5, 4, 3,2,1….. and with that the iconic clock in Hostage Square was turned off.
843 days of trauma, prayer, campaigning and soul searching for the entire Nation of Israel, ending with the final return of Ran Gvili.
The first to go in the last one out. Ran didn’t need to rush into danger on that fateful day — he was on medical leave waiting for surgery yet he couldn’t stand by whilst his friends were all battling and his nation was under attack.
His selfless dedication cost him his life and his name will eternally be etched into all of our minds and hearts into perpetuity.
This week we read of the our ancestors exodus from Egypt. Not but a few days later the oppressor nation regrets allowing the exodus and rushes with the full cavalry to recapture the emancipated people. In front of them is a body of water — the Sea of Reeds and behind them clouds of dust and war cries from the elite of the Egyptian army.
Anxiety levels soared. Despondency set it for some, adrenaline for others — the situation bleak. Until —one solitary individual jumped into the obstructing Sea. His name was Nachshon. He trailblazed, refusing to see the obstruction as a danger. If G-d instructed to move forward then that’s what the plan of action was going to be.
Seems simple and also seems futile. Yet subsequent to his selfless move — G-d splits the Sea of Reeds and the entire nation miraculously crosses the Sea as simultaneously the pursuing army drowns in that very same sea.
A miracle to be sure but a vital lesson to each of us. Miracles don’t happen unless we put our best foot forward… Miracles will happen, let’s be clear. Just examine your life and your lifetime and you’ll see an abundance of real indisputable miracles — yet it always takes someone to put their best foot forward.
Ran Gvili personified the Nachshon move. The first in, the last out. Thousands of others did so too. No, hundreds of thousands of others did so too. Perhaps it was millions worldwide who in their own manner jumped into the proverbial sea.
Judaism hasn't merely survived throughout the ages — it’s thrived due to the Nachshon / Ran doctrine and inspiration. It’s the ethos of Jewish life.
Earlier this week was the anniversary of the inauguration of leadership of the Lubavitcher Rebbe. It wasn’t a job that he wanted and it took a full year for him to acquiesce and ascend to the position. In his first address he emphasized this very point. The collective responsibility of each of us to put our best foot forward yet he didn’t stop there.
You see throughout his life he uniquely emphasized the benefits that result from living like this. The recognition of purpose and maximization of our lives. Sometimes it comes at a cost of comfort or a sacrifice of some other physical element yet at the end of the day, happiness, fulfillment and peace of mind don’t result from physical abundance they result from living a deep, meaningful and purposeful life.
Ran Gvili is a modern day Maccabee and Hero. We are fortunate to have had such good examples — now it’s up to us to put our own best foot forward!