great spirit of Emmanuel’s. Amazed at and admiring of his greatness and simplicity and their integration, which appears to he impossible for a hnman heing to achieve, T remain, Shlomi 4 Moreno - [which sounds like] Our Teacher, The Teacher of Us All ESS To Emmanuel. When | arrived in the unit, | heard the name Morenu, and I thought that was your nickname, because you really were like a rabbi and teacher to all ofus. Only later did I learn that it was really your famity name - but it fit you so well. Morenu -the teacher of us all. You would talk to the lowest-level people in the unit without the slightest hint of superiority; you knew how to give everyone the feeling that he was equal you. Morenu, our teacher, you were full and complete, rare in our world: Full of modesty, full of humility, full of integrity, full of Torah, full of good deeds, full of ideals. | didn’t know you very well persorally: we only met once in a while in the synagogue or when you gave me a ride, but these taits simply spilled out of you, leaving the person sitting next to you to just receive and learn from them. Morenu, our teacher, you are passing on to the World of Truth, while we are left here in this ‘world with the lessons of your tremendous character. ‘The edifice you builtin the personality of so many of us will remain standing forever. May the True Judge be Blessed, Oded ZED S Boldness and Humility (trom his friend Matan’s evlogy:) | know for sure that when you hear these things, you'll say, “Calm down with this nonsense already.” or, “Did you really say those things about me!?” So we want you to know that now, ‘even more than during your lifetime, you are no longe just Emmanuel of your family, or Emmanuel belorging to Maya and the children, and not even the Emmanuel of your army unit. From now on, as we all began to realize during the funere1, you are Emmanuel of all of Israel In this capacity, despite your protests, you have lost the right to remain modest and humble, and we, your friends, have assumed the obligation to make sure that the People of Israel know who you really were and how great this loss is. There is no better way to describe you than the pair of words from the liturgy, ha-oz v’ha- naval, “boldness and humility.” On the one hand, you were a valiant warrior, extraordinarily brave and bold, and on the other hand, you were modest and quiet to the extreme. Tt always got you angry to hear that stories of your heroism were being told; and how upset you got when we reminded you that they were even singing songs about you! You always made sure to stay away from places where you felt they were liable to admire you too much, ‘And when they asked you to speak to youths, you would say you had nothing to give them. You would always praise what others were doing, but about all your great achievements - hardly a word. 17The Real Heroes are in the Infantry When Emmanuel was accepted to the elite Sayeret Matkal unit in the course of our senior year in high school, he couldn't accept the fact that he would belong to such a “cream of the crop” group, He would always say he was just waiting for the day that he would be “dropped from the unit and would be in the Golani Brigade, together with everyone else.” Emmanuel very much admired the infantry troops. He would say that it was true that in his unit they did important missions, but that the real heroes are the ground soldiers who endanger themselves every day, and not just in carefully planned special missions. During the battles in Lebanon in the last war, Emmanuel called me a few times, and each time he would complain that we, the infantry, were doing the real work while he was just a “jobnik” who did nothing. We know, of course, that in reality, he took part in several important, secret missions during the war. GEES Mission Synagogue Yael, a youth group friend of Emmanuel’s, speaks Tused to meet him in the neighborhood synagogue: he was oh-so-quiet, oh-so-modest, but with real strength, Many times he would pray all the way in the back, sometimes even in the corridor, with his cell phone on him: perhaps he krew something that was going on, or was waiting to be called to some mission, or perhaps he was just shy and happy to be on the side. Or maybe all of these. When he was still at the beginning of his army service, he would return home so tired, that on his way home from Friday night prayers he would walk with his eyes closed. One Friday night, he actually tripped and fell down the steps. Another time, the synagogue vas locked from inside. Everyone was standing outsice, trying to figure out what to do. Then Emmanuel came. He rolled himself up oh-so-small. like one of those little toys that you can put together and take apart, and he was able to sneak inside through a little ‘opening, and then he opened up the synagogue for everyone. Then he again disappeared to the side, LEKES Silence is Your Praise On Friday night, he would have the soup, and would just nod in response to our questions. But you couldn’t get a word out of him, and you couldn't know a thing about what he was, doing. He was one of the “secret righteous men.” Sometimes God takes the righteous people just so that we should know who they were, GOREN When I Grow Up One time he was talking with a friend of his, an Air Force pilot. They were talking about what they would do after the army. They finally said maybe they would become security guards, That’s how little they valued their achievements. 118It’s “Just” Maya! His wife speaks: There was a sentence he would always say; it was like his motto. It was. “Don’t make such a big deal of i.” He said you should just do, without talking about it so much, He used this idea in different ways. For instance, | would come to him in frustration when T would see some trait | thought I had conquered come sprouting up in me once again. He would always answer me, “Maya, the first chapter in the Tanya! A person is not an angel. Don’t make such a big deal about yourself. You have pride? So what? Big deal! You're just litle old Maya Moreno, Keep working on yourself, no one is perfect. The opposite; whoever thinks he’s perfect, and therefore wonders why he has arrogance - that’s arrogance!” 119(6,29 pany) “DIDw 72p7 INDI - ANwY7 DIA” Accomplishments Today - to perform the mitzvot, and tomorrow - to receive their reward (Babylonian Talmud, Eruvin 22a) Emmanuel was one of those who was always busy doing, never resti moment. Eve after navigating torturous treks of many kilometers. as soon POU ROR SRO ECAC Pe ORE cc LU Le would return after difficult missions, it was always Emmanuel who would start preparing the equipment and the line-ups. Even back during basic mTOR RRR CRE cke tem acon cant MR Stoel ra eee Rae sea Frecetaesed tcteentec sears net ane ROT enn ROT NNO always felt the need to do something, and certainly not to goof off. What Doesn’t Advance You, Pulls You Backwards (Uriyah, a friend from his unit) Emmanuel’s use of time was something astonishing. You would never see him just sitting around passing the time. We were once sitting together, a group of fighters from the unit, drinking coffee and talking about this and that. Emmanue’ passed by, and I called him over to join us. He answered with a sentence that he often said: “Whatever doesn’t advance you, will probably pull you backwards.” | remember often, when some of us were sitting around in the “zula” and just talking, if Emmanuel would pass by - rushing, of course, to do something - everyone felt little awkward ‘and would shift uncomfortably in their chairs, wishing they could disappear. He was always moving forward, as if there was some wave pushing him ahead, and he would also push you together with him forwards, to accomplish something. He always thought that he had to improve more and more, in every field. 120Sweeping and Ironing Emmanuel was snown for always moving, ever since he was a child. He was always going somewhere or doing something. At home he was the family custodian - forever washing dishes, and constantly the one upon whom the pressure of Erev Shabbat would fall: washing, the floor, doing the laundry, ironing. When he would get home, or to his parents’ home, he would start helping, setting up, sweeping the floor. “The abject that most characterizes Emmanuel is the broom or the iron,” his mother says His wife Maya recounts: “Ever since we got married, even when he came home tired after some difficult mission ~ he was the one responsible for washing the floor for the Sabbath, ironing, helping with the children. He was the opposite ofthe stereotype husband who comes home and right away needs to be served. On the Sabbath, he treated me like a queen, didn't Jet me get up from the table and would do everything - serve, clean up, wash the dishes, everything.” The Octopus A friend of Emmanuel built a soup kitchen in Ashdod for needy people. He named it Beit Yossi, after his brother, an IDF officer who fell in Lebanor. One day, Emmanuel met his friend, ‘and in the course of talking, Emmanuel asked how it wes going with Beit Yossi. His friend told him that he was trying to start something new in Beit Yossi, and that he was involved in working to get budgets, permits, and the like, Emmanuel asked what he needed exactly, and right then and there he picked up the phone and made a few calls, spoke to a few people, and ‘connected his friend to the ones who could help him. The friend was amazed, and said, “In 15 minutes, Emmaruel did what we all had tried to do for five years! But that’s how he was - his head in the heavens, both feet on the ground, and with hands like an octopus...” Ze Volunteer Service Rabbi Eli Sadan, head of the pre-military yeshiva mechina academy in Eli, tells: His volunteering at the mechina in Eli was never-ending, He was responsible for the kitchen and would always wash the dishes; one time we even had to ask him to leave some room for others to volunteer... But at the same time, Emmanuel was also a main figure in the Beit Medrash, and excelled in the most difficult Torah classes S FS Productions with Abba Emmanuel’s oldest child, his S-year-old daughter Aviva, recently told her mother: “Ima (Mommy), you know what, with Abba (Daddy) it’s always *productions.”” When her mother asked what she meant, she said, “Abba always runs and sets us up and treats us so specially so that it will be fun and nice... you know... a real production!” 121Q"),n’9 D'7AN) “QP DINWN PTX! ;NNXN AKO NOK” Truth Truth will sprout from the earth, and justice will be seen from the heavens. (Psalms 85, 12) TUTE MRC Ue TL CONOR Uc |) eee MU Code Sa Cone MERC CRCNT CRU RTO UT Ons Comm ere it’s not so easy or natural, but it’s what expected of every soldier and office Meena cone eee cm ae ue uea eat enema! you believe tc be the truth and standing firm on it, even if everyone else is MT Meee Rn CNT Om ma ene or whatever, and you think that it’s not right, it should be done differently. PE RAR Ue RCCL SACRA RCI rCCr MEIC Rec eR Ome comer tccn tn - but he went with it all the way: he believed that he had to go with the truth. Every topic that came up in a discussion or a meeting, he could never I cam Men neni eer at Retna ac eT TSM ee ICC CL Reporting to God A few months ago, there was a meeting of all the top brass of the unit, and they were discussing a project that Emmanuel was in charge of an¢ if it should be advanced. Various issues were raised, such as how it would look to other units, personal advancement, and the like. Emmanuel was upset at having these considerations brought up, and he got up in the middle of the meeting and said, “Understand me very clearly: | don't have to give an accounting to any one of you, but only to God in Heaven.” All the while, of course, his stance ‘was solidly based from a professional standpoint, and all the commanders recognized and admired his expertise. 122Fighting for the Truth (Asi, a friend from the unit) Emmanuel’s integrity went with him everywhere. Even when it came at the expense of his professional advancement, he would not compromise, but would rather go with his truth all the way. It was known in the unit that he was willing to give up his career just to make sure that ‘things went the way they should, That was Emmanuel: a nan of truth ali the way, no rounding ‘comers, no conceding, but rather fighting for the truth with no ulterior calculations. GE> Fears No One He always had the objective in front of his eyes, whether it was to save a captive or some other important mission. And then, he didn’t care if he was facing the Prime Minister or the Chie of Sta, he would say what he believed straight to the point, no matter how it sounded He was afraid of no one. This was a very blatant aspect of his personality, and it was very ‘evident in the unit, He never made calculations whether something would impede his personal advancement. v= Jewish Pride This story typifies his zealousness for his principles. Emmanuel once traveled to Europe with a friend, On the border between Switzerland and Italy, one of the Italian policemen cursed him saying, “You dirty Israelis...” The policemen and Emmanuel and his friend came to blows, with the policemen getting the better of them. His friend immediately apologized ‘and the policemen left him alone. But Emmanuel continued to get hit. When they finally got out of there, Emmanuel was really angry’at his friend for having apologized just to save himself some blows: “How could you dare ask those goyim to forgive you?!” he said, and refused to speak to him for a few hours, 123wwnd nWiTTONN WD IK! D7WN IMI DNPH Ops we 2 DIPNWN NIT74 O71 KZ! WA NI Dealing With Crisis Elderly men and women will yet sit in the streets of Jerusalem, and men will have canes from their abundance of years, and the streets of the ci will be filled with boys and girls playing in their streets. (Zecharia 8, 4-5) We have chosen to devote this last section to a very painful and significant chapter in the history of the State of Israel: the withdrawal from Gaza, and the expulsion of the Jewish residents of Gush Katif. Emmanuel saw the Disengagement as a deep crisis and disaster, and he enlisted all his abilities PTR oe ATMO Oca CeO mere Baa euEun Reece RANT “ll Take Off My Stripes and Go Home” Emmanuel had very many arguments with his fellow soldiers about the Disengagement. His friends tell: “Emmanuel was very strongly opposed to the Disengagement, and thought that it was both a terrible mistake and forbidden in terms of his deep faith. Arguing with him about the Disengagement was on the deepest level you could get. He took it very much to heart, Now, after seeing during the shiva period all the people he fought for, | really understand why it is such a strong issue. He didn’t just argue for his opinion; he truly lived this thing. It pained him so very much that the army in which he served was doing it. He made it clear to everyone: “If I’m called upon to take any part at all in this Disengagement, I'll just take off my stripes and go home.” T heard him say it a thousand times: “I'll just take off my stripes and quit; [ have no problem with that.” 124God’s Laws Above All Before the Disengagement, at one point the top officers gathered everyone together and told all the soldiers that they were forbidden to express an opinion [on the matter]. They said that whoever expressed his opinion would find himself out of the unit. Emmanuel came and told his superiors that if he was asked to take part in the Disengagement in any way, he ‘would simply resign. He said that he is loyal to the army’s rules, but that God's laws are above everything. One young fighter in the unit said, “We were proud of the fact that we had ‘a commander coming out openly against the Disengagement, yet no one in the army dares take action agairst him.” True Complexity Emmanuel opposed the evacuation with all his being, and supported the protests against it. He knew and declared openly that he would never take part in it. But neither would he just quit in anger. He said that to leave the army would be a mistake, as it was the army of all of us. When the Amona incident happened, he took a day off, telling the army that he couldn't show up that day. He was truly broken and frustrated. But atthe same time, he continued working With full motivation and enthusiasm to do what he had to do for Israel’s security. When it ‘came to missions for the homeland, he was there all the way. NS No One Can Stop Him During the last week before the expulsion, he used to come every night to his brother's family’s home in N’vei Dekalim in Gush Katif. He would do some shopping for them, and then stay there for a few hours, and in the morning he would return to his unit as if nothing had happened. He also spent the last Sabbath in N’vei Dekalim, with the last soon-to-be refugees. He left his wife and children in order to be with his brother’s family in their so-difficult hours, It was a time when no one was allowed to get into Gush Kati, but no one could stop Emmanuel, When he wanted to do something. he di it. im LZ; Angel of Faith During the Disengagement, Emmanuel took vacation days from the army. After it was already a given fact, he decided to use his time helping the uprooted people. He devoted himself entirely .o helping them; he also made phone calls to the whole world, telling them to ‘come and help sive the residents” property. He gathered together all sorts of things, ike cars and other equipment, for the cause. He wore his army uniform so that he could get in and out ‘easily from the Gush Katif and the Shomron. He helped pack and organize their belongings, making sure to Iist on each box what it held and to which family member 1t belonged. In one of the houses, he packed up the belongings ofa young gir! named Hodaya, which means “thanksgiving.” On one of her boxes, he wrote, “Hodaya, make sure you know that the time of thanksgiving will come... Don’t worry!” When Hodaya unpacked her befongings in her ‘temporary new home, she was very moved to see what he had written, and invested a lot of effort to find out who it was who had written it, She then publicized the following in one of 125the weekly Torah portion pamphlets Tears, Pain, Sobbing. And once again, the same memories, ‘No, it’s not some memorial celebration for Gush Katif, it’s just a regular day. It’s the day we entered our cartonvila [a derisive name for the temporary pre-fab “catavilla” pre-fab home provided by the government]. It's already several months after that cursed day - a real chunk of time - but now everything comes hack again | enter ny designated room (some kind af temporary substitute until I get back home...), and it’s full of boxes, bags and messes up to the ceiling. Confusicn, anger, and tiredness. I don’t even know where to begin And then I suddenly see on the side a giant box, sealed up with lots of tape. I have no idea \who was the volusteer who helped my parents pack up my room a week after I was thrown out of it- but whoever it was, | wanted to say: Thank you! Ina thick black marker, you wrote on the side of the box, “Hodaya, make sure you know that the time of thanksgiving will come. Don’t worry!” Reading it was very moving to me, Ata time of crisis, right in the middle of those terrible moments of destruction and ruin, you passec the test! With great, powerful faith in the Creator of the World, you knew that all is for the best - but really really, every every everything is for the best!! Suddenly, an aggravating and depressing gray box has become a source of strength and great spirit, giving me ¢ peek at the last moments someone spentin my room... The tears are coming ‘gain, But this time they are tears of strength, hope and faith. “No need to worry - the time of thanksgiving will come!” Later, via all sorts of twisty and convoluted ways, it was found out that Emmanuel was the angel who had ra sed Hodaya’s spirits so beautifully Emmanuel, You Have Comforted Us! Emmanuel was promoted to the rank of Lt.-Col. during the days following the Disengagement. Ina departure from custom, Emmanuel asked to speak at the occasion, at which several of the IDF’s top brass were present. He said the following: My dear parents, the head ofthe IDP’s Intelligence Branch, the unit commander, and all those who have honored me with your presence here. As one year draws to a close and another one begins with hopefully good tidings, it is fitting that we summarize and draw conclusions. The end of ¢ year is not just a time to list and describe the events that occurred, but should be viewed as the point of departure for the coming new year This past year was filled with events and crises threatening the unity and integrity of our nation, At times of crisis, it is appropriate to carefully consider the unique path of Rabbi Akiva, one of the last of the Talmudic-Mishnaic sages. He experienced the destruction of the Second ‘Temple nearly 2,(00 years ago. His very special way of seeing historical events can be seen in many teachings in the Babylonian Talmud - and most blatantly in the following Medrash: After the destruction, four great rabbis traveled to Jerusalem: Rabban Gamliel, Rabbi Elazar, Rabbi Yehoshua, and Rabbi Akiva. When they reached Mt. Scopus, they looked out over the Temple Mount ard saw the city and its holy sites in ruins, They stood and tore their clothes. ‘in mourning, and then continued walking until they reached the Temple Mount itself, where the Holy Temple had stood not long before. The place was in total ruin, and a fox could even be seen moseying around where the Holy of Holies had stood. The sages were shocked, and began weeping. Rabbi Akiva, however, chuckled. His calleagues asked him, “Why do you laugh?” Rabi Akiva responded with a qu tion: “And why do you ery 126The rabbis answered, “Do you not see? Jerusalem is in mins all around us, an impure fox is strolling around the remnants of our holy Temple - should we not ery?!” Rabbi Akiva said, “This fox is a proof of the fulfillment of the prophecy of Micha the Prophet, ‘ho foresaw that Jerusalem would be destroyed and become a place for undomesticated animals. And so: if the words of the Prophet Micha have been fulfilled, then certainly the same will he true of the words of the Prophet Zechariah who said, Flderly men and women will yet sit in the streets of Jerusalem, and men will have canes from their abundance of years, and the streets ofthe city will be filled with boys and girls playing in their streets. That's why I'm laughing! ‘The rabbis said to Rabbi Akiva, * us.” ‘There are three possible ways to respond and react during a crisis. One is to sink into the depths of gloom and despair. This is not our way at all, and there is nothing to elaborate upon it, The other two ways express mote optimism, but one is superior to the other. The first way Jooks out to the light that lies beyond the present darkness, concentrating on the good to come and essentially ignoring evil and its very existence, This way is commonly known as “seeing the full half of the glass.” But there is an even better way than that, and that is the way of Rabbi Akiva - not ignoring the bad, but using it as a lever by which to become stronger. It is well known that when a person faces @ grave problem, he discovers powers within him that he never knew - strengths that would never have come to the fore had it not heen for the very crisis itself. This is something very familiar to any soldier who has ever been on a long and arduous trek. It can be said that because of the very difficulties he faces, he becomes a stronger and better soldier: We can therefore sum up and say that by utilizing the firs: of the two optimistic ways, one can remain strong - but by using Rabbi Akiva’s way, one can become even stronger. As we face the coming new year, we pray for the ability to adopt Rabbi Akiva’s view of life even in our own private lives, as well as in our national life. We pray for the gift of tuming “crisis” (mashber) into “bearer of good news” (mevaser, spelled with the same Hebrew letters). And we hope that we may emerge from these crises even more united and more strengthened so that we may successfully face the challenges that await us. In conclusion, | swish to thank the head of IDE Intelligence, Oded, and all those who are here, ‘and especially my parents who escorted and supported me throughout the years, and last but not least, my wife - my other half'- who provides boundless support and love. Thank you for everything, and a good new year to all. iva, you have comforted us: Akiva, you have comforted, Emmanuel Yehuda 127128