Rabbi Elkana Weisel was among those who fell yesterday in the southern Gaza Strip. This morning, a letter he left before going into combat was made public, starting with “If you’re reading these lines, something probably happened to me.”
In his letter, Elkana wrote: “First of all, in case I was taken hostage into Hamas captivity, I demand that you not make any deal to free any terrorist to free me. Our decisive victory is more important than anything, so please simply continue to go full steam so our victory is as crushing as possible.”
“Maybe I fell in battle,” he wrote. “When a soldier falls in battle, it’s sad. But I ask you to be happy, don’t be said when you depart from me. Sing a lot, plant in the hearts, support each other by the hand and strengthen one another. We have so much to be proud for, we are a generation of redemption, we are writing the most significant moments in the history of our people and the whole world. So please, be optimistic. Continue to choose life at all times. A life of love, hope, purity, and optimism.”
“Look at those dearest to you in the whites of their eyes and remind them that everything you’re going through in this life is worth it. And that you have a lot to live for, you will live, don’t stop the intensity of life even for a moment. I’d already been wounded in (Operation) Protective Edge, I had the choice to stay behind, but I do not for a moment regret that I went back to being a soldier. To the contrary, it’s the best decision I ever made.”