I didn’t know him but he made a profound effect on me and many others this past week — may his soul rest in peace!
Moshiko Davino was killed in battle during the war of Protective Edge in 2014. His Tefillin — which he always brought with him into battle —is the only thing that survived the explosion that took his life.
With the scent of the fire’s dust still strongly on the Tefillin bag, his mother Ruchama (who can possibly imagine her pain?) presented his Tefillin to Prime Minister Netanyahu who promised to wear them and dedicate this mitzvah to the elevation of her son’s soul and for the elevation of all our fallen.
This past Sunday, the PM posted a photo of himself wearing these Tefillin with the above commentary. How thoroughly touching!
The PM also included in the caption a passage from Deuteronomy that states, “and all the nations of the land will see that the name of G-d is upon you and will be fearful of you”. He included this passage as it references a statement of the Talmud’s Rabbi Elazar the great — who explains that the fear of the nations —will specifically be induced by the Tefillin that we place on the head.
This photo touched me deeply and gave me comfort. Over the past months I’ve been voraciously reading the news and I’m incredibly proud and indebted to the bravery and selflessness of our dear brothers and sisters in Israel. Yet the ferocity of our enemies is alarming. It seems like an impossible feat to vanquish them. That is, unless G-d is brought into the equation.
Our existence is indisputably a miracle. This isn’t the first time that we’ve been besieged by enemies, attacked from all sides quite literally and despite all that we are a thriving nation —an eternal nation. We’ve endured the worst and achieved the greatest.
Moshiko Davino may have paid with his life but it wasn’t in vain. The photo of the PM in Moshiko’s Tefillin was just what we needed to show our enemies —the name of G-d hovering over our eternal nation in our eternal homeland —led by those who have sacrificed so greatly and continue to inspire us all.
Turns out, I too needed to see it — for after all, it’s only by standing tall, proud, strong and connected to the One Above the are we assured total success and the vanquishing of our enemies — AMEN!